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Hi All,

I received many replies, I'm grateful for all of them and I've copied them
in here.  The summary (if you don't want to read the entire email) is:

check your oven temperature
turn up the oven
use less liquid (or use more flour)
bake it longer
a new flour recipe


Many thanks again
Laurie in Boston

**
Make sure you are baking long enough, because sometimes this happens if it is
a little doughy still.  Also, it helps to have a thicker batter as it will
stand up better.  also perhaps try adding a little more baking powder and
perhaps some applesauce as this can act as a binder.  I have a problem with
this every once in a while and think it's because I don't bake long enough.

**
did you use xanthum gum and geletin ?

**
I have used it very successfully and have passed to many of the celiacs
in our Central Mass. support group, we all seem to have good results with
it.  One cup of this mixture can be used in place of one cup of wheat
flour in most any recipe.  Works best in spice or chocolate baking
products.  Would not suggest it for a sponge cake for example.  I
recently found a recipe for White Chocolate Cappuccino bars and just
substituted the wheat flour with this mix, and they came out great.  You
might want to try it for muffins or banana bread or the like also.

All Purpose G/F Mix
4 cups Brown Rice flour (I have used 2 cups white rice flour and 2 cups
brown rice flour)
1 1/2 cups Sweet Rice Flour (Also called Glutenous Rice flour and
available in Asian Markets)
1 cup Tapioca Starch Flour
1 cup Rice Polish
1 tablespoon xanthan gum or guar gum
1-2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1/4 teaspoon ascorbic acid
(The last two ingredients hold the baked goods together better)

Measure all ingredients into a bowl, mix thoroughly with a whisk, store
in plastic storage bag and refrigerate.  When ready to use, make certain
the mix is room temperature to obtain best results.

**
My wife, who does the GF baking in our house, says that this is most likely
due to too much liquid; GF flours require less liquid than wheaten flours.

Try cutting the liquid down and see if that helps.

**
I've found that I need to decrease the amount of flour in a recipe I'm
converting to gluten-free by a quarter.  For example if the recipe calls
for 2 cups regular flour, I'll use 1-1/2 cups gluten-free flour.

Perhaps that will solve your problem.

**
I haven't had such an experience, but where I am, it's as dry as the sahara
desert!  This might be a sea level/humidity effect.  I would suggest cooking
for a little longer - it sounds like the outside of the bread dries out, but
the inside water is still there.  A slightly higher temperature may make a
difference as well.

**
Are you using extra leavening, xanthan gum or eggs in your cakes when you
make something from scratch?  Some things will settle a little but shouldn't
fall that much.  I have not had any quick breads fall, not rise too much but
not fall.  I usually add an extra egg white and for quick breads and cakes.
You have to add some xanthan gum also.  That of course will keep them from
crumbling.

**
My guess is batter too wet.  With yeast breads this can also mean the
rising time was too long.

**
Then I found something in her cookbook that seemed to describe
the problem. She said that her recipes are designed for "average
temperature and average humidity". Apparently gluten free breads
are VERY sensitive to humidity. GF flours can absorb up to three
tablespoons of water from the air and if there is too much liquid in
the batter, you end up with solid paste.  The next time I made
bread, I measured my 2 cups of water, but held back 3 Tb. or so
from the mix.  Then I only added enough of the rest to make the
batter look "right". In this case, the batter was supposed to
resemble cake batter. Bette says it's very important to memorize
batter consistency so that when you have a success you can add
liquid properly the next time you make it.

**
I had a similar problem.  I call a cake mix manufacturer about it and I was
told the problem could be my oven.  It was suggested that I obtain an oven
thermometer and check to see if the oven it actually getting and staying at
the desired heat setting.  Also, be sure that the oven has preheated to the
correct temperature.  I found with my oven that it takes a long time to
preheat, then it gets too hot.  I had many failures with baking until I
started checking the actual temperature in my oven independent of the oven
control/thermostat.

**
I have found that gf breads do fall more, the larger the loaf, the more the
fall. (that was deep :-)

This is because of the lack of elasticity given by the gluten.

The small loaves do better.  I have a pan for making baguettes.  It is long
and shallow and looks like two half-pipes put side by side.  I normally
make thin baguettes and they hold up well.  I guess it is because there is
relatively more crust.

Because the dough is so soft, I will pipe it out using a large decoraton
bag.

**
I've seen mentioned here on the list, quite a lot lately, that too much
liquid in the batter will make them fall.  Try a stiffer batch.

**
According to Better Homes & Garden's Cookbook
Cake Falling:
   Oven too slow
   Insufficient Baking
   Too much batter in pan
   Moving cake during baking

My first suggestion would be to buy a good oven thermometer and test out the
temperature of your oven.  Also make sure the oven is not crowded with too
many pans.  The cake (or whatever) should be centered and not too close to
the sides of the oven.