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also becomes elastic and holds the ingredients together.
    When we make yeast breads with alternative flours, their textures are closer to quick breads than yeast breads. However, the pizza crust is very close to pizza crust made with all-purpose flour.
    The most common need for alternative flours comes with the diagnosis of Celiac Sprue Disease. It is a chronic digestive disorder caused by a toxic reaction to the gluten found in all forms of wheat, rye, oats, and barley. The only treatment is a lifelong dietary restriction of living without those grains. You can make delicious gluten-free breads in a bread machine by using combinations of the following alternative flours and ingredients. The recipes using these flours are in Chapter 18. You won’t want to overlook them.
    Rice flour: When wheat, oats, barley, and rye have to be eliminated from the diet, rice flour is the most common flour used. Like white flour made from wheat, rice flour does not contain the outer layer (the bran) of the rice kernel. Don’t confuse rice flour with sweet rice flour, which is primarily used for thickening.
    Brown rice flour: As the name implies, brown rice flour is milled from the whole rice kernel, as whole-wheat flour is milled from the whole wheat berry.
    Potato starch or potato starch flour: This is made from the starch in potatoes. Do not confuse this product with potato flour, which is used primarily for thickening.
    Tapioca flour: This extremely fine flour comes from the roots of the cassava plant and is used in combination with rice flours and/or potato flour.
    Soy flour: Although soy flour is very nutritious, it’s also quite heavy and can be used only in small amounts in gluten-free breads.
    Bean flours: You can find many bean flours, which provide nutrients as well as good flavor to otherwise bland-tasting breads.
    Xanthan gum: Because alternative flours do not have the protein to create the gluten to hold moisture and support the structure of bread, xanthan gum is needed. In food science terminology, xanthan gum is known as a
structure builder
and a
binding agent.
Xanthan gum works great for gluten-free breads in a bread machine. We’ve tried other ingredients like gelatin, but they don’t work nearly as well. Guar gum is equal to xanthan gum but sometimes has a laxative effect, so we do not recommend using it.
    Some health food stores carry xanthan gum. Our most reliable source has been to mail-order it through Ener-G Foods in Seattle, Washington. It has a toll-free number, 1-800-331-5222.

    A gluten-free experience
    Several years ago, when bread machines had been in the United States for approximately two years, Glenna had the opportunity to attend a Celiac Sprue seminar aboard a cruise ship. It was certainly a rare occasion for her as well as for the Celiacs who were attending. Eliminating all forms of wheat, rye, oats, and barley from the diet can be socially debilitating. Not only do Celiacs have to avoid wheat-based bread, but also those cereal proteins that are often hidden in foods one would not even think to ask about. Eating out is difficult; a vacation cruise is almost unheard of.
    However, the Celiac support group in Orlando, Florida, made the arrangements with a cruise line to have gluten-free meals and snack foods for the entire trip. Glenna went to learn about the disease and to learn about the ingredients used to make gluten-free breads. Several of the Celiacs knew how to make gluten-free breads in bread machines.
    Glenna has worked through Red Star Yeast to develop gluten-free bread recipes for the bread machine, and several are available upon request. We have included some new recipes in this book because we feel strongly that no one should have to go without good bread. Bread machines make it so easy.
    For more gluten-free recipes than what we’ve provided in Chapter 18, contact Red Star Yeast at 1-800-423-5422.
    Storing Flour
    You can keep all-purpose, self-rising, and bread flour for six