This fall I’m offering three gluten-free baking classes full of helpful info, samples, and camaraderie! The first is “Gluten-Free Holiday Baking: Celebrating Life Without Gluten” Saturday November 10th, from 10 am to noon at People’s Co-op Community Room. We’ll spend the morning learning tips and tricks for adapting all of your favorite holiday recipes into healthy gluten-free baked treats!

The next is “Gluten-Free Sourdough Baking: How to Use Traditional Techniques with Gluten-Free Flours” on Wednesday November 14, 2012; 10am -noon, also being held at People’s Community Room.  This class will teach you everything you need to know to get started baking with an ongoing, whole grain, gluten-free sourdough starter! I’ll teach you a simple, low-maintenance way to create a starter, and how to use your starter to make traditional sourdough baked goods!

Finally, on Friday December 7th I’ll be down in Yamhill at Kookoolan Farms teaching a 1-day gluten-free baking workshop! The workshop will include expanded versions of the holiday baking class and the sourdough baking class, as well as introduce the basic elements of adapting your favorite baking recipes to fit your special diet! The class includes coffee, tea and GF pastries in the morning and Kookoolan Farm lunch! Join us as we  explore how a limited diet can be nutrient-dense and delicious!

Read on for all of the details!

Gluten-Free Holiday Baking: Celebrating Life Without Gluten

A morning of gluten-free pastries, cookies, breads, and pies. Participate in hands-on demonstrations where you’ll get acquainted with gluten-free ingredients and processes – before the big day! Taste samples of whole-foods based, gluten-free desserts and breads that you’ll be delighted to make and serve for special occasions.
Class Fee: $14 (includes coffee/tea, samples, recipe packet & attendance in the class)
Saturday, November 10, 2012 10 a.m.-12 p.m; email dori@nourishingfoodways.com to register.

Gluten-Free Sourdough Baking: How to Use Traditional Techniques with Gluten-Free Flours

Learn to make your own sourdough starter, maintain an ongoing starter culture, and use it to leaven breads, cakes, and more! (Bring a small jar with a lid to take home your own starter.) This is a free event sponsored by Nourishing Foodways and People’s Food Co-Op. Wednesday, November 14, 2012; 6-7:30 p.m. Call 503-ORGANIC to register.

Gluten-Free Baking! at Kookoolan Farms

This is an all-day class that runs from 9AM to 3PM and includes coffee or tea with GF pastries, full GF farm lunch made with all-Kookoolan ingredients plus the baked goods produced during the morning session, and afternoon snacks. Come hungry and expect to leave full!

Successful GF baking requires two significant changes to wheat-based baking: gluten is the “glue” or “stickiness” that keeps baked goods together; without gluten, other substances must be used as the glue. Dori discusses the pros, cons, and best usages for all. The second modification is pH. All wine and beer makers know that a proper pH range is crucial for good yeast growth. Baked goods also use yeast, and bread yeast has been selected by humans over thousands of to perform best in the pH range naturally present in wheat flour doughs. GF ingredients typically yield a dough in a different pH range. By modifying the pH of the dough, you can help your yeast to thrive.