Cookbook Review: “The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking” by Jillayne Clements

When Jillayne Clements learned that she could no longer consume gluten, she refused to relegate herself to pre-made gluten-free fare. This book is the result of her search for whole-food, delicious gluten-free foods.

Summary of The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking

If you need — or want — to go gluten-free, this book gives you a good basis from which to start transforming your pantry. It contains sections on ingredients and techniques, as well as recipes.

What Worked for Me

Clements has an easy-going, personable style of writing that is accessible. I also liked that the goal of the book wasn’t just to be gluten-free, but to be gluten-free and taste like wheat. That’s a biggie for a bread-lover like myself.

There is an excellent two-page section where she shares “Tips to Avoid Accidentally Making Bread Crumbs,” which has some good advice even if you aren’t going gluten-free.

Flipping through the recipes practically made me drool. I can’t wait to try them out and see if they taste as good as they sound.

What Didn’t Work for Me

This is a small nit-pick: The book is designed to look like it is already used and distressed. I’m not sure why the designer went in that direction, but it makes the pages look dirty, which kind of turned me off.

Recommendation

If you are going gluten-free but love your bread, biscuits and other baked good, this book will give you a good place to start in replacing those coveted items. The book is usable and pretty, easy to read and provides plenty of information you might need before you even start baking.

Rating for The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking