How to Use Quinoa in Gluten-Free Baking

Quinoa, known scientifically as Chenopodium quinoa, is a species of goosefoot which has edible seeds. It has been grown as a food crop for at least 6,000 years and is native to the Andean region of South America. Quinoa is a complete food and contains a balanced set of amino acids for humans. It is also gluten-free and therefore easy to digest. Here's how to use quinoa in gluten-free baking.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Buy quinoa commercially. Prepackaged quinoa usually has been polished and rinsed but residual saponin dust frequently remains. Quinoa has a high concentration of these bitter-tasting compounds which makes it unpalatable in its raw state.
2. Remove the saponins. The grain must be soaked in water for a few hours, the water changed out and soaked again. Alternatively, it may be wrapped in cheesecloth or some other fine filter and rinsed thoroughly. Continue washing until the grains no longer taste bitter.
3. Combine quinoa flour with other flours. Mix three parts quinoa, three parts sorghum, two parts potato starch and one part tapioca for a common gluten-free baking mix.
4. Observe that gluten-free flour will not make leavened baked goods because yeast need gluten to grow. Quinoa flour may be mixed with wheat flour to produce a low-gluten flour which will rise.
5. Store quinoa in glass jars in the refrigerator or freezer. The grains should be used within a year and the flour within three months. Otherwise, the relatively high fat and oil content will make the quinoa become rancid.