What is gluten?

Gluten is the natural protein surrounding kernels of wheat, barley, rye and oats. It's what makes a dough stretch.

Some people can't digest it, the gluten damaging the lining of the small intestine and causing Celiac Sprue.

Flours vary in strength according to the amount of gluten they contain. That can be affected by the climate and the soil in which the grain is grown. So that in harsh climates produce 'strong' or 'hard' wheat with high gluten content.

Read Kim O'Donnel's interview with Jules E.D. Shepard, a Catonsville, MD, woman who has celiac's disease and has developed a gluten-free breadmix, on sale at Roots Market and elsewhere.

If you are baking bread, you want a flour with a high gluten content, whether it's white or wholemeal. The more gluten, the better the dough will stretch and expand. If you can't find any high-gluten, strong or hard flour, look for Arrowhead Mills Vital Wheat Gluten. You add it to regular flour at a rate of 1 1/2 teaspoons per cup of flour for whole grain bread and 1 teaspoon per cup of flour for white bread. It's available at Whole Foods.

Gluten-Free Girl is a useful blog that's spawned a cookbook. Find her recipes and news here.

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