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Gluten-Free Flour Power
Living Without's guide to choosing and using
gluten-free flours.
From beans and grains to tubers and seeds, there’s a rich and
wonderful array of delicious and nutritious flours waiting for you.
Keep in mind that baking gluten-free requires using a mix of
flours. If you’re new to gluten-free baking, start with our
standard
blends or purchase an all-purpose commercial blend at your local
natural food store. Once you’re comfortable with the nuances of a
basic gluten-free blend, try introducing new flour varieties slowly
into your repertoire. In time, you’ll be able to customize recipes
to your individual preferences.
Knowing the properties and uses for alternative flours sets you on
track for selecting the ones best suited for each baking application.
As you learn how to use these flours, you can remake your favorite
foods without compromising taste and texture. In fact, you can add
essential vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber to your baked goods,
fortifying your diet in flavorful ways.
Beans and Legumes
Bean flours are high in protein, fiber and
calcium. Varieties include chickpea (garbanzo), bean (navy, pinto and
red) and soy. Garfava flour is a blend of flours made from garbanzo,
fava beans and Romano beans. These flours work well with foods, such
as breads, pizza and spice cakes. Try mixing them with tapioca flour,
cornstarch and sorghum flour for a hearty, nutritious blend that
lends structure and texture to your baking. Store them at room
temperature or in the refrigerator.
How to use:
Add up to 30 percent of a total flour blend. A small amount (¼ to ½
cup) added to pie crust or wraps makes these items more elastic and
easier to roll out.
Watch out for: Certain bean
flours, particularly garfava and chickpea, impart an aftertaste that
some people find unpleasant. Offset the taste by using less than 30
percent in a flour blend in recipes that contain brown sugar,
molasses, chocolate or spices. Bean flours are not well suited to
delicately flavored goods, like sugar cookies and biscotti.
Pea Flour and Green Pea Flour, the newest
additions to the line-up of gluten-free flours, have many benefits
similar to bean flours but without the strong aftertaste. High
protein content lends structure to baked goods without adding any
distinct flavor. Store at room temperature or in the
refrigerator.
How to use: Add up to 30 percent
pea flour to a basic gluten-free blend.
Watch out for:
Green pea flour imparts a green hue to the final baked product, great
for Easter or St. Patrick’s Day but not suitable for bakery items
you want to be white. Too much produces goods that have a starchy
taste.
Grains
Amaranth An ancient food used by the Aztecs, this
flour is made from the seeds of the broad-leafed amaranth plant.
Amaranth seeds are also puffed into kernels for breakfast cereals.
High in protein, calcium and iron, amaranth flour adds structure to
gluten-free baked goods and helps them brown more quickly. To store,
refrigerate in an airtight container.
How to use:
Works well in recipes that contain brown sugar or maple syrup.
Because of its distinct taste, use it sparingly, about 10 to 20
percent of a flour blend or no more than ½ cup per recipe.
Watch
out for: If too much is used, baked goods may have a bitter
aftertaste and may brown too quickly.
Corn Flour Milled from corn kernels, this is
finely ground cornmeal that comes in yellow and white varieties. One
form of corn flour is masa harina (milled from hominy) used in making
corn tortillas. If corn flour isn’t available, you can make your
own by grinding cornmeal into a fine powder in a food processor. High
in fiber with a slightly nutty taste, corn flour is a good source of
fiber, riboflavin, niacin, folate, iron and thiamin. To store,
refrigerate in an airtight container.
How to use:
Blend with other gluten-free flours, preferably rice and sorghum,
buckwheat or amaranth for hearty baked items. Use it for tortillas,
waffles, pancakes, breads and desserts. Great for cornbread and as
part of a breading for deep-fried foods
Watch out for:
Don’t confuse U.S.-made corn flour with the so-called “corn
flour” (really cornstarch) used in Great Britain.
Corn Starch A flavorless white powder that
lightens baked goods to make them more airy. It is highly refined and
has little nutritional value. Store in a sealed container in a dry
location.
How to use: Can be used in place of
arrowroot or potato starch. It makes a transparent thickener for
gravies, soups and sauces. It’s an important part of many
all-purpose gluten-free flour blends.
Watch out for:
The British term for “corn flour” is really cornstarch.
