NOTE : If you are looking for the recipe for my Flour Blends A and B, you will find them at the bottom of this post. Apologies, but I seem to have been unable to make the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button work on this page. So scrolling is required. Sorry xx
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What is gluten free flour?
I have been asked many times ‘what is gluten free flour?’ and I have to admit, it is a difficult question to answer. The world of gluten free flour is complex and can feel a little confused. You can take every packet of ‘gluten free flour’ that has ever been produced and set the ingredients side by side and each one would be completely different.
You see… there is no such thing as one ‘gluten free flour’. Gluten free flours are a collection of ‘powders’ made from ground seeds, grains, fruits, nuts and even insects, each with its own unique properties, from taste and texture, to nutritional content and how it will react when used in baking and cooking. It is not as simple as being able to grab one gluten free flour, or even one gluten free flour blend to bake successfully. And at times, knowing which flours to pick and combine together for which recipe can all become a little overwhelming.
In this post, I hope to help you to make sense of some of the qualities of the different gluten free flours you may come across. I also hope to show you just how easy it is to start experimenting and to make your own gluten free flour blends at home.
Flour before Coeliac Disease
Before becoming a Coeliac family in 2011, baking was pretty straight forward. In the cupboard, we had bags of plain flour, self-raising flour and bread flour…. either brown or white. Okay, that may be a little simplistic, but wheat flour was a given in the kitchen and pretty much every recipe relied on its qualities, not least the gluten it contained. That gluten (a protein) is a remarkable and reliable thing. It provides structure, support, airiness and elasticity and gives infinite possibility to what can be baked. But for Coeliacs, it is also poison!
As soon as gluten has to be avoided, baking suddenly becomes an alien world. It seems there are dozens of individual gluten free flours out there, but none of them comes close to the glutenous qualities of wheat flour and (regardless of what you are making) they rarely work effectively alone. And that’s where the gluten free flour mix comes in…
What is a gluten free flour mix?
A gluten free flour mix is exactly what it says… a blend of a few (or many) individual gluten free flours, carefully selected for the unique properties they bring, which when used together in a recipe, will work as needed for the bake to be successful.
Now you would hope that going to the supermarket and grabbing that pre-mixed bag of ‘gluten free flour’ from the shelf would be the answer to your prayers wouldn’t you? Sadly, this seems not to be the case. In my experience, each bag produces different results. Indeed, I have yet to find any one single bag of commercially blended flour that works for all recipes.
Sure, some are better than others both in terms of their nutritional content and their reliability. The Free From Fairy for example, makes a nutritionally-balanced rice-free flour blend which is pretty versatile. But in the nearly 10 years that I have been baking gluten free, I have yet to be 100% happy with any single flour blend that I have purchased. Even the best of them need extra individual flours added to make some recipes work.
To be fair, there does appear to be an increasing variety of better buyable blends out there. But the ‘worst’ commercially available gluten free flour mixes (which incidentally, are usually the cheapest and the ones mainly stocked by the big supermarkets) tend to be heavily weighted towards the use of rice flour. Frustratingly, too much rice flour has a tendency to produce a dry, crumbly, gritty texture, with minimal nutritional value.
Concerns about rice flour
There is also a growing body of evidence and information that rice flour in large quantity may even be harmful, with the concern that it contains arsenic from water and soil contamination. Arsenic being a poison, is not a great thing to be eating.
Bog-standard boiled rice carries less of a risk because of the process of boiling in water, particularly if the rice has been soaked for several hours before cooking as advised in this BBC health article. Rice flour however, is not boiled, but is produced by grinding rice before it is cooked.
At low levels, the damage may be minimal, but for Coeliacs, it is all too easy to find that your diet has switched from damaging wheat to toxic rice (in any number of forms) and if you don’t find ways to lessen the intake, you could be causing harm. If you buy ready-made commercial bakes, flours and bake mixes, take time to read the packaging… you may be shocked at how much rice you are consuming. You can find information on arsenic in rice in this article written for the BBC by Dr Michael Mosley, this article in Nature World News and a wealth of information through the Dartmouth Toxic Metals Superfund Research Program.
Why make your own gluten free flour mix?
Because of my dissatisfaction with the texture and results of most commercially-available flour blends, I have always mixed my own gluten free flour to meet the needs of each recipe being made. Whilst some recipes have demanded uniquely-tailored flour blends, I have also developed a couple of standard ‘all purpose’ gluten free flour mixes which I use across most recipes.
So too much rice flour aside, why make your own gluten free flour mix?
The biggest reason I think, is that it gives you versatility and control over the quality, texture, flavour and success of the bake and importantly, the quality of the nutrition in your diet. Given the amount of baked goods we consume, it seems an important consideration that we make those foods count. Many flours prove themselves to be fantastic sources of protein, healthy fats, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Surely that has to be better than empty carbs?
Which Basic Blend for Which Bake?
For cakes and biscuits (and particularly for recipes that I developed earlier and before I had got fully to grips with the nuances of gluten free baking), I tend to use Blend A below, which also gives a crumb that is lighter in colour. You might want to check out Gluten Free Alchemist favourites which use this mix, like my gluten free Chocolate Cake; gluten free Vanilla Sponge and amazing gluten free Gingerbread House.
When it comes to the carb ‘staples’, like bread and pastry, I increasingly use my gluten free, rice-free flour blend B as my base flour, to ensure the best nutritional quality as well as texture. You can see its amazing results in this incredible gluten free Wholemeal Brown Bread recipe, its vegan cousin – Vegan Gluten Free Wholemeal Bread, my gluten free (optional vegan) Maple Shortbread, Jamaican Ginger Cake and my Cherry Bakewell Scones.
The recipes for my two base gluten free flour mixes are shared below. For many recipes I use one blend alone and for others I add additional gluten free flour ingredients to improve the texture and result of the bake. I’ll be honest… I can be a bit obsessive about trying to make gluten free bakes as close to or better than their ‘wheat-filled’ cousins. But I make no apology. I firmly believe that we should make as few sacrifices as possible just because we are gluten free.
Thus, to achieve great results, flour blending (to a greater or lesser degree) becomes a fact of life for the gluten free baker. If you want to reach the dizzy heights of a good gluten free bake, home-blending a gluten free flour recipe is (in my view) the best way to go.
Is it Easy to Blend Gluten Free Flour at Home?
Whilst I appreciate that not everyone has a willingness or will to spend time weighing out and mixing flours together, it is really not as time-consuming as it sounds. Trust me… if it was, I wouldn’t be doing it! I hate faff! But once you have found a gluten free flour mix that you are happy with, it is easy to stock up on the base flours and simply mix up batches of 500g to a kilo whenever your blend gets low. I weigh mine straight into an airtight container and shake vigorously to mix. It’s that easy and gives you absolute control over what’s in there.
flour blending not for you?
