The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking by Peter Reinhart Read Free Book Online

KIT
    For the most part, thetools you’ll need to make these recipes are identical to those found in any well-equipped kitchen. However, a few special items will come in handy, and we also have some pointers on a few tools.
    Baking pans: You’ll need a variety of baking pans for the recipes in this book: rimmed baking sheets (typically 13 by 18 inches), round or rectangular cake pans, loaf pans, mini loaf pans, springform tube pans, Bundt pans, muffin pans, and a few others. But don’t feel you have to rush out and buy all of these if you don’t already have them. You can buy them along the way, as the need arises. For that matter, you can also use disposable pans at first,while you’re assessing how much baking you’re likely to do. Double-layered, insulated pans are also great, as they cook more evenly and protect the bottoms of products such as cookies or scones (you can also double pan these products if you find that they need it). As you begin baking these products you will quickly be able to assess whether you will need to double pan or use insulated pans, depending on how your oven bakes.
    Blender: If you don’t have a seed grinder or food processor, you can use a blender to make nut and seed flour. Just be sure to follow the instructions and don’t blend for too long, or you may end up with nut or seed butter.
    Bowls: It’s handy to have an assortment of stainless steel mixing bowls of various sizes. You can also use glass or ceramic bowls, but they are more vulnerable to chipping or breaking.
    Bread knife: The breads and other baked goods in this book are a bit more prone to crumbling than traditional baked goods. A sharp, high-quality serrated knife will go a long way toward ensuring slicing success.
    Cookie cutters or biscuit cutters: These are convenient for cutting out the dough for crackers. A 2-inch round cutter is the perfect size for crackers.
    Digital kitchen scale: Measuring by weight is always more accurate than using scoops, especially for flours. Using the weight measurements when given will probably yield superior results without the need for adjustments to amounts or cooking times. If you don’t have a scale, the volume measurements provided will work fine.
    Electric mixer: An electric mixer isn’t essential for most of the recipes in this book, but if you have one, it will make easy work of the mixing. Refer to the instructions for guidance on using an electric mixer with the recipes in this book.
    Food processor: If you don’t have a seed grinder, a food processor is your next best bet for doing the job. Use the metal blade attachment and follow the instructions . A food processor is also handy for grating carrots, cheese, and other ingredients, and for making pesto.
    Ice cream scoops: Sure, you’re going to want to scoop up some sugar-free ice cream to top your baked treats on special occasions. But you’ll also find ice cream scoops helpful, day in, day out, for scooping batter into muffin pans.
    Measuring spoons and cups: Of course, you cannot bake without a set of measuring spoons and a set of measuring cups. Better yet, have two sets of each so you can use one set for liquid ingredients and the other for dry ingredients.
    Metal spatulas: These come in a variety of styles and are suited to numerous tasks, from flipping pancakes to icing cakes.
    Mixing spoons: Most of the doughs and batters in this book are very easy to mix by hand and come together in a matter of minutes. Still, a large sturdy spoon is definitely the best choice.
    Muffin liners: Whether you go with paper or foil muffin liners, they will make it so much easier to extract muffins from the pan. They also speed cleanup. What’s not to like about that? But, if you don’t have any, we offer in the recipe section an alternative method for preparing pans so that the muffins will release easily.
    Parchment paper or silicone baking mats: It’s always a good idea to line baking pans with parchment paper or a silicone mat.