Cornmeal Larger particle sized than corn flour,
cornmeal lends excellent texture to foods and has a nutty, slightly
sweet taste. Cornmeal comes in yellow and white varieties and in
fine, medium and coarse grinds. Great for cornmeal cakes, breading,
cornbread, Johnny cakes, Indian pudding and Anadama bread. Select
finer grinds for baking and for polenta. Use coarse meal for
breading. High in fiber, iron, thiamin, niacin, B-6, magnesium,
phosphorus and potassium. Refrigerate to extend shelf life.
How to use: Blend with corn flour or a
gluten-free flour blend. In most recipes, it should be no more than
25 percent of the flours used. However, some cornbread recipes call
for just cornmeal.
Watch out for: Select the
grind appropriate for your recipes. Using too much cornmeal or a
grind that’s too coarse produces a gritty texture.
Millet An ancient food, possibly the first cereal
grain used for domestic purposes. It imparts a light beige or yellow
color to foods. Easy to-digest millet flour creates light baked goods
with a distinctive mildly sweet, nut-like flavor. High in protein and
fiber and rich in nutrients, millet adds structure to gluten-free
baked items. It is excellent for flat breads, breads, pizza and other
items containing yeast. Store in the refrigerator or freezer in a
tightly sealed container.
How to use: For best
results, use no more than 25 percent millet flour in any flour
blend.
Watch out for: Short shelf life. Millet
can quickly become rancid and bitter.
Oat Flour and Oats High in fiber, protein and
nutrition, oats add taste, texture and structure to cookies, breads
and other baked goods. If oat flour is not available, you can make it
by grinding raw oats in a clean coffee grinder or food processor.
Quinoa flakes can be substituted for whole oats in most recipes.
Store in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place or freeze to
extend the shelf life.
How to use: In most
recipes, oat flour should be less than 30 percent of a flour
blend.
Watch out for: Most oats grown in the
United States and Canada are rotated with wheat crops, making cross
contamination a major concern for people with gluten intolerance.
Select oats that are marked “gluten free.” People with celiac
disease should consult their physician before using oats.
Rice Flour Most often used gluten-free flour.
It’s available as brown rice (higher in fiber), sweet rice (short
grain with a higher starch content) and white rice. The texture
varies depending on how it’s milled—fine, medium or coarse. Fine
grind is used for cookies, biscotti and other delicate baked goods.
Medium grind, the most readily available, is suitable for most other
baking. Coarse grind is best for cereal and coatings. Finer grinds
produce the best texture in baking. Easy to digest and blend, white
rice flour has a bland taste. Brown rice flour is slightly nutty.
Brown rice flour should be stored in the refrigerator.
How
to use: Relatively heavy and dense, rice flour works best in
recipes when it’s combined with other flours, especially those that
are high in protein to balance texture and build structure.
Watch out for: Too much rice flour (unless it's
super-fine grind) can produce a grainy taste and texture and can make
baked goods crumbly.
Sorghum Flour Also called milo or jowar flour,
some believe this flour tastes similar to wheat. Available in red and
white varieties, it has a slightly sweet taste and imparts a
whole-wheat appearance to baked goods. Sorghum flour is high in
protein, imparting all-important structure to gluten-free baked
goods. It’s also high in fiber, phosphorous, potassium, B vitamins
and protein, and is a great choice for pancakes, breads, muffins and
cookies. Sorghum flour is ideal for darker-colored, heavier baked
goods, like brown bread or ginger cookies. Store in an airtight
container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
How
to use: Should be no more than 25 to 30 percent of any
gluten-free flour blend.
Watch out for:
Darker in color than many other flours, it’s not a good choice for
baked goods that should look white.
Teff Flour Milled from one of the world’s
smallest grains, teff is a key source of nutrition in Ethiopia. It’s
available in dark and light varieties. High in protein, fiber and
calcium, teff imparts a mild, nutty taste to cookies, cakes, quick
breads, pancakes and waffles. Combine teff flour with Montina in an
all-purpose flour blend to produce high-fiber bread with a
whole-wheat taste. Refrigerate for longer shelf life.
How
to use: Should be no more than 25 percent of any flour
blend.
Watch out for: Too much can overpower
delicate recipes.
Grasses
Buckwheat Despite its name, buckwheat is not a
wheat. It is a fruit from the poly-gonaceae family, which also
includes rhubarb and sorrel. Buckwheat has a strong, robust flavor
that combines well with other gluten-free flours. A great source of
balanced protein and eight essential amino acids, this flour is high
in fiber and B vitamins. It’s available in light, medium and dark
varieties. Light buckwheat flour is usually preferred for baking.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator to extend shelf
life.