If flour blending is something that is not for you, then it is fine to find a commercial blend that you feel happy with. Many of the recipes on Gluten Free Alchemist should work with a standard commercial blend, but as they have been specifically developed using the flours as stated in the ingredients lists, I am unable to verify the results with other flour blends. If the blend you use has a greater ratio of rice flour in particular, you may need to add a little more liquid, but the best advice is to judge for each recipe as you learn what works best.
If you are looking for a rice-free commercial blend, there are a couple now available. The Free From Fairy produces a Wholegrain Gluten Free, Rice Free Flour Blend (either plain or self-raising), which can be found via her website. Bobs Red Mill also produce two rice-free flour blends – an All-Purpose Baking Flour and a Paleo Baking Flour (which is almond-based). I have not tried the Bobs Red Mill flours, but can vouch for the Free From Fairy blend working well.
The Gluten Free Flour Larder
I admit to being a little OCD about gluten free flour and could be considered a bit nerdy when it comes to understanding it.
When first diagnosed Coeliac, I spent hours researching individual flours and how to combine them to make the most of their unique qualities. In careful combination, they can be magic and will leave you wondering how you never discovered them before or why you have never tried blending them at home for your own gluten free bakes.
My gluten-free flour larder is a veritable treasure trove for the ingredients of gluten free alchemy. Tub after tub of powdered grains, nuts and seeds lined up… each with different characteristics, flavours and textures… many nutritionally superior to traditional wheat flour. How you use and combine them will dictate the lightness, denseness, texture, flavour, crispness, moistness and richness of the finished bake.
Of course, I am not suggesting everyone should have as many flours in their larder as I do, but if you are still reading this post, I guess you are seriously considering the possibility of either using a home-blended gluten free flour mix, or even more exciting… creating your own gluten free flour recipe. That’s fantastic!
Arm yourself with some basic knowledge about the qualities of the different gluten free flours (most of which I outline below) and be ready to experiment and risk a few baking disasters along the way. You are about to open the door into a world of culinary adventure…
Where to source gluten free flour
Whilst there are many different gluten free flours available, there are a few basics which I use more often than others. The ones I use most frequently (tapioca starch flour; cornflour (starch); sorghum; white teff, buckwheat; potato starch flour; white rice and brown rice) are the ones that you too may choose to source (although there are many other options you may prefer). I also use a lot of oat flour, but I grind this from gluten free oats myself at home to save money.
As with any other gluten free products, be sure to buy base flours which are certified gluten free if you are Coeliac or needing to avoid gluten for health reasons.
Local Supplies
Many of the key gluten free flours can be found or ordered into good health food, nutrition and whole food shops. To find them I would recommend doing a bit of a google search on your local area to see what your options are. I also use a couple of amazing local farm shops which often have an unexpectedly good range. Interestingly, I rarely find what I need in places like Holland and Barrett, mainly because many of their products (at least in the standard stores) are not certified as Coeliac-safe.
Buy On-Line
If you can’t source the flours you need on the ground, check out the internet for suppliers. Ocado has a reasonable range of some of the basics, as does Healthy Supplies (one of my favourite on-line ingredient stores), Pure Gluten Free (limited to absolute basics, but certified as safe) and Shipton Mill. There will be plenty of other on-line sources though, so check around.
Dependent on where you live, some of you (if diagnosed Coeliac) may be really lucky and still be able to order some of the flours on prescription. This option has however pretty much been removed with updated prescribing rules.
For those of you who do give gluten free flour blending a go, I’d love to hear about how you get on. Ping me a comment or an e-mail or tag me into your creations.
Gluten Free Starchy flours
Brown & White Rice Flour
Rice flour is often used as a staple base flour in gluten free products and particularly in commercial flour blends and bakes, not least because it is very cheap. Made from finely milled rice, it is fairly versatile, easy to obtain and easy to digest (although because the body breaks the starch down quickly, this can cause spikes in blood sugar if eaten in large quantity).
Rice flour is best mixed with other gluten free flours, to balance its nutrition as well as its baking qualities. It can give a dry and slightly gritty texture and taste very bland. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests rice flour contains arsenic (see above) and thus when eaten in large quantity and on a regular basis, may be harmful to health. It is my view based on what I have read that whilst it still has a place, it should be used in moderation within the overall diet. Brown rice flour is considered to be wholegrain, but also potentially more harmful.
Potato Starch
Another essential gluten free flour in the larder is potato starch flour (which is different from ‘potato flour’). Made from washed, dried potato starch, it is a white, fine powder with a slightly clumpy appearance. Potato starch readily absorbs liquid and has a neutral flavour and a good binding ability. Because of these qualities, it can be an important addition to a gluten free flour mix, although is nutritionally limited and is thus best used sparingly and in combination with other flours. Given that it is quite a ‘heavy’ flour, it should be well balanced against other lighter starches (such as corn or tapioca starch).
Tapioca Starch (Flour) – Paleo
A fine, white flour made from the dried starch extracted from Cassava (manioc) root. Tapioca Starch (flour) is extremely versatile, although is nutritionally lacking. It is much lighter than potato flour, but has excellent absorption and binding qualities, making it particularly great in a gluten free flour mix for cakes and biscuits. It will also add a little ‘stretch’ to bakes such as breads, although used in too high a ratio, will give a chewy result. Tapioca starch has a slightly sweet flavour and combines easily with other flours. On its own, it works well as a thickener for gravies and sauces or as a flour coating.
Whilst tapioca starch is best balanced with other wholegrain or protein-rich flours (both for nutritional value and texture), it can also be used as a lone flour when making specific bakes such as these somewhat addictive Pandebonos (also known as Pão de Queijo) or South American Cheese Bread.
Corn Flour (Corn Starch)
Corn Starch, is made from the finely powdered starch of the maize grain. Found in the baking aisle of supermarkets, this very light and versatile gluten free flour is an essential lightening ingredient in most cakes, biscuits and pastry. Because it does not absorb liquid to the same extent as potato and tapioca starches, its qualities also help to provide a crisper bake. It does however, have a tendency to be dry and powdery, and needs to be balanced alongside other, more moisture-retaining flours (such as potato starch or ground almonds).
As corn flour (starch) is virtually tasteless with superb thickening qualities, it is perfect for use in sauces. It is perhaps best known as the base flour of custard.
