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Gluten. Would it help make better eatables?

SugarPossum

Active Member
Messages
42
Location
Yorkshire Dales
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Last two HbA1c readings were 5.7, 5.9 down from 6.7 a year ago.
So the LCHF diet has been good for me.

However bread and/or pasta substitutes just don't cut the mustard. I can get by with the soya based pasta but I haven't found a LCHF bread recipe that works.

I'm no Masterchef but manage the common LCHF recipes happily but it would be nice to bake an LCHF bread.

What is the effect(s) of using gluten with any of the low carb flours?

I live alone, BTW
 
Congratulations on the numbers, keep up the good work

It's very difficult to make a good bread that is low carb. This is because the majority of low carb flours (such as almond flour and coconut flour) don't contain gluten. Because gluten is part of the grain and sort of a package deal, you can't just add gluten alone to a "low carb" flour and expect the gluten to add stretch and elasticity to the flour you've added it to.

I think to make a loaf with nice air pockets, elasticity and stretch - the gluten has to be present in the host flour for it to work. Don't quote me on that because I've never tried, but it imagine it to be the case.

By the way, I just found this and wondered if you've ever heard of or used it?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bobs-Vital-Wheat-Gluten-Flour/dp/B00H02H9SC
 
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Hi @SugarPossum and @GrantGam1337 I have used the vital wheat gluten and it is incredibly elastic. Not used it for bread though. I have just googled this recipe. http://lowcarbyum.com/gabis-low-carb-yeast-bread/

The photo looks lovely, but the comments are a bit hit and miss. Might try it sometime. Please let us know if you find a good recipe. Or we could kidnap someone from the Lidl bread factory and force the roll recipe out of them!
 
Thanks, GrantG', I cannot argue with your scientific knowledge since it's way out of my field.
However following your link and after I'd googled seitan, it seems you may not be entirely correct.
It seems, (I haven't tried .. yet), that making seitan needs the usual kneading to succeed in making a dough.
So gluten certainly has some effect.

Looking further at Bobs-VWGF, it seems just to be wheat gluten, which I have, to make this:
Soy flour recipe by: Jennifer
120 g soy flour (I use the full fat variety)
80-85 g gluten
2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
2 tsp oil
2 tbsp warm water

which does make a half reasonable pasta. I'm not at all sure what the gluten is doing though the method doesn't require much kneading. Perhaps I should try more kneading and get some rise.
 
SugarPossum said:
Thanks, GrantG', I cannot argue with your scientific knowledge since it's way out of my field.
Click to expand...

Oh no, I'd definitely question my knowledge, it's neither scientific nor knowledge in a lot of cases

Please do let us know if the vital wheat flour (if you chose to use that as your source of gluten) works well with low carb alternatives to grain flour, such as almond flour or the like.

I'm very interested to see if it will work!
 
Avocado Sevenfold, missed your post - wasn't on the page when I first replied
Gabi's recipe looks complicated but I just might try although it means buying even more ingredients, (cupboard is FULL!).
I didn't find the "hit & miss" comments though.
What's with the Lidl roll recipe? Do they make LCHF bread?
 
It doesn't seem to need a lot of kneading as it turn very elastic the moment water hits it. The comments are near the bottom of the page with some people saying it didn't rise and some saying it did. Maybe best to avoid this recipe until you find one that someone here can vouch for.

Lidl sell a high protein roll which is quite low carb for bread. I love them, but my local Lidl has stopped selling them. The ingredients are listed somewhere, but the recipe remains a mystery.
 
Not bread but this variation on LCHF pasta looks good:

Low Carb Soy Flour Pasta/Noodles (serves 2-3)
120 gr soy flour (I use the full fat variety)
80-85gr gluten (_or_ 20gr wholewheat flour = 11g carbs?)
2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
2 tsp oil
2 Tbsp warm water

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet in another, then pour the dry onto the wet and mix well.
Turn out and knead until smooth. Let rest for at least 30 minutes.
Roll out and put through pasta machine to what you want.
 
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