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Recently, at the age of 25, I was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy, an autoimmune disorder that affects the kidneys. Essentially what happens is that too much IgA (an antibody produced mostly in the digestive tract) is produced and released into the bloodstream, and it collects in the kidneys and damages the kidney tissue. In my case, this resulted in the scarring of about 50% of my kidney tissue, and a roughly 65% reduction in kidney function. Through trial and error, and with the advice of a creative physician-turned-acupuncturist, I discovered that one possible source of my elevated IgA production was gluten sensitivity; an allergic reaction similar to celiac disease could trigger IgA production in the digestive tract.

Now, I've always loved baking. I've never been a professional, but there's nothing like the sheer epicurean pleasure of a freshly-baked loaf of bread with a nice olive oil, or a sweet batch of pumpkin chocolate chip muffins -- not to mention the tactile experience of kneading a batch of dough. So, naturally, I was hesitant when my acupuncturist suggested I try going gluten-free for a couple weeks, and devastated when it worked! My gluten sensitivity had always been too mild to notice, but after a couple weeks without it, suddenly symptoms I'd written off as pollen allergies began to disappear.

My mission, now, is to bring the pleasures of baking back into my life. Here I will catalog my theories, successes, and failures, and ultimately, my quest for the Holy Grail of gluten-free baking: a good loaf of plain old (GF) bread.

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