Glutinous Rice Flour
Glutinous Rice Flour (from a short-grain variety of rice) is also called sticky rice or sweet rice and is mainly grown in East and Southeast Asia. In Japan it is called ‘Mochiko’. Despite its name, it does not taste sweet, nor does it contain any gluten, but when cooked it becomes particularly sticky or gluey, giving excellent binding and structural qualities. It is low in fat and rich in carbohydrate and is widely available in Asian and Thai supermarkets.
When glutinous rice is ground into flour, it is white and very fine in appearance. Because it has a much higher starch content than other types of rice, it is a good addition to the gluten free larder for use as a thickening or binding agent in soups and sauces. It also works extremely well in a gluten free flour mix formulated for pasta, breads, pastries and cakes as it not only aids the binding process but also holds in moisture, without adding any ‘graininess’ to the bake.
Arrowroot – Paleo
Arrowroot is a white, starchy, flavourless flour, extracted from the roots of the arrowroot plant, best known for its amazing thickening properties. When heated in liquid, arrowroot converts to a completely clear gel which doesn’t break down when mixed with acidic ingredients, which makes it perfect for thickening fruit coulis. It is good substitute for corn flour (corn starch), although in the UK tends to be less easily available in bulk.
Cassava Flour – Paleo
This is a white, starchy gluten free flour made from the grated, dried root of the cassava plant – a root vegetable native to South America (also known as yuca). Cassava flour is almost entirely carbohydrate and is neutral in flavour and easy to digest. A recent addition to my larder, I am just starting to learn about the qualities it brings to the gluten free flour mix, but it is said to be a flour that can be substituted directly for wheat flour in many recipes.
Polenta
A native Italian ingredient, with a slightly sweet taste, polenta is made from ground cornmeal. It is traditionally eaten as an accompaniment to fish and meat in a similar way to mashed potato. In its finely ground form (and particularly when combined with other flours and ground nuts), it adds a slightly dense, nutty bite to baked foods. Try to source the fine-milled polenta rather than the coarser version for baking, or the texture may be very gritty (unless your recipe specifically calls for a coarse-mill).
Sweet Potato Flour – Paleo
Sweet Potato flour is not cheap, but definitely has its place in the gluten free flour hall of fame. It tastes milder than the stark sweetness of a baked sweet potato and works particularly well in muffins, flat breads and wraps. It also of course, makes a great addition to a gluten free flour mix, although is best kept at a lower proportion to avoid it over-dominating.
Sweet potato flour is a great source of vitamin A and fibre and contains no fat or cholesterol. Moreover, it is low on the glycemic index (it beats ‘normal’ potato hands down) making it perfect for keeping blood sugar in check.
The wholegrain & protein flours
Buckwheat Flour (structural)
Despite its name, buckwheat flour has no relationship with wheat, but is a grain produced by grinding the kernels of the buckwheat plant (a relative of rhubarb) into a fine powder. It is a good nutritional flour with a high protein and fibre content. It is also low on the glycemic index and is packed full of antioxidants, minerals and vitamin B.
Buckwheat has a strong nutty, but slightly bitter, musty flavour which can become a little dominant used in bakes. For this reason, you may prefer to mix with more neutral flours. Nonetheless, it is a versatile gluten free flour which and adds colour, earthiness and a wholesomeness to breads and cakes and is often found in gluten free pancake recipes, batters and some pastas.
Although it is naturally gluten free, ensure your source is certified Coeliac-safe as there is a particular risk of cross-contamination from adjacent growing with gluten containing crops or milling equipment.
Quinoa Flour
Quinoa Flour (pronounced Keen-wah) is milled from the quinoa grain and is a rare plant-based source of complete protein. It is packed with lysine and other amino acids as well as containing high amounts of vitamins B and E, calcium, iron and phosphorus. Being low on the glycemic index, it helps to keep blood sugar levels balanced.
Quinoa flour has a mild, nutty flavour, but combines well with other gluten free flours in all baked goods, but especially enhances breads, biscuits and savoury pastries. The high protein content supports structure and texture.
Quinoa Seeds (unmilled) can be cooked up as a delicious alternative to rice or couscous (which contains gluten) and makes a nutritious alternative to breakfast porridge. Check out my recipe for Quinoa Breakfast Bowl. Cooked quinoa can be enjoyed either hot or cold and can be stored in the fridge to eat over several days.
Oat Flour (structural)
Oat Flour is made from ground oats (and easy to make at home by grinding gluten free oats into a fine powder in a blender), this is another of my favourite flours and has a firm place in my larder. Whilst it is actually gluten free, it sadly is not tolerated by all Coeliac sufferers (due to containing a protein called Avenin which has a similar structure to gluten).
For those who can eat it, oat flour is a fantastically versatile cereal grain, which is a perfect addition to any gluten free flour mix, but particularly for bread, as it will produce a slightly ‘glutinous’, soft texture to the dough when mixed thoroughly. I have used it in many recipes, from this soft gluten free Oat Bread and this Baguette, through to these nutritious savoury Oat Pancakes. It also adds a wonderful oaty flavour and creamy, slightly chewy texture to the whole range of baked goods.
Because oats have fantastic slow-release energy properties (low on the glycemic index), they are also good for breakfast bakes (like my Cacao-Courgette Breakfast Cake) and smoothies, helping to sustain you through the morning. Oats and oat flour are high in protein, fibre, vitamin E, B-vitamins and calcium. There is some evidence that eating oats can also support the lowering of cholesterol levels.
Always be sure to source gluten free oat flour from a supplier certified gluten free however, to avoid cross contamination which may result from the growing and production process.
Sorghum Flour (structural)
Sorghum flour is produced from sorghum cereal grain, milled to a soft, fine flour. It is a wholegrain flour with wonderful nutritious qualities and is an important part of my rice free, gluten free flour mix (B). Sorghum is high-protein and high fibre as well as being a good source of iron, some B vitamins and phosphorous. With a slightly sweet flavour, Sorghum has a light texture with good binding abilities.
Used in high ratio, it may add a slightly grainy texture, so is best combined with other gluten free flours in baking. As it is quite dry, it requires added moisture, although this particular quality is perfect for making drier bakes such as crackers, biscuits and short-pastry. Sorghum flour is increasingly available in the UK, but be sure to check for gluten free certification.
I love using sorghum in sweeter bakes like these Chocolate Crinkle Cookies and Jamaican Ginger Cake.
Millet Flour (structural)
Millet is best known as bird seed, but is also a nutritious seeded grass which can be ground into another gluten free flour. It is used in many parts of the world for making beer, porridge (check out my post on Gluten Free Porridge), in stews and bakes. Millet is rich in B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, iron and some other minerals.
