Going Against the Grain: a Gluten-Free Blog

Ever wonder about the R270's Gluten-Free mode?

Introducing Revolution Cooking's R270 Toaster:

Created with 34 bread types, a personalized home menu, modes for both accessories, and a new gluten-free setting.  

Here is everything you need to know:

First off, this feature is extremely important considering the noticeable difference between regular bread and gluten free bread. We typically approach each of the gluten-free algorithms as a whole new food item.  

• Sugar content

There are differences in sugar content in foods with and without gluten for similar food products. These sugars contribute to the browning process by first caramelizing and then burning.

• Thickness

Gluten free foods tend to be thinner than their equivalent gluten-containing food products. There is no scientific reason for this, but it is a trend that we have noticed. Thicker foods bring the surface of the food closer to the heating elements so they brown faster but may require more time for heat to penetrate into the center of the food.

• Moisture content

Moisture content varies between these foods. For any browning to occur, surface moisture must first be evaporated. A significant amount of energy is required to accomplish this because of the large percentage of weight that moisture contributes to foods as well as the energy required to convert water from liquid to gaseous forms (this is known as the heat of vaporization).

• Bread texture 

There tends to be a difference in pore size between gluten-containing and gluten-free foods. This is largely due to the effect that levening has on foods containing stretchy gluten chains versus foods that don't have these chains. This results in a different surface texture between these bread varieties when sliced. Such a change in texture alters the way heat interacts with the food. A good example of this would be the large holes present in a rustic bread where the gluten strands were elongated by kneading and the very small air pockets in a cake (which is typically made with a low-gluten flour).

Creds: Jim Poon