For many years I indulge breads, pastries, croissants, brioche, you name it. Being born French, your staple food is the baguette. I know it is somewhat cliché but it is the truth. I remember walking to school and smelling the bread baking through the buildings. Coming home for lunch and getting a freshly baked baguette at the “boulangerie” and doing it again after school. I can say that I gluttoned on bread and never had any problem with that.
To access my step by step recipe, please click the link below:
However, as the years passes and I am getting older I started to feel sensitive to bread. I felt bloated, start to discover itches and rashes on my skin not long after I have eaten wheat products. I start to dig into my issue and did not want to believe that I could haver become gluten intolerant. So, I blamed the yeast for many years. I also convinced myself that when I had a beer that was the yeast that was giving me a reaction. Hahaaha what a fool… As my issues persisted, I really start to feel unwell and always tired and start to develop Hypothyroidism. A condition that is often described as your thyroid been slow and not providing enough hormones to your body to function properly. In other word having a slow metabolism.
After years or research on the subject, I find out that gluten does reduce the capacity of your thyroid if you have a condition like mine. It means that you feel bloated and lethargic within the 30 min to 1 hours after consuming wheat products.
So, let me explain to you what is gluten?
Gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat (wheatberries, durum, emmer, semolina, spelt, farina, farro, graham, khorasan wheat and einkorn), rye, barley and triticale which is a cross between wheat and rye. When gluten is mixed with water it creates elasticity to a dough and allow the dough to raise and trap the gas to make bread for example. Gluten helps foods maintain their shape, acting as a glue that holds food together. Gluten can be found in many types of foods, even ones that would not be expected.
Where are you expected to find it?
Wheat
- breads
- baked goods
- soups
- pasta
- cereals
- sauces
- salad dressings
- roux
Barley
- malt (malted barley flour, malted milk and milkshakes, malt extract, malt syrup, malt flavoring, malt vinegar)
- food coloring
- soups
- beer
- Brewer’s Yeast
Rye
- rye bread, such as pumpernickel
- rye beer
- cereals
I am not saying that gluten is bad for you at all. I would still eat gluten products if my body could digest it and my immune system wasn’t in constant fight with it. My point is here to give you an option. You can still have a great end product with a gluten free flour. If you have told me that even 6 years ago, I will have laugh at your face and tell you to eat a fruit instead of my cake.
The beauty of all of this, is I never ceased to research and learn something. Adapt recipes until I nail it. I hope you enjoy that one.
Bon Appetit
Frenchy