Depending on the cooking process, the texture of millet will vary. It can be creamy like mashed potato, fluffy like rice, porridgy like oats or add a nutty texture to bakes, crumbs and coatings. Millet has an earthy, slightly sweet flavour, but for extra nuttiness, the grains can be roasted before grinding (which is easy to do at home with a high powered blender/grinder). When added to flour blends for baking, millet will add a crisp, dryness to the end result. It is worth noting that millet has a short shelf life.
Masa Harina (white & blue)
This is a coarser maize flour traditionally used in Latin American cuisine. Masa Harina comes in white and (rarer) blue form. Traditionally, you use it to make authentic corn tortillas and tamales, which (in the UK) can be difficult to find. I make my own tortillas, using a 70-30 (white to blue) flour ratio, because somehow, they just taste richer and yummier!
Masa Harina works well for making flat breads including gluten free chapatti recipes alongside Gram and other flours. Masa Harina is reasonably nutritious and contains high levels of vitamin B6, thiamine, manganese and magnesium as well as being a good source of fibre. It is easy to buy on line from Mexican ingredient suppliers for the best variety and value.
Teff Flour (structural)
Teff is another fantastically nutritious wholegrain gluten free flour, which is milled into both white and brown flours. It is massively rich in calcium, iron, potassium, vitamin B6 and vitamin C, as well as being a superb source of protein and fibre. Native to Ethiopia, Teff is a staple in the diet of Ethiopians, being used to make a spongy, fermented sourdough flatbread called Injera.
Teff has quite a strong flavour and is also quite heavy. Brown Teff is richer, with a slightly malty, earthy, nutty flavour, whilst white Teff is slightly sweeter and milder. However, combined with lighter flours and some starches, it works extremely well as part of a gluten free flour mix particularly for bread bakes, vegetable cakes and muffins, wholegrain and fruit cakes, as well as chocolate and other ‘darker’ cakes and biscuits. Blended with other, milder gluten free flours at a lower ratio, it adds both flavour and texture as well as nutrition to the gluten free flour blend.
Teff is what makes my favourite Version 2 of my Wholemeal Brown Bread perfect!
Amaranth
Amaranth flour is made from grinding the seeds of the amaranth plant, however the seeds themselves can also be used whole or flaked in a variety of ways. An unsung hero of the gluten free world, because of its versatility, it can be found in some breakfast cereals; made into porridge; can be used as a meal accompaniment in a similar way to rice or couscous (note couscous contains gluten); can be sprinkled on salads when sprouting; used to make ‘pop corn’ or when ground, added to a gluten free flour mix to make bakes.
Amaranth is extremely nutritious, being very high in protein (including the amino acid lysine), fibre and is also a good source of essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium, iron and vitamin E. It is best used in savoury dishes or blended with other, milder flours as it has a strong, slightly peppery flavour which can overpower.
Flaxseed
Flax (also known as Linseed) has a high Omega 3 content (although not as high as Chia) and is grown either brown or yellow/golden. Although flaxseed is often overlooked, in its ground form it is a fabulous addition to gluten free flour mixes for breads, pastries and other baked goods. It has the most amazing binding properties and can be used in vegan recipes to replace eggs (known as ‘flax eggs’). Flax seeds can also be sprinkled whole into the mix (or directly onto loaves, muffins, cereals, breakfast bars etc), to add a nutty bite.
Flaxseed has a low carb-high fibre content, is stuffed full of antioxidants and supports the lowering/balancing of cholesterol levels in the body. Be aware that once opened, flaxseed can go ‘rancid’ if not used quickly, although its shelf life can be extended by refrigeration.
Hemp Flour
Whilst hemp comes from a plant from the cannabis species, it should not be confused with the marijuana variety. In fact, hemp flour is a high protein, high fibre gluten free flour rich in vitamins and minerals (particularly calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, the B vitamins and vitamins A, D and E). It is also a great source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Dark in colour, hemp flour has a deep nutty flavour, which lends itself to gluten free flour mixes making savoury breads, crackers and pasta.
the bean and legume flours (high protein)
Soya Flour
Soybean flour is full of protein and is produced from ground, roasted yellow soya beans. It retains moisture well and has good thickening properties, which makes it a good addition to bread mixes, pastry and sauces. It has a strong flavour however, which is not to everyone’s taste.
Gram Flour
Gram flour (also known as garbanzo bean flour, chickpea flour or besan) is produced from ground chickpeas and is an essential ingredient in Indian and other cuisines from the Indian subcontinent. It will usually be the flour used to make pappadoms, onion bhajis and North African socca flatbread. Gram flour offers a good texture and wholesome flavour to flat breads and batter.
Gram flour has a good protein content and is also high in carbohydrate and fibre. It also provides good quantities of calcium, magnesium, folate, vitamin B6 and potassium to the diet.
Fava Bean Flour
Fava Bean Flour is the flour made from ground Fava beans (also known as Broad beans). It has a distinctive earthy flavour, which is best matched with savoury dishes. Nutritionally, it has a high protein content and is also a good source of iron and fibre. Fava bean flour is generally used in combination with garbanzo/gram flour for gluten free baking, however is not easy to source in the UK and thus is not a regular in the gluten free flour blend.
the nut flours
Ground Almonds (also known as almond meal) – Paleo
Ground almonds (coarse) are not cheap, but are well worth having in the gluten free larder and can quickly become a mainstay in gluten free baking, especially for cakes, muffins, pastries and biscuits. Milled from raw almonds, almond meal has a higher oil content than non-nut flours, so will help to make cakes rich, moist and decadent. Cakes made with almonds seem to improve with age. I can’t get enough of their sweet, nutty bite which seems to make the difference between a good bake and a great bake. Check out my Rhubarb Upside Down Cake made with an almond sponge, my gluten free Funfetti Cake, this beautiful Celebratory Orange Cake and these ‘Posh’ Jaffa Cakes (which only use a combination of ground almonds and almond flour).
In a gluten free flour mix, ground almonds add structure as well as moisture to cakes and bread, yet will also help ensure crispness in pastry and biscuits. They can also be used as stand-alone flour for some cakes and cookies, giving a wonderfully dense, moist, nutty texture (as with this Flourless Orange Cake, or these traditional Soft Italian Amaretti Cookies).
Almonds are high in protein, low in carbohydrate and contain fantastic levels of healthy mono-unsaturated fat and vitamin E. There appears to be a growing body of research that suggests they may also have fantastic cholesterol-reducing and other health-improving properties (see this article from BBC Good Food). Indeed, they have become an essential in the Gluten Free Alchemist larder.
Almond Flour – Paleo
Made from FINELY ground, blanched almonds, almond flour has all the nutritional value and qualities of its coarse-ground sister above. However, because it is more dense in volume, it needs to be weighed with care, as it cannot be substituted on a volume for volume basis with ground almonds.
