Hi I'm sure this has been asked already but I'm fairly new to gluten free baking.
I'm just curious if I can follow a non gluten free recipe and just replace the normal flour with g free flour? Also any recommendations for a g free baking recipe site or youtube channel thats tried and tested? So far all the things I've made haven't been the tastiest except for my one success of banana bread last night lol.
First, don't be afraid to use gluten bread principles for gluten free bread. However, be aware that most GF bread recipes have instructions like "only one rise" which causes the starches to be not broken down by the fermentation of the yeast or sourdough you're using. I think the weird instructions leave GF breads without the "soul" you feel from regular bread and I'm working on changing that. We can all pull together to change that. Too many instructions are too industrial for my taste and result in bland flavorless bread.
A good way to get at the world wide wisdom of bread making is to study injera bread from Ethiopia and idly from India. Both have no gluten and yet produce something fluffy and nice that has either bounce or stretch. Those aren't descriptions you can use on most GF breads. Some places have GF sourdough workshops, so seek out a sourdough baker and if one is near you, ask if they have workshops.
The short answer is, no you usually can't just switch to rice flour and get the same results. You'll need something to replace the gluten. Either flax, chia, psyllium, gelatin, agar-agar, or any combo thereof. Or gums like xanthan, acacia, guar, etc. Once the gluten is replaced effectively though, many of the same principles of bread baking apply, although many recipes say they don't.
I would suggest the books of Shauna Ahern, the Gluten Free Girl for beginner guides to flour selection and formulas that work.
