Baking With Substitutes: What Went Wrong?
Breads	Common Causes	Some Recommendations
top browns before inside is done	gluten-free baked goods brown prematurely on the outside before fully cooked on the inside; soy milk causes darker baked goods; oven heat too high.	cover top loosely with aluminum foil once baked good has achieved desired browning; place dough into 2 smaller pans: use lighter colored pans; reduce oven heat.
bottom browns before fully done inside.	pan too dark or absorbing too much heat; oven rack set too low; fat used has low melting point.	use lighter or glass pan; reset oven rack to higher place in oven; check type of fat used.
still gummy in center, dough very difficult to handle (too tacky).	dough too wet; not fully cooked inside yet; eggs (if allowed) were too large; liquids used not at lukewarm temperatures; used substitutes that contain extra water; not blended well enough; too much xanthan.	reduce liquids; use liquids at tepid temps; check doneness w/flat knife in center; check for hidden sources of water (possibly from a substitute); check measurements / tools used; divide into 2 smaller pans; use high power stand up mixer to blend dough.
never rises or loaf too short (unsatisfactory rise)	dough too wet; not blended well; ratio of flour to liquid too low; need lighter flour blend; too much dough for pan or bread machine to handle; yeast stale or killed by too hot liquids; too little or wrong egg substitute; altitude issues.	reduce liquids; increase ratio of flours/liquids, use lighter flour or 2 smaller pans; blend dough w/ heavy duty, stand up mixer before place in proper capacity bread mach. (basic bread setting); use fresh yeast, lighter flour, or double baking powder.
never rises or loaf too short (unsatisfactory rise)-ANOTHER POSSIBILITY	dough too heavy because not ENOUGH liquids; egg replacer and other substitutes used may contain LESS liquid than real eggs and milk; substituted flours may be absorbing more liquids; very low altitude or very humid conditions.	add more liquid 1 TBS at a time until dough correct consistency, blending well in between; use less flour, low altitude tips-increase baking powder or baking soda by 1/4 - 1/2, or use dough enhancers (acidic ingredients),decrease liquids or oven temp.
rises then falls as cools	too wet; not fully cooked in center; too much dough for pan; oven temperature not high enough.	reduce liquids used; check for done-ness with flat knife in center; reduce oven temp and bake longer; check dough during first knead cycle; increase oven temperature.
too crumbly	dough too dry; too much flour to liquid ratio (check ingredient measurements); not enough xanthan/guar gum or binding agent; water used instead of milk.	add 1 tsp. to 1 TBS unflavored, unsweetened gelatin, agar, or carrageenan; add more liquid and/or binding agents (e.g. eggs if allowed, or use acceptable binding substitute); increase fat used; add milk (if allowed, or use substitute)
dries out & gets stale very fast	no preservatives in bread; gluten-free goods tend to be more dry; not stored properly.	cool completely, slice, cover well, & freeze unused portions until later (inserting wax paper between slices helps slices pull apart easier later.
hard to slice	not cooled enough yet; too dry & crumbly; wrong knife.	let cool completely before slicing; see above for dry/crumbly suggestions; use sharp, serrated bread knife to slice.
as bread cools, gets rock hard	dough was too wet; too much additional flour used to try to stiffen dough.	check hidden sources of water and see above tips.
bread very heavy	too dense flours used; too wet; need to blend dough more thoroughly; too much flour used; not enough leavening agents used; heavy mixer not used.	reduce amount of original flour used & blend in some lighter flour(s); increase eggs or acceptable substitute, or baking powder; don't pack down flours when measuring; use heavy duty mixer to beat extra air into dough; see tips to make dough less wet.
bread wet or moist on outside	left to cool in pan too long	remove from pan per manufacturer or machine directions; cool on wire rack.
large air pockets in bread or bread "mushrooms" or swells beyond pan edges.	too much yeast or baking powder used; too much egg (if allowed) or too much egg replacer or egg substitute used.	check measurements; very high altitudes or hot humid weather accelerates yeast activity-adjust by decreasing liquids some, decreasing egg (or substitute) or baking powder, reduce yeast by 1/4; if eggs are allowed be sure each egg measures 1/4 cup liquid.
dry pockets of dough in loaf	not thoroughly blended; heavy duty mixer not used; dough exceeded bread machine capacity.	use heavy duty mixer only; pre-blend before placing in bread machine; blend thoroughly .
rough, rocky surface	too little liquid or yeast used; too much flour used; flour blend used is too high in starch; exceeds bread machine capacity.	re-check measurements/recipe; try re-blending  flours using smaller amounts of starchy flours; check if bread machine capacity can handle dough and amount of dough.
bread sticks to pan	left to cool too long in pan.	remove from pan to cool and place on wire rack.