A fine-ground powder, almond flour makes a wonderful addition to pastry recipes, is the base flour in many recipes for Macaron and makes delicious gluten free Almond Shortbread cookies.
Chestnut Flour – Paleo
Finely ground sweet chestnuts make a darker flour with a deep, rich, nutty flavour. Chestnut flour is high in protein and carbohydrates (with a medium glycemic index), but with a surprisingly low fat content. It brings an earthy quality and lends a delicious richness to bakes when added to a gluten free flour mix. In addition to increasing levels of vitamin B, iron, folate and fibre in a flour blend, chestnut flour will also support moisture balance and lightness in a bake.
Coconut Flour – Paleo
Made from dried, ground coconut meat, coconut flour is low in calories and sugar, but high in protein and fibre. It can be difficult to digest, but has a low glycemic index score, helping to stabilise blood sugar levels.
From a baking perspective, coconut flour is extremely dry and absorbent and is probably the flour I have found most difficult to work with as a result. It requires very high ratios of liquid to be added when baking (and benefits from extra egg to bind), without which the results are very dense and crumbly. Coconut flour can add a distinctly coconut flavour, but combined with other flours at a ratio of about 20% or less of the overall mix, will blend well and add good nutrition.
Having said this, coconut flour can be used as an independent gluten free flour, with one particular baker (Elana Amsterdam) using it with some degree of magic. You can find one of her sponge recipes used in these Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes made by my daughter.
Ground Hazelnuts – Paleo
Also known as the Cobnut or Filbert, Hazelnuts can be eaten shelled and raw, or can be ground (either raw or roasted) into a flour or paste. They are rich in protein and unsaturated fat and are also high in vitamin B6 and thiamine.
Ground hazelnuts have a sweet, creamy nutty flavour and are perfect for use in biscuits, chocolate-hazelnut spread, nut butter, cakes, pralines, crumbles and pastries. As with the addition of other nut meals and gluten free flour, they will not only add nutrients, but will provide structure and moisture to a bake. Some of my favourite bakes using ground hazelnuts include these Hazelnut Shortbread and these Nutella Thumbprint Cookies.
Peanut Flour (not Paleo)
Peanut flour has become more widely available in recent years and can be used instead of almond flour to give a more peanutty taste. It is very nutritious, having a high protein content and being a good source of mono-unsaturated fats (helping to lower ‘bad’ cholesterol), as well as being rich in minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.
Ground Pistachio Nuts – Paleo
Ground Pistachio (also known as pistachio flour) is another wonderful substitution to ground almonds, especially in cakes and cookies. With its beautiful green hue, ground pistachio is easy to make at home by grinding shelled raw (unsalted) pistachio nuts in the blender. Like other nut flours, pistachio is a good source of protein and fibre as well as healthy monounsaturated fat, vitamins A and C and several minerals.
At Gluten Free Alchemist, we love using ground pistachios. You will find (amongst others) gluten free recipes for Pistachio, Lime and Olive Oil Cake, deliciously moreish Nutty Pistachio Cookies, these pretty Pistachio Meringue Cookies and even Pistachio Pastry and Pistachio Marzipan!
Tigernut Flour – Paleo
Technically, tigernuts are not nuts, but are from the root vegetable family, however I have included them under the nut section anyway!
With a sweet nutty flavour, tigernut flour is a gorgeous addition to the gluten free flour mix, especially for cakes, cookies and biscuits. It is fantastically nutritious, being rich in healthy monounsaturated fat, iron, potassium and vitamins A and C, as well as being a good source of fibre. Its natural sweetness also means you can cut back the sugar without feeling deprived. Sub for almond meal in recipes.
the rest
Banana Flour – Paleo
Banana flour is the fine powder made from green bananas that have been peeled, dried and ground. Although historically it has been commonly used in parts of the Caribbean and Africa as an alternative to wheat flour, in recent years it has been offered as another gluten free alternative in the mainstream. A relatively mild, but quite earthy flour, it does not taste of banana when used in baking. Apparently it makes great pancakes!
Banana flour has a high starch content, although this is resistant starch which is low on the glycemic index, meaning that it has positive benefits for keeping blood sugar stable. In addition, it also offers a great source of zinc, manganese, phosphorous and magnesium.
the binders and gluten-replacers
The use of a binder or gluten ‘replacer’ is essential to most gluten free baking as it helps to provide the elasticity and structure which is lost by removing gluten from the bake. Without it, your bakes (in particular breads, cakes and pastry) are likely to become dry, crumbly and very difficult to handle. The key binder-gluten replacers are listed below :
Xanthan Gum
Although used in the non-food industry, xanthan gum is actually a natural gum produced by fermenting sugar and ‘friendly bacteria’. Although it adds little nutritional value (and indeed is not tolerated by everyone), used carefully, it can give dough and bake-mixtures a sticky consistency, helping to bind, thicken and give ‘stretch’ to a gluten free flour mix.
Guar Gum
Guar Gum (made from guar beans) is more difficult to obtain, although it does the same job as xanthan gum.
Psyllium Husk
Psyllium is the fibrous husk that comes from the seeds of the Plantago Ovata plant (native to India and Pakistan). A great source of soluble fibre and also provider of calcium, psyllium husk (used ground into a powder) is increasingly becoming my favourite gluten-replacer because of the magic qualities it brings, particularly to bread bakes. Psyllium husk holds moisture well and thus, when added to a gluten free flour mix, will add shelf-life and stretch, as well as supporting structure. Psyllium Husk helps to mimic gluten and works particularly well when added to recipes for yeasted and dough-bakes and pasta.
Ground Chia Seed – Paleo
Chia seeds come from a plant in the mint family which originates from central and southern America. Rich in Omega 3, fatty acids, protein, sodium, fibre and a host of other vitamins and minerals, Chia seeds have been identified as a ‘superfood’ for their nutritional qualities. They can also absorb up to twelve times their weight in liquid when soaked.
Nutty in flavour, Chia can be sprinkled into cereals, on yoghurts, salads, or added to energy bars. But it is when it is finely ground that it comes into its own in gluten free and also vegan baking. This is because chia binds extremely well (a good alternative to xanthan or guar gum) and can also be used as an egg replacer (by making ‘chia eggs’ with ground chia seeds and water). I find it tends to give a heavier result than using ‘flax eggs’ however.
To make a chia ‘egg’ mix 8g of ground chia seed with 45 ml/g water and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
Ground Flax Seed (also known as Linseed)
Flax seeds are another great binder addition to the gluten free larder, being a great source of omega 3 fatty acids and fibre. Added to breads and buns, ground flax seed adds flexibility and structure to the crumb.
