Gluten Free Recipes

Every recipe on Bloom Cooking is gluten free, so this page is essentially the master collection. Over 500 recipes spanning breads, desserts, fermented foods, main dishes, and everything between. But "gluten free" on this site means something specific. It means recipes developed from scratch with alternative flours and techniques, not conventional recipes with a cup-for-cup swap and a prayer.

The flour situation has improved dramatically in the last few years. Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 and King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure are both reliable all-purpose options that did not exist a decade ago. But the best results still come from blending individual flours yourself. A mix of brown rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch in a 2:1:1 ratio covers most baking needs. Add oat flour for tenderness in cookies, almond flour for richness in cakes, or sorghum flour for a wheaty flavor in bread. Each flour brings something different and learning their personalities is what separates adequate GF baking from genuinely great results.

Xanthan gum deserves its own paragraph because it confuses everyone. In conventional baking, gluten provides structure and elasticity. Xanthan gum mimics part of that function by binding moisture and creating stretch. A general rule is half a teaspoon per cup of flour for cookies and cakes, and a full teaspoon per cup for bread. Too much makes baked goods gummy and dense. Some people have digestive sensitivity to xanthan, and for them, psyllium husk powder at roughly the same ratio is an excellent alternative that also adds fiber.

Cross-contamination is the invisible challenge. Oats are naturally gluten free but frequently contaminated during processing unless certified. Shared cutting boards, toasters, and deep fryers at restaurants are common sources of accidental exposure. At home, dedicated GF baking equipment is worth the investment if you share a kitchen with gluten eaters. A separate toaster and colander are the minimum.

The bread recipes are where this site really stands apart. Sourdough, focaccia, baguettes, bagels, brioche, all made without a single grain of wheat. The fermentation collection is the other cornerstone, with over 140 recipes covering everything from yogurt and kombucha to plant-based cheese and fermented hot sauces. Both sections reflect a philosophy that gluten free cooking should not be about settling for less.