> Has anyone done any low-or-no gluten bread in their machines? My wife
> is bothered by the gluten, and we're looking for ideas.
Here is what the Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book suggests:
"Maura Bean and Kazuko Nishita of the USDA Western Regional Research
Laboratory in Berkeley tested every available natural and synthetic
gum, trying to find one that could do what gluten does. They came up
with methylcellulose, not exactly what you might call a natural food
for sure, but it works. The gum is extracted from cellulose fiber,
and is impressively non-toxic."
They give the following footnote:
"'Evaluation of the health aspects of cellulose and certain cellulose
derivatives as food ingredients.' FASEB/SCOGS Report 25 (NTIS PB
274-667) 1974; cited in 'The Food Additives Book', Willis A. Gortner
and Nicholas Freydberg, Bantam 1982, page 508."
This is what they say about getting it:
"Your local health food store may be able to get methocel for you.
Otherwise it can be ordered by mail, but it is expensive, $7 for half
a pound as we go to press. Half a pound will be enough for 24 loaves.
To order by mail write to:
Ener-G Foods, Inc.
P.O. 24723, Seattle, Washington 98124-0723
Ask for Methocel K4M (90 HG4000). Ask for a copy of their product
list too. This company sells a variety of products for people with
severe food allergy."
They go on to give three methocel & rice flour bread recipes. I have no
idea if they are readily adaptable to automatic breadmakers. I've never
used methocel, never looked up the references, and never ordered anything
from Ener-G Foods. If any of you do try it, I'd appreciate hearing about
it because I also know someone who is allergic to wheat gluten.
Jan Edler
edler@nyu.edu