It can also be used as an egg-replacer in vegan baking (at a ratio of 8g ground flax mixed with 30ml/g water per ‘flax egg’, left to ‘set’ for 10 minutes). Flax is by far my preferred egg-replacer as it maintains a higher degree of lightness in the final bake.
Gelatine & Agar Agar – Paleo
Gelatine and it’s vegan equivalent agar agar may not be immediately considered as options for gluten replacement, but when used carefully, their addition adds support and elasticity, particularly to bread. Indeed, I use it in my Oat, Teff & Millet bread which I used to make this show-stopping Bread Bouquet and also in my Revolutionary Brown Bread recipe and it’s Brown Bread bread-maker cousin.
What is gluten free flour? FLOUR BLENDING step by step
There are some basic principles that may help you in getting your head around blending gluten free flours at home.
When I originally started gluten free baking, I played with a standard set of (largely) white flours that were easily available and seemed to be common amongst gluten free flour blends posted across the internet. The resulting Gluten Free Alchemist Flour Blend ‘A’ below, which is a white flour mix, has served me well and I still use it in many of my bakes, particularly for cakes and biscuits. It produces a great crumb and a mild flavour and it will always be a part of my larder.
As my gluten free baking has become more sophisticated however, and I have become more nutritionally aware, I have sought to develop gluten free flour mixes which are more nutritionally balanced. This process has taught me much, and I am happy with my alternative rice free flour blend B, made with wholegrain flours. However, I am keen that having these options should never be limiting and I will frequently ‘play’ with new blends as I think might suit whatever I am making.
If you are a frequent baker, I would urge you to try a whole variety of gluten free flours for flour blending in your own kitchen. Not only is it fun, but you will inevitably find some amazing ‘new’ ingredients that you will love and that will enhance what you eat.
How do you create your own gluten free flour mix?
Basic rules and considerations
I am sure I am not alone in complaining about the quality of some commercially-baked gluten free cakes, biscuits, breads and more. They can be mouth-suckingly dry, crumbly, dense and brick-like. They often go stale quickly and taste gummy, grainy or chewy…(I see you nodding guys. I feel your pain!). The trouble is (and despite the price we end up paying) the cheapest flours are often chosen for the flour blends used to make them and that inevitably compromises the quality of the end result.
When it comes to gluten free baking, the texture, flavour, freshness and fragility of the final bake will be massively dependent on the choice of flours used to make it. The good news is that with so many different gluten free flours now available, the opportunity to experiment is endless.
When deciding what to put in a gluten free flour mix however, some basic rules and considerations apply :
Gluten is basically protein which in wheat flour bakes, provides structure as well as elasticity to the crumb, making those bakes soft, pliable, able to hold moisture, lasting and robust. Therefore, any good gluten free flour mix needs to do its best to mimic those qualities.
1. Include Protein-Rich Flours
Make sure you include a balance of protein-rich and whole grain flours in your gluten free flour blend (see list above). I use the word balance here with meaning. Too much protein and the bake can quickly become heavy, reluctant to rise and stodgy. Too little and it may become overly starchy, devoid of goodness, unwilling to hold together or gummy. But you absolutely need some in there for structure and support.
Think about the texture and flavour you want to achieve and try and match the protein flours that you have available to the desired result. For example – oat flour (if you can tolerate it) adds creaminess and texture; ground almonds and other nuts add nuttiness and moisture (which often improves with age), but will also give a slightly denser crumb; buckwheat, chestnut, soya and bean flours tend to have a stronger flavour which unless used sparingly, can come to dominate and mask the key flavours of the bake itself. In time, your flours will become your friends and you will learn how to use them to enhance.
2. Consider Colour & Flavour
Colour and flavour are also important to the end result. If you are making (for example) a ‘white’ vanilla cake, you don’t want to add a load of dark flour that masks either the cakes visual appeal or flavour. A combination of white starches with (perhaps) a balance of sorghum flour, white teff or ground almonds may produce a paler result. I tend to use my gluten free mix A and then add extra pale protein-rich supporters into the blend, recipe by recipe.
3. Be sure to Add Starch
Be sure to add starch to the mix. Best in combination, the addition of flours such as cornflour, tapioca, potato or arrowroot will add lightness and some degree of bind to the bake, enabling a better rise and more balanced flavour.
4. Think About Texture
Texture will also be governed by the flours you choose. In addition to the considerations in a) above regarding choice of protein-rich flours, you also need to choose your starch flours with caution. Too much rice (for example) and the texture will be rough and gritty. Too much potato starch and the texture will be heavy and stodgy. Think about the qualities of each flour you add to your gluten free flour mix.
5. Do You Need a Binder?
Most bakes need a specific binder added. If you don’t add a binder such as xanthan gum, flaxseed or psyllium husk, the risk is that your bake will crumble. The exception to the rule is perhaps where you have a bake which has a significant ratio of ground nuts, polenta or similar moisture-givers added or where you are specifically aiming for a very crisp crumbly result (as with some biscuits/cookies).
6. What About the Rise?
What does your bake need to rise? Gluten free flour mixes have to have extra help to give them the upward boost and that means giving extra consideration to the leavening agent (baking powder; bicarbonate of soda; yeast; kefir culture) that you use. Sometimes you need to combine leavening agents to support a rise (for example yeast and a little bicarbonate of soda in bread; yeast and baking powder in Hot Cross Buns; baking powder and bicarbonate of soda in Banana Cake). I know that the Free From Fairy in particular, has also been experimenting with using kefir alongside yeast in bread.
7. Ratios
For a wholegrain-white starch balanced flour blend, I start with a broad 40 : 60 ratio (40% wholegrain flours : 60% white starches as listed below). This seems to be a safe starting point for a general blend.
If you want to aim for a more wholegrain gluten free flour mix, tip the balance in the other direction, as far as a 70 : 30 ratio (70% wholegrain flours to 30% white starches).
Within those parameters, the freedom to experiment is yours. Play to your heart’s content to achieve the flavour and texture that you are most happy with and for the bake that you want to create. Once you have a blend or blends that you love and that work for you, write them down and mix them up into large airtight containers (shake vigorously to blend) and keep topped up for whenever you need them.
