Culinary Institute of America

Gluten-Free Baking

Appears in
top 1000Baking & Pastry: Mastering the Art and Craft
Baking & Pastry

By Culinary Institute of America

Published 2015

  • About
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine that affects one in 100 people in the United States. It is caused by a reaction to a gluten protein found in wheat, rye, and barley and anything derived from these grains. Oats also make this list because they may contain gluten as a result of cross contamination from packaging. In the most extreme cases, these grains could be deadly for a celiac. The only effective treatment is a gluten-free diet.

As celiac disease has become more common, pastry chefs have worked to develop baked goods without the use of wheat, rye, barley, or oats. When making gluten-free products, it is important to make sure to use clean tools and surfaces, have separate cooking utensils, and, if possible, work in a room where wheat, barley, rye, or oats have not been present. It is imperative that no contamination occur when making gluten-free products.