Stretchless Strudel

Strudel was the challenge this month and visions of bakers stretching their thin glutinous dough filled my head... but not for me. Gluten free meant more research to recreate a thin, flaky crispy dough that would not break when rolled. It didn't look very hopeful.

A round of applause to Karen of Gluten Free Sox Fan - she helped with a recipe that recreated the thin flaky texture of a strudel dough. But the shaping and baking was very different from a traditional wheat flour.

First Step

Mix the thimblefuls of flour mixes (the amounts were very small) into a pasty dough. Not much to look at.



Second Step

Spread pasty dough into even layer on Silpat or parchment. Any wrinkles in the parchment become fissures through which all filling leaks. Silpat would be better.



Third Step

Cook until it begins to release from the paper. Gently fill and roll, then cook again.



Fourth Step

Photograph before devouring.



The recipe for the gluten free strudel can be found here in the book Gluten-Free Baking with Culinary Institute of America.

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

Lessons Learned

1) Baking gluten free strudel is possible with a great team of advisers. I surprised myself. Despite not being hopeful about a great strudel - it was amazing.

2) Gluten free strudel is faster to make then regular - no stretching required!

3) For a thin flexible and flaky dough, this GF dough is loaded with egg, whey and soy protein. Not a problem in this household but loaded with potential allergens for other households.

Mystery Solved!

Thanks to some research, a few comments and an email from Jenny we solved the mystery of the package I purchased.

The package of Yerba Mate was right beside the Pan in the Mexican and South American food section. The label on the shelf was covered by a stack of food but the packages were peeking out over top.

See the resemblance?

What I thought was a bag of coarsely ground cornmeal (the package resembled the same type of packaging) turned out to be a kilogram of loose tea.

Um, we don't drink that much tea. Thankfully the kind cashier took pity on us (snickering all the while) and returned the package.

Wouldn't you have made the same mistake?

Gluten Free What?

This little sign got me so excited .....



Libre de gluten

Even I can understand that much Spanish and I bought a package of gluten free.... well, I didn't really know what it was until I Googled it.



Any guesses?