Cookies	Common Causes	Some Recommendations
too soft; undercooked on bottom; soggy	undercooked; used wrong fat or substitute with too much water content, or too low a melting point; too wet; too much fat used; heat not being dispersed uniformly.	try cooking longer on lower temperature; try more starchy flours; try acceptable butter or substitute instead of shortening; use darker pan; reduce fat content.
burns on bottom before done on top	oven rack too close to oven bottom; dark or non-stick pan used; butter used is burning too quickly.	move rack position up in oven; use shiny aluminum pans; cookies too thick-spread out dough on cookie sheet with water-damped fingers.
too crispy	flours used too starchy; used butter instead of shortening.	try some coarser, less starchy flours; try solid shortening or acceptable substitute, instead of butter (and account for extra liquids).
spreads out too thin	low-fat, whipped butter, margarine, or substitute used and not suitable for baking, or too high a water content, too low a melting point;  used oil, butter, or substitute when calls for solid shortening; substitute used higher in water content.	check water content of fat used and recipe directions; reduce liquids (especially to account for extra water content in acceptable fat used-e.g. coconut butter; check package for acceptable substitutes; check fat used (make sure states "good for baking").
falls apart	needs more binding agent(s)-gums, eggs (if allowed) or egg substitutes (gelatin; flaxseed); not enough liquid used, too much flour/fat and liquid ratio.	try an extra egg (if allowed, or use acceptable binding egg substitute), use more xanthan, more fat; increase liquid to flour ratio.
cookies too cake -like	flour blend used not starchy enough; too many eggs (or substitute) or baking powder used.	try a more starchy, lighter blend of flours; use less egg (or substitute) or baking powder.
dough too tacky and difficult to work with (e.g. roll and cut cookies)	dough too soft or wet; wrong fat used (most common cause); not enough flours; needs longer refrigeration.	check directions for acceptable fats, most roll & cut cookies require solid fats (most common cause); reduce liquids used; refrigerate dough or freeze longer before rolling out dough.
cookies hard as rocks	not enough fat (or acceptable substitute) used; dough too wet; too much flour added; when using egg substitutes-sometimes dough still too dry.	check fat used and amount of flour used; account for extra liquids (or lack of them) with substitutions made.
cut-out cookies too tough	too much flour used; wrong fat used.	use solid shortening (or acceptable hard fat); reduce flour on rolling surface; can't patch up cookies once too wet-start with less liquid and add reserved liquids as needed very slowly.
gummy on inside	too wet; not fully cooked; made substitutions and did not account for the extra water in most substitutes; cookies too thick.	check for hidden liquids or additional liquids used; reduce oven heat and cook longer; make smaller or flatter cookies.
Cakes    Muffins    Cupcakes	Common Causes	Some Recommendations
browns prematurely on outside before done on inside	pan size too small or pan color too dark; inherent nature of gluten-free and soy goods (and some sugar substitutes); oven heat too high.	adjust oven rack; use lighter colored or larger pan, or place in 2 smaller ones; reduce oven temp and increase baking time
collapses as cools	too wet; not fully cooked; too much batter for pan.	check liquids and measurements, and account for extra liquids with substitutions made; check for doneness with a flat knife.
too crumbly	not enough liquid or fat used; overcooked.	check recipe and measurements; reduce cooking time; add more moisture and/or fat.
never rises	too heavy; too wet; oven temp. too low; angelfood cake-traces of fat or wrong pan used; needs more (and/or acceptable) egg or substitute or baking powder.	try lighter flours; use more leavening such as eggs (if allowed) or baking powder; ensure egg substitute used provides leavening; check oven temp. and baking times; check for proper doneness.
