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Call me stupid, but I never thought to ask the guy at the health-food
store what the baker was using as a thickener in his "gluten-free"
buckwheat bread. Well, I finally got round to asking him.
"Guar gum? Xanthan gum? Never 'eard of it, mate!"
It turns out he uses wheat starch. I now understand why
I was still feeling under par after so long "gluten-free". I suppose
the amount of gluten I was getting was too small to cause a small
intestine reaction, but enough to keep my other gluten symptoms -
various nervous troubles - ticking over.
 
So I thought it was time to try baking for myself. I have found a
wholesaler who sells guar gum in enormous quantities (25 kilos).
He may be willing to sell me a smaller amount, but I am worried about
investing in something that may not be good for me. Looking back
through my files, I have found several references to guar gum giving
problems for the more senstive digestion. What exactly are those
problems? Are they much to worry about? I don't think there are any
alternatives available to me here, and rice and buckwheat are the
only flours I can use at present. Has any one ever tried baking using
lentils, chickpeas or pumpkin? Just a thought.
 
Max Desorgher <[log in to unmask]>