How to use: For breads and rolls, use up to
1 cup per recipe to impart a taste and texture that comes close to
whole wheat. Use less when baking delicate cookies or pies.
Watch
out for: Too much can overpower a baked product.
Montina Flour is made from perennial Indian rice
grass, a dietary staple of Native Americans before the introduction
of maize. Recently rediscovered and now grown in the western United
States, this protein-rich, fiber-rich flour has a wheat-like taste
and hearty texture. Blend with an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend
to add fiber, nutrition and protein to baked goods. It’s an
excellent choice for use in dark baked goods, like spice cakes and
gingerbread. Refrigerate in a tightly covered container.
How
to use: Add up to 30 percent Montina flour to your flour
blend to produce bread with a whole-wheat taste and texture.
Watch
out for: Too much can overpower other flavors. Its
whole-wheat appearance may not suit delicate, light cookies, cakes or
sandwich breads.
Wild Rice Flour is not made from rice but a wild
aquatic grass originally grown in lakes, particularly in the
Minnesota area. Wild rice is now produced in man-made paddies and,
therefore, it’s more plentiful. Rich in folate, wild rice has a
long shelf life because it is dried and slightly fermented. This
flour’s very dark brown to black color adds a rich hue to pastries
and other baked items. It has a hearty, interesting flavor and
texture. It's best used as part of a flour blend for pancakes,
muffins, scones and cookies. Use it to thicken casseroles, sauces,
gravies and stews.
How to use: Add up to 25
percent to a basic flour blend.
Watch out for:
Like Montina flour, wild rice flour imparts a distinct flavor and
adds a dark appearance to baked goods. Not suited for delicate
pastries, such as sugar cookies, white cakes or biscotti.
Nuts
Almond Flour and
Almond Meal
impart a sweet, nutty flavor to baked goods. High in protein, fiber,
vitamin E and healthy fat. Make your own almond flour by finely
grinding blanched nuts in a clean coffee grinder. Don’t over-grind;
almond flour can turn into almond butter very quickly. Leaving the
skin on the almonds will darken the flour and the final baked
product. Almond flour adds structure and texture to cakes, cookies
and cupcakes. It is popular for Passover baking. Almond flour can be
substituted for oats in oatmeal cookies for people who cannot eat
oats.
How to use: Add up to 25 percent to a
basic flour blend or use up to 50 percent or more in cakes leavened
with eggs.
Watch out for: Not suitable for people
allergic to nuts. Because of its high fat content, almond flour and
meal can go rancid quickly. Store in a tightly sealed container in
the refrigerator or freezer and use within a few months.
Chestnut Flour Made from ground chestnuts, this
flour imparts a nutty, earthy flavor to baked goods. High in fiber
and low in protein, it is used widely by Italian bakers and cooks in
everything from pasta (tagliatelle and gnocchi) to cakes, pancakes,
breads and muffins. Because chestnut flour is low in protein, it
should be combined with a high-protein flour, such as bean, amaranth
or soy flour, to ensure baked goods hold together. Store in an
airtight container at room temperature.
How to
use: Add up to 20 percent to a basic flour blend.
Watch out for: Too much chestnut flour can
impart an unpleasant earthy taste. Don’t confuse chestnut flour
with water chestnut flour, a starchy white powder with different
baking properties.
Coconut Flour A low-carb, high-fiber flour with
the subtle, sweet fragrance of coconut. Usually well tolerated by
people who have multiple allergies. People on low-carb diets often
bake with 100 percent coconut flour.
How to use:
For best results, add up to 15 percent to a flour blend.
Watch
out for: Too much can create a very dense end product. If
using 100 percent coconut flour, recipes usually call for extra eggs
to create height and airiness.
Seeds
Flaxseed Meal is high in fiber and omega-3 fatty
acids. Make your own flaxmeal by grinding flaxseeds in a clean coffee
grinder. (Whole flaxseeds are not digestible.) Store in the
refrigerator or freezer.
How to use: Add 2 to 3 tablespoons per recipe for
baked goods or sprinkle on yogurt or cereal for a nutritional boost.
A mixture of flaxseed meal and warm water is used as an egg replacer
in vegan and egg-free baking. (See
Substitution
Solutions for egg replacement options.)
Watch out for:
Flaxmeal produces a flecked appearance in bakery items. Too
much flaxseed or flaxmeal can have a cathartic effect on some people.
Introduce it into your diet slowly.
