If you are on a gluten-free diet, you probably know how it is to walk through the supermarket unable to eat your favorite foods because of a couple bad ingredients. Still, just because you’re on a gluten-free diet does not mean you have to miss out on the tasty pastries you’ve always enjoyed. As a matter of fact, you may find out, as many people have, that gluten-free pastries are even more delicious than the regular dishes we’ve been used to that were made with gluten ingredients. And if you can’t find any already prepared gluten-free foods, you can always make some yourself. It will not only be fun, but also rewarding in many ways.

Let’s start by making one of the most simple, yet most delicious foods that can be made without gluten - bread. Making gluten-free bread is more or less like making any other bread, only with a few different ingredients. The first thing you would need is gluten free flour, which you will have to make from scratch. Unlike with other types of baking, gluten-free baking requires an assortment of different ingredients for your flour to work well. Rice flour alone will not be consistent enough to hold all the other ingredients together. That is why it is essential to first make your own all-purpose gluten-free flour, which consists of rice flour and a few other ingredients we’ll explain later.

This easy guide will instruct you from “starch to finish” on how to make gluten-free banana nut bread.

Gather your ingredients. You will need the following:

• 2 ½ cups of Brown rice flour
• 2 ½ cups of White rice flour
• ½ cup of cornstarch
• ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons of potato starch
• ¾ + 2 tablespoons of tapioca flour or starch
• 3 tablespoons of xantham gum

Gather your equipment and utensils. You will need the following:

• 2 Large bowls
• Good sifter or drainer
• Spoon

After you’ve had all this prepared, it’s time to mix the ingredients and make the flour.

This is generally an easy step, yet it might get a little messy if you go too fast. Remember to take your time.

1. Measure each ingredient one by one and put them in one bowl. Mix each time you add another ingredient. For instance, after the rice flour, add the cornstarch and mix well. After the cornstarch, add potato starch and mix well, etc.
2. After all the ingredients are measured and mixed in a bowl, slowly transfer the already mixed flour into another bowl through use of a sifter or drainer. Little by little pour the flour into the drainer and mix again. Using the drainer will allow you to mix more effectively and more easily. After all the flour is mixed thoroughly, you will have succeeded in making 2 ½ pounds of gluten-free flour mix.http://www.celiac.com/articles/512/1/All-Purpose-Flour-1-Gluten-Free/Page1.html Congratulations!
3. Pat yourself on the back, after you wash your hands of course.

Now that you have the flour prepared, you are ready to start making the bread. Gather all your ingredients. You will need the following ingredients for banana nut bread:

• 1 stick of margarine or butter (or 8 tablespoons of coconut oil)
• 3 very ripe large bananas
• 2 cups all-purpose gluten free flour
• 1 cup sugar (or 12 tablespoons honey-honey is sweeter than sugar and requires less)
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
• 1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla

Now, gather all the utensils and appliances you will need:

• 2 bowls, one to mix the dry ingredients and the other to mix the wet ingredients
• Spoon
• Fork
• Measuring cup

Finally, it’s time to start making the actual bread.

1. Mash the very ripe bananas with a fork until they turn to a thick pulp.http://www.celiac.com/articles/1022/1/Banana-Nut-Bread-3-Gluten-Free/Page1.html
2. Measure all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder) and put them together in one bowl. Mix well for 30 seconds.
3. Open and beat 2 eggs in another bowl for 1 minute.
4. After the eggs are nice and foamy, add the right amount of vanilla. Mix well for 30 seconds.
5. Add in the mashed bananas. This is the last of the wet ingredients. Mix well for 20 seconds.
6. Add the well-mixed dry ingredients into the thick mixture. Mix well, but do NOT over-mix. Gluten free flour is very light and will not hold together if it is mixed too much.
7. Finally, stir in the chopped pecans.
8. Congratulations! You have finished the batter.

1. Wipe the insides of a 5” by 9” bread loaf pan with oil.
2. Preheat your oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-10 minutes.
3. Pour the batter in the loaf pan, distributing the mixture evenly.
4. Once the oven is ready, insert the batter and let it cook for around 80 minutes.
5. When, the banana nut bread is ready, remove it from the oven and let it cool off for around 10 minutes. There should already be a pleasant aroma of banana bread in the air.

This step shouldn’t be too difficult to follow. Enjoy the fruits of your labor and have a great time!