We’re hung up on the idea of yeast-risen, wheat-flour breads, because that’s what dominates the market to the exclusion of almost all else. But taking a break from wheat can open your eyes to a whole new raft of bready textures and floury flavours.
Better still, wheat-free breads are usually much quicker and easier to make – there’s no kneading required to develop gluten, and no rising time either. You’ll see that many wheat-free recipes come together very quickly in a bowl and are baked and ready in less than half an hour.
Sometimes, when the ‘baking’ is done the old-fashioned way on a hot pan or griddle, it’s a matter of minutes. In my fave new world of non-wheat baking, I’ve borrowed and adapted ideas from the cuisines of Ireland, Scotland, India, Mexico, America, Italy, France and Scandinavia. You’ll find pancakes and flatbreads, biscuits and soda breads, crisp grissini and – all ready to make themselves useful at breakfast, lunch, supper and snack time.
No flour needed when whipping up these , which are excellent for when the hunger cravings kick in
Source: Bloomsbury / Simon Wheeler
My recipes here do not attempt to mimic the texture of conventional ‘bread’ or cakes – in this respect gluten-free or low-gluten flours will always come up short. I’d rather invite you to note and enjoy the differences in flavour and texture – while appreciating that they can fulfil the same culinary functions we demand of regular bread.
They can be accompaniments to a soup, salad, pâté or hummus, they can be dipped, dunked or spread. Some of them can be rolled or folded around a filling to create a form of sandwich or wrap – and nearly all of them can be enjoyed pretty much as they come, perhaps trickled with a little oil.
Featuring 170 of Hugh's nourishing and easy recipes, Light & Easy is the perfect book for busy cooks Source: Bloomsbury / Simon Wheeler
In terms of our ability to digest wheat and other glutens, we are all somewhere on a continuum. Having the culinary tools to take a break from wheat now and again will help us find a contented place on that continuum.
I’ve loved experimenting with a range of non-wheat flours, all of which are much more characterful than standard white wheat flour. Rye is a favourite, with its nutty, toasty tang. It does contain some gluten, so is particularly useful if you want a dough to rise and hold its shape – as in a seedy rye soda bread – or in biscuits like rye-gestives where it helps the mix hold together.
Swapping flour for polenta makes for a moist cake with a pleasingly dense texture. Try Hugh's
St Clements polenta cake with blueberries. Source: Bloomsbury / Simon Wheeler
Buckwheat flour (gluten-free as long as it is uncontaminated) is now a valuable standby for me too: it has a full, robust flavour and makes very good and pancakes. And when I want moisture and tenderness in a bread or pancake, I turn to high-protein, pulse-based flours such as chickpea (aka gram flour).
Made with simply rye flour, salt and oil, are the perfect accompaniment to your favourite curry
Source: Bloomsbury / Simon Wheeler
Sometimes combining different flours gives the best results. A blend of dry, starchy rice flour with nutty-tasting rye and rich, proteinaceous chickpea flour works wonders in savoury pan scones, for instance. A tried and trusted flour combinations can be make up in bulk and kept standing by for the recipes that you like the most.
You may also want to try using some proprietary gluten-free flour blends – they’ll often work well in place of the blends I’ve suggested. In the UK, the Dove’s Farm organic range is the best I’ve come across.
Try Hugh's made with buckwheat and almond - the savoury version is perfect on the side of a soup, or you can turn it into a sweet scone.
Source: Bloomsbury / Simon Wheeler
You may not think of yourself as having baker’s hands, but all these recipes are designed to make you think again. Even without wheat – especially without wheat – you can be more self-sufficient in your daily bread than you ever thought possible.
This is an edited extract from Light and Easy by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (Bloomsbury, hb, $45.00).
Get more inspiration from Hugh in 6.30pm weeknights on SBS Food Channel 33 (or check times ), then on .