Salba Also called chia, salba seeds come from the
Salvia hispanica plant. Hundreds of years ago, Aztec warriors would
tie a bag of these seeds to their belts to sustain them during their
conquests. The seeds were so important in Aztec culture that they
were used as money. Considered a super food due to high levels of
multiple nutrients and protein, salba is flavorless. Unlike flax,
salba seeds do not have to be ground in order to be digested.
How
to use: Can be added by the tablespoonful to everything from
yogurt to baked goods. A mixture of 1 tablespoon salba and 3
tablespoons warm water (let stand, stirring occasionally, about 10
minutes until thick) can replace one egg in vegan and egg-free
baking.
Watch out for: High in fiber, salba can
be cathartic to some digestive systems. Introduce it slowly into your
diet.
Hemp Flour A protein-rich whole-grain flour that
imparts a nutty flavor to breads, muffins, cookies and pancakes. It
is an excellent source of protein containing all essential amino
acids and is very high in dietary fiber.
How to use: Add
¼ to ¨÷ cup to a basic flour blend.
Watch out for:
Too much produces a gritty texture and an unpleasant earthy taste.
Mesquite Flour Ground from the pods of mesquite
trees, this pleasantly sweet flour is rich in calcium, magnesium,
potassium, iron and zinc. Combine it with other gluten-free flours to
add a molasses-type flavor to baked goods. Best added to darker
bakery items, such as brownies or gingerbread.
How
to use: Add up to 25 percent to a basic flour blend.
Watch
out for: Too much imparts a distinctive taste that can
compete with other flavors in a recipe.
Quinoa Milled from a grain that’s native to the
Andes Mountains, quinoa is a seed that has a delicate, nutty flavor
that’s similar to wild rice. This flour is easy to digest. Quinoa
contains high levels of calcium, protein, complex carbohydrates,
phosphorous, iron, fiber and B vitamins. Quinoa flakes are an
excellent replacement for oats in cookies, breads, cakes and rolls
and a delicious addition to granola. Store in the refrigerator or
freezer.
How to use: Mix with other
flours, up to 25 percent of total blend, to increase the nutritional
value of baked goods.
Watch out for: Too much
can overpower the flavor of bakery items. Whole quinoa should be
rinsed first to remove the bitter-tasting natural oil that sometimes
lingers on domestic varieties.
Tubers and Roots
Potato Flour Made from dehydrated potatoes, this
fine yellow-white powder is high in fiber and protein. It can be used
in place of xanthan gum or guar gum in gluten-free baking. It lends a
soft, chewy mouth-feel to baked goods, homemade pasta, breads and
pizza crust.
How to use: Add 2 to 4 tablespoons
per recipe. Reduce or eliminate the gum ingredients accordingly.
Watch out for: A little goes a long way. Too
much potato flour will create a gummy product. Don't confuse potato
flour with potato starch, which is used in much larger
quantities in recipes and has different baking properties.
Potato Starch Made from the starch of dehydrated
potatoes, this white powder is often used as a one-for-one
substitution for cornstarch in recipes. It has excellent baking
qualities, particularly when combined with eggs. Contains no protein
or fat.
How to use: Gluten-free recipes often
call for ½ to ¾ cup potato starch as part of a flour blend.
Watch
out for: Potato starch tends to clump, so it should be
stirred for accurate measuring. Don't confuse it with potato flour,
which is used in much smaller quantities and has different baking
properties.
Root Flours (Arrowroot, Sweet Potato Tapioca)
Made from root plants, these flours/starches are usually well
tolerated by food-allergic people, even those with multiple
allergies. Their high nutritional properties enhance baking
performance and give bakery goods a chewy texture and increased
browning capabilities. Arrowroot flour is pleasant-tasting and
versatile, good for making breads and bagels. Sweet potato flour,
which has a yellow-orange hue, imparts its color to baked items
and has a taste that complements recipes containing chocolate,
molasses, spices and such. Tapioca flour (also called tapioca
starch), is made from the cassava (manioc) plant. It's a good choice
in breads, tortillas and pasta.
How to use: Root
and tuber starches should be part of a flour blend, up to 25 percent.
Arrowroot starch and tapioca flour/starch are also used as a
thickener in gravies and other sauces.
Watch
out for: Too much of any of these flours can produce a gummy
result.
Basic Flour Combo
For a
basic flour mix that works nicely for all-purpose use,
click
here. While there, check out our recipes for simple flour blends
that provide high protein and high fiber. Turn to "
Ask
the Chefs," for a formula for blending alternative flours.
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Yours in Health,
Dr. Campise : )
