I am a 3rd generation baker and lover of artisan breads and baked goods made with traditional flours like wheat, rye, and barley. I used to own a bakery in Renton and spent many an early morning, and many a long day mastering the art of developing gluten to form exquisite loaves of heavenly bread. Much to my surprise, I found my passion was not to simply sell bread, but rather, to bake quality artisan bread and to teach others to do the same.

After appearing on two live cooking shows for KCTS channel 9 in Seattle, I began to approach venues offering to teach bread making from scratch. One such venue was Marlene's Market in Federal Way. The store events coordinator, Lori Lively, threw me a big curve ball; she wanted me to develop a gluten free baking class for their patrons who were intolerant to both wheat and gluten.

Sensitivity and intolerance to gluten and wheat can range from symptoms such as mild abdominal cramps and headaches, all the way to the most severe being Celiac disease which affects approximately 1% of the population in the United States. Gluten is made up of 2 protein molecules, glutanin and gliadin found in many types of flour. When water and flour are mixed and kneaded, gluten is formed, and this is what gives traditional bread its structure and texture. Asking a traditional bread baker to get rid of gluten would be like asking a carpenter to build a wooden house without a hammer and nails!

During my research to develop the class, I found a lot of articles, books, and websites on the subject, but I noticed there were not many hands on classes to help people make the transition to gluten free baking. I discovered there were thousands of people in our nation that have had to give up sandwiches, cake, cookies, and many other baked family favorites because of gluten intolerance. I finally developed a gluten free baking class and it was a smash hit at Marlene's Market earlier this year. After looking into the eyes of people who could once again enjoy bread and baked goods without being subjected to poor health, high retail prices, and horrible taste, I knew this was a good cause to continue. Please join me at my upcoming class to learn how to bake gluten-free bread without fear!

For more info about what I do, visit my site www.fearlessbread.com or shoot me questions, ideas, and comments by email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it