gluten proteins, it can’t be used to make
raised breads. But the same lack of gluten
makes rice flour a useful ingredient for people
with gluten intolerance. Bakers make a
reasonable approximation of raised bread by
supplementing rice flour with xanthan or guar
gum or other long-chain carbohydrates, which
help bind the dough together and retain the
gas bubbles produced by yeasts or chemical
leavenings.
Risotto: Turning Rice into Its Own
Sauce
The risotto of Italy is made with medium-
grain varieties that are fairly large and can
tolerate the unique cooking method, which
abrades and removes starch from the rice
surface so that it can thicken the cooking
liquid to a creamy consistency.
To make risotto, the rice is cooked
through by adding a small amount of hot
cooking liquid at a time and stirring the