Baking

Baking used to be my number one hobby because I could just gather, measure and whip items and watch them transform into something that is delectable and irresistible that you just can't help but want to eat it as soon as it came out of the oven.


I would bake cakes, cookies, breads and pies whenever I was in the mood and then shared them with people closest to me.


Since I don't eat wheat anymore, this hobby has become less attractive to me because it requires more time in researching than the actual baking.


Nevertheless, I still prefer to experiment now and then, with non-wheat flours that my family and I can enjoy. The flours I use are easily available from our local supermarkets and are reasonably priced too.


I prefer to mix my own flours rather than to buy premix flours because some of the ingredients in the premixes are not beneficial for me or my family. Also by mixing my own flours, I can control what my family and I are eating.


Flour
The usual flour mixes I prefer are white rice flour, brown rice flour, spelt flour, light spelt flour, pearl millet flour (bajra atta), quinoa, rolled oats, potato starch, sago flour and glutinous rice flour (sweet rice flour).


However, occasionally, I would use tapioca flour, chickpea flour and rye flour if baking for my sole consumption.


Binder
The binders I prefer are golden flaxseed meal and psyllium husks instead of xanthan and guar gums.

Liquid
For liquids, I now went back to using full cream dairy milk, (since I realised that my opting for store-bought unsweetened soya milk is not better for me), distilled water and natural fruit juices to add moisture and flavour for my baked goods.


Leavening

The leavenings I use for baking bread are instant yeast, natural yeast I made from dried grapes and sourdough starter I made from spelt flour. For other baked goods, I use baking powder, baking soda and eggs.

Flavouring

I usually use pink Himalaya salt and raw sugar because they are, for me, healthier options and taste much better than their other counterparts.

Although I do not really like the taste of honey, I would occasionally substitute raw sugar when using nutty-flavoured flours.

I discovered that I am allergic to vanilla essence so I switched to other essences and natural flavours instead.

I also like to add dried fruits, nuts and dried spices for texture and flavour.

Instead of the usual conventional baking in the oven, I much prefer stove top baking in the pan, especially for my quick breads.

By quick breads, I did not mean bread made from baking soda or baking powder. By quick breads, I meant, baking bread on stove top in the pan as opposed to long baking breads in the oven that would usually take me around two hours (an hour of baking and another hour or so, of complete cooling) before I could savour them.

Some of the breads I frequently make are English muffins and flat breads like foccacia and pita. I call these quick breads because they could be done in minutes and I do not need for them to cool down completely before I could savour them. Also, they freeze just as well as the long baking breads.

I have also tried baking chocolate cakes and brownies in the microwave oven with much success, too!

For the love of baking, this page is dedicated as a compilation of all my baking adventures.

Every picture tells a story... So, if you want to know more about each adventure, just click on any of the photos below and read all about it on its corresponding blog. While you're there, leave a comment on my blog if you like...

Baking #1

Baking #2

Baking #3

Baking #4

Baking #5

Baking #6

Baking #7

Baking #8

Baking #9

Baking #10

Baking #11

Baking #12

Baking #13