Gluten Free Whole-Grain Flours :
- Brown Rice
- Buckwheat
- Quinoa
- Oat
- Sorghum
- Millet
- Masa Harina
- Teff (brown & white)
- Amaranth
- Flax
- Hemp
Nut Flours (count as wholegrain)
- Almond – ground/almond meal
- Almond Flour
- Chestnut
- Coconut
- Hazelnut
- Pistachio
- Peanut
- Tigernut (not technically a nut)
Bean Flours (count as wholegrain)
- Soybean
- Gram/Garbanzo/Besan
- Fava Bean
White Flours/Starches
- White Rice Flour
- Potato Starch
- Tapioca Starch
- Cornflour (starch)
- Glutinous Rice Flour (Mochiko)
- Arrowroot
- Cassava Flour
- Polenta
- Sweet Potato
- Banana Flour
If this sounds too much to bother with, I have happily shared my main gluten free flour blends below, in the hope that others may benefit from the many hours I have spent combining and testing at home.
HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE OAT FLOUR
Gluten free oat flour can work out pretty expensive if you buy it ready-milled. The good news is that (providing you have a grinder or blender) it is really easy to make at home. Just be sure to make sure you source certified gluten free oats to avoid any possibility of cross-contamination from adjacent or same field growing or milling processes. They are now readily available in most supermarkets, many of which produce their own brands (found on the ‘free from’ shelf) at a reasonable price.
Use a food processor to grind gluten free pure oats until you have a fine powder. This will take about 10-20 seconds on full power (depending on the power and capacity of your blender/grinder).
You can grind on a weight for weight ratio for each recipe (same weight of oats as needed for required oat flour quantity). Or to save time, grind half a kilo or so in one batch and store in an airtight container so that you always have it there when you need it.
BASIC GLUTEN FREE ALCHEMIST FLOUR BLENDS
GLUTEN FREE ALCHEMIST FLOUR Mix A
This is my own GFA general baking gluten free flour mix, which I formulated over many months after first becoming gluten free. It is based on my then understanding the qualities of various gluten free flours, combined with lots of tweaking and testing. This blend is easy to produce at home as all the individual flours it contains are readily available in the UK. In bakes, I mostly add a little extra protein on a recipe by recipe basis in the form of ground almonds, oats or sorghum to ensure stability.
This flour blend has (for me) produced cakes, biscuits and other bakes which are light and have a texture and taste which rivals any gluten-based food.
I no longer add any xanthan gum to the base blend, as this also allows greater flexibility on choice of binder for each recipe.
** © 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – I have shared my flour blend recipes for the benefit of the gluten free community. I use them in recipes published on the blog, Feel free to use them in your baking. However, if you use them in any recipes that are published or publicly shared, please do so with full acknowledgement of Gluten Free Alchemist. Thank you**
Gluten Free Alchemist Flour BLEND A
Key equipment
- large airtight container
- spoon
Ingredients
- 200 g white rice flour
- 125 g brown rice flour
- 95 g potato starch flour
- 110 g cornflour (corn starch)
- 120 g tapioca flour (starch)
Instructions
- Weigh all the ingredients into an airtight container.
- Seal the lid and shake well to mix.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
GLUTEN FREE ALCHEMIST FLOUR MIX B : Rice Free Flour Blend with Wholegrain Flours
I am increasingly using my gluten free rice-free flour mix as the base for Gluten Free Alchemist bakes, although will usually add significantly more wholegrain flour to bread bakes both for structure and texture as well as flavour and nutrition.
COST : I have worked out the cost of blending my own rice free flour at home using Shipton Mill Organic gluten free flours (Sorghum, Teff, Buckwheat, Tapioca & Potato) + Coeliac UK certified gluten free supermarket Corn (starch) Flour. The mix is not only versatile but in comparison to other low-rice and rice-free flour blends is more than comparable. It is definitely cheaper to blend your own at home and requires minimal effort!
Costs as at January 2020 :
- Per 500g : £1.42
- Per 750g : £2.13
- Per Kilo : £2.84
- (per 100g : 28.5p
** © 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – I have shared my flour blend recipes for the benefit of the gluten free community. I use them in recipes published on the blog, Feel free to use them in your baking. However, if you use them in any recipes that are published or publicly shared, please do so with full acknowledgement of Gluten Free Alchemist. Thank you**
Gluten Free Alchemist Flour Mix B : Rice Free Flour Blend with Wholegrain Flours
Key equipment
- large air-tight container
- spoon
Ingredients
- 100 g sorghum flour
- 50 g white teff flour
- 50 g buckwheat flour
- 160 g tapioca flour (starch)
- 60 g potato starch flour
- 80 g cornflour (cornstarch)
Instructions
- Weigh all the ingredients into an air-tight container.
- Seal the lid and shake well to mix.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
Gluten Free Alchemist © 2013-22 unless otherwise indicated
Can I sub guar gum and xanthan gum interchangeably?
Hi Heather
I’m no expert on using guar gum… But as I understand it, for many recipes it can be subbed 1 for 1 (although the texture of the bake may be slightly different). However, guar gum is often recommended to be increased to 1½ to 2 times the amount, so you may need to experiment a little.
Best wishes
Kate x
Thank you for doing the hard work for us, it is much appreciated.
What I wanted to know when making shortcrust pastry with blend b is it neccessary to use an egg to blend ingredients or can I just use water as when making traditional shortcrust pastry.
Also can I freeze the raw dough and or the cooked pastry
Jacky x
Hi Jacky
Thanks for your query and apologies for the delay in reply.
As my blend B shortcrust was developed with an egg for binding, I have not tested it without. My best advice would be to sub it for a flax egg if you cannot tolerate egg and that should work well.
As for freezing… I have frozen the raw dough after it has been made into pies and it’s been lovely. I’ve never tried freezing it before rolling out.
And yes… It can be frozen after baking too.
Best wishes
Thank you for all the information you’ve put forward here. It’s really helpful especially for someone who doesn’t like to bake. The thought of ‘playing’ with recipes does not produce good feelings. Your recipes are just wonderful.
Thanks again!!!
Thank you so much Kerri. You are very welcome. Just shout if you need anything x
This is the most impressive discussion of gluten-free flours and baking I’ve come across. Thank you for sharing your extensive efforts and knowledge.
As an intermittent baker, my question is how long do you feel you can keep flours, and do you have any special storage methods to preserve them. (If it relies on smelling them, I’m out of luck.)
Thank you Hannah. I’m glad it was helpful for you.
I keep many of my flours for a long time! In the larder (which is ambient, but not over warm)… In airtight containers (I transfer them from bags into containers once opened). Obviously some flours are topped up more frequently than others because they tend to be ‘staples’. But I have yet to experience any one flour going ‘off’. So I would say don’t worry too much.
Just try and keep them coolish… airtight and make sure you use the whole container before re-filling so that old and new don’t get mixed up xxx
I`ve just made your flour blend A and was excited to start baking with it, but unfortunately I can`t seem to find a link for the recipes that use that blend 😮 !!