too heavy or dense	flours too coarse; not enough liquid or fat; milk, fat, or sugar substitute used made batter too wet; sugar deleted from recipe but not replaced with an acceptable substitute; too much batter for the pan.	try lighter flours; check measurements; use acceptable sugar substitute that replaces most the bulk of the sugar; account for extra liquids in substitutes used; use extra baking powder or egg substitute; split batter into 2 smaller pans.
gummy on inside	too wet; not fully cooked; made substitutions and did not account for the extra water in most substitutes; cake, cupcake, or muffin tin filled too full.	check for hidden liquids or additional liquids used; reduce oven heat and cook longer; use 2 smaller pans; reduce oven temp., cover lightly with aluminum foil, and cook longer; check done-ness with knife test; fill batter only 1/2-2/3 full.
too wet on outside when cooled or stored	not properly cooled before frosting or storing; stored in too warm or humid a location.	cool completely before frosting and/or storing and keep in tightly sealed container away from heat.
top cracks or splits	over-baked; too hot an oven temp, with some cakes (e.g. pound cake) this is expected and desired.	check for done-ness with knife test and cover top as need with aluminum foil; reduce oven temperature.
too difficult to frost	not yet cooled completely; not removed properly from pan; frosting not of suitable spreading consistency; excess crumbs not brushed away; frosting a still frozen cake, muffin, or cupcake.	wait until completely cool (or thawed) before frosting; soften frosting consistency (and make sure at room temp), check pan removal (see below).
difficult to remove from pan	pan not greased heavily enough; cooled improper amount of time (too little time can cause fragile cake form to break; too much time and cake top can cool and begin to harden to pan edges).	loosen cake or muffin edges gently with spatula or thin knife before removal; grease pan adequately; let cool some before removal.
layers or tops uneven	oven rack not level, pans warped; not centered in oven.	check oven position and racks; check pans are flat.
overflows or mushrooms beyond pan edges/top.	too much batter for pan; too much egg or substitute; too much baking powder; pan filled too high to top of pan.	use 2 smaller or one larger pan; reduce egg or substitute or baking powder; fill pan or forms only 1/2-2/3 full.
cupcakes cook unevenly	unused/empty cupcake forms in pan causing uneven heating; pan warped; not centered in oven; cupcake forms not filled even amounts.	fill unused-used muffin tins with water to evenly distribute heat to cupcakes; center pan in oven; check rack position; fill each cupcake form equally 1/2-2/3 full.
Pastas	Common Causes	Some Recommendations
pasta is gummy	Too little water used; overcooked.	Use at least 1 & 1/2 times the recommended amount of water; don't overcook-recheck for done-ness every 30 seconds.
pasta is mushy	overcooked; corn pastas tend to be more mushy than rice pastas.	undercook if using in another recipe (e.g. lasagna), or re-heating later; try rice pastas.
pasta is hard on the inside	not cooked long enough.	check done-ness every 30 seconds until to desired texture is reached.
Pancake   Pizza	Common Causes	Some Recommendations
gummy inside	too wet; undercooked or cooked unevenly; oven temperature too high; used substitutes and didn't account for extra liquid; liquids used too cold; pizza toppings too wet.	reduce oven/stove heat; adjust position of rack in oven; use liquids (including eggs or acceptable substitutes) at room temps; reduce liquids if using substitutes, especially rice milk.
browns prematurely on bottom	pan heat or oven temp. too hot or concentrating heat more at bottom, pizza shell too thick.	reduce oven/stove heat, cook at lower temp for longer time; account for liquids in toppings/additions; try pre-baking pizza some before adding toppings.
too heavy	flours too heavy; too much flour used; dough too wet.	try lighter blend of flours; watch measurements; check for hidden liquids in substitutes.
pizza dough difficult to roll out, too tacky	dough too wet; did not account for substitutions made; not enough flour used-or did not dust surface prior to handling.	account for hidden liquids; use liquids at room temp; adjust liquids/flour ratio; account for additional liquids in substitutes.
pizza toppings done before dough finished cooking	dough form too thick; oven temp too high; rack position in oven too high.	pre-cook pizza shell some before adding toppings; reduce oven temp and cook longer; tent top of pizza lightly with aluminum foil.

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