Today we hear more and more discussions about "gluten free". Why is the "gluten free” diet attracting a large number of followers?
At the origin of the gluten-free diet, is the increasing number of people with celiac disease and others that feel better and healthier since they stopped eating foods containing gluten.
Celiac disease is a permanent intolerance to gluten contained in food. It is a digestive disorder where consuming gluten causes damages to the lining of the small intestine. Gluten is irritating and prevents the absorption of some nutrients by the body. The only known treatment for celiac disease is a strict diet excluding any source of gluten contained in food. Gluten is present in many products (pasta, biscuits, breads, pastries, sauces, cakes, pizza ...), the gluten-free diet is quite complicated to carry out every day because the person must take care to read each food label they buy in order to avoid consumption.
WHAT IS GLUTEN AND WHAT IS ITS ROLE?
Gluten is a protein fraction present in cereals consumed in daily life: wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, bulgur ...
Gluten is the key element in flour used to make bread, it gives volume and elasticity to the dough. Once the dough is kneaded, under the yeast action, the sugar within the flour turns into a gas (CO2). It is kept in the gluten alveolar, the dough rises forming a large elastic network. This is called the retarder proving process.
Gluten is therefore an essential element which enables the yeast to act and make the dough rise. Fortunately, there are solutions to continue to eat bread and pastries. There are flour mixes sold without gluten. These are developed by industrial and AFDIAG (French Gluten Intolerance Association) to facilitate the lives of people intolerant to gluten.
By combining gluten-free flours (buckwheat, corn, rice, lupine, chestnut, coconut ...), yeast / starter and aids for bakery production (starch, flour / guar gum, xanthin gum, lecithin, psyllium ...) which bring viscoelastic properties, it is possible to get a bread rising. Despite yeast and baking aid, the raw dough cannot be shaped or scrored because it is viscous and not easily malleable and sticky. So it must be put into a mold for fermentation and baking.
GLUTEN FREE BAGUETTE
The French company Philibert Savours, a leader in providing ing food solutions, has taken on the challenge creating a gluten-free mix to obtain shape and an expendable raw dough for the preparation of baguettes and pastries. Several demonstrations took place during the Europain 2016 show in Paris in association with Mérand, Hengel and Guyon.companies.
These demonstrations have sparked the curiosity and enthusiasm of many exhibitors and visitors. They were able to discover and taste these gluten-free baguettes.
The result was a success. The gluten-free mix by Philibert Savours allows professionals to obtain industrially golden baguettes with a cream-colored crumb which is delicate and alveolate. The only downside for now is that the crust lacks a bit of crispness compared to a traditional baguette. We have no doubt however that Philibert Savours will quickly correct this in the evolution of its gluten-free range.
There are also other gluten-free mixes to prepare other types of bread, croissants or pastries such as gingerbread, sweet rolls, muffins, madeleines ... while having the same texture and taste as those with gluten.
We hope that this range will be fast adopted by bakers so that people with a gluten intolerance will not miss out and can still enjoy the delicious taste of breads and pastries and buy quality gluten-free products.
- Philibert Savours: +33 (0)3 85 23 80 70, www.philibertsavours.com
- Mérand: +33 (0) 299 041 53, www.merand.fr
- Guyon: +33 4 50 72 76 55, www.guyon.fr