Hi Meg
My Flour Blend A is fairly universal in how it can be used. Many many of my recipes use blend A and this will be stated in the recipe (along with alternatives where helpful). My recipes also make clear where a unique flour blend should be made (for example with my bread). But Blend A can also be used with recipes that are on other sites too (as a replacement for a general white GF flour blend).
If you are looking for a recipe for something particular, I am happy to advise
xx
Wow – you are a saint for the gluten free community! Thank you so much.
I haven’t been able to find potato starch. Please can you suggest an alternative?
Hi Elizabeth
You’re welcome.
I always think potato starch is quite unique. But I know that some readers have successfully subbed with either fine white rice flour or cassava. Or you could also test arrowroot.
I hope that helps
Best wishes
Kate
You can usually find potato starch in the Kosher foods (or Ethnic Foods or International Foods) section of a U. S. supermarket, especially during the Passover season. It is typically labelled potato starch and contains nothing more. Good luck!
Thanks Wendy. That’s helpful to know. It’s a question I often get asked and unfortunately as I am not in the US, I can’t always answer! xx
Sorry for the delay in reply. I’ve been out of action with Flu for over 2 weeks.
I am going to make your GF flour mix B as I have found that I am very sensitive to rice. But I am also allergic to corn, so I won’t be able to use the cornstarch in the recipe. What do you recommend as an alternative? I am ok with other types of starch. Will arrowroot work? Thank you for the in depth article!
Hi Rebecca
Yes. Arrowroot would be the closest sub for the corn starch, so hopefully it will work fine.
Best wishes
Kate
Kate,
Thanks for sharing your thorough research and experience! I’m also learning bit by bit some of the ins and outs of gluten-free baking. I just wanted to share with you that I’d found another wonderful gf flour that I’ve used with great results: it’s light buckwheat flour! From what I’ve gathered it’s ground from raw buckwheat instead of roasted and so does not have the strong taste at all of your normal buckwheat flour. I found it (by mistake!) when I purchased “buckwheat flour” packaged by “Anthony’s” here in the US on Amazon. I was flumaxed when I found the flour was white, but I researched and found a recipe that called for it, made it and was sold! I use it all the time now interchangeably with sorghum flour. Here’s that recipe if you’d like to check it out; only the buckwheat flour and almond flour makes a lovely cake! https://www.crumbtopbaking.com/lemon-raspberry-almond-crumb-cake/#tasty-recipes-5948-jump-target
Hi Michele and thank you. Light buckwheat flour is not something I’ve come across before and sounds really interesting. I’m wondering if it’s similar to sprouted buckwheat flour? I have a box in the kitchen, which I am ashamed to say has been sitting there for way too long and needs to be tested. But I’ll do a bit of research too!
And thank you for the recipe link as well… I’ll head over and check that out now. xx
I baked my first thing today. Oh, the mistakes but I still thought it tasted good. I used all ground oats. I am going for a healthier option in baking rather than strict gluten-free. Can you recommend a flour recipe with Oat flour, please? I realise I need something lighter. Making my own light flour seems to be labour intensive.
What percentage to use whole grain flour with oat flour please?
Fabulous! That’s great to hear. The first bake is always the scariest and then you’re on your way!
I LOVE baking with oats. What I usually do is to replace about 25 to 50% of a plain flour blend for cookies; use a ratio of 25 to 40% for bread; and 25 to 30% for cakes. But dependent on the bake, you’ll have to play to find out what works best for you.
Be sure that the rest of the flour blend is a good balance of starches, with a little extra protein (Oats have good protein and structure already).
As a guide… You could start with blend B and replace the sorghum (and possibly the teff) with oat flour.
I hope that helps
Best wishes
Kate
Hi Kate,
I can’t have corn. I’m interested in recipe B. I searched through a lot of the comments. It looks like cassava flour might replace cornstarch, or arrowroot, or a combo? What would be the best substitute? Thank you!
Hi Zona
Arrowroot is generally accepted as the best replacement for cornstarch.
I hope that helps
Best wishes
Kate
Hello, thank you so much for all the information, however I have some questions, I need to make a gluten free carot cake and some sponge cake but I can not use rice, potato or corn. Would your mix b give me a light and fluffy consistency if I exchanged the potato and corn starch for arrowroot, or should i use a whole new recipe. I’m having trouble determinating the ratio of flours and starches. And also should I use some xantan gum for better results? What do you recommend for sponge cakes and what for tarts and cookies?
Thank you so much for the help!
I’m a professional baker and I just learned more about GF baking than I’d picked up in many years.
Fabulous! I’m so happy to have been helpful Nick x
Wow! This is an invaluable resource. We recently learned that my husband has a wheat allergy, so he essentially needs to convert to a gluten free diet. I found your site because I was searching for whole grain bread options as most of the recipes I was finding were for white bread, and I knew there had to be something healthier! Thank you for sharing all your knowledge and experience!
Hi Mandy
I’m so glad you found us and have found the site helpful. You’re so welcome! Just shout if you need anything xx
Hello, I’ve just came across your website but already feel your kindness and devotion to the gluten free community
I’m located in Asia where gluten free diets are just becoming popular and receiving more awareness.
I was diagnosed with Sjogren’s disease and I have been suffering from skin problems mostly on the face for quite some time, it has been a long time since I have truly felt confident in myself and really have the feeling of people around me really knowing how i feel and why i become depressed sometimes.
Back to the main question, I am planning to make scones based on your flour blend B:
I now can get access to buckwheat flour/ potato starch/ tapioca/ corn, and I also have ground almond which is required in you scone recipe,
that leaves sorghum and teff, can it be replaced by white rice flour or simply adding more of the ones I already have above?
P.S for 284ml of buttermilk, what would be the proportion if I have almond milk and lemon juice to create the same amount?
Thank you for reading this I hope to receive feedback soon!!
Sending lots of love. xo
Hi there
Thank you for your lovely comment and query.
Both Sorghum and Teff are very protein-rich flours, so I would try to avoid replacing with starch. If you can tolerate oats, then oat flour would be a good sub for the sorghum.
For teff, you could increase the buckwheat, or possibly try quinoa flour of maybe even millet flour? Maybe even gram or BROWN rice.
Otherwise, if you look at the list of protein-rich flours above and let me know what you can get, I’ll try and advise further. It may be that you have to do a little experimentation to see what works best for you.
Re the buttermilk… I have a different recipe without the almonds, but which runs to similar proportions and for which I use 180 ml/g milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice. So I would start at that and if the mixture seems too dry, add extra milk a drop at a time, until you are happy and the dough comes together as a slightly sticky mass. Different flours have different hydration/absorbency, so you will have to use a bit of touch to test.
The link for the other recipe, in case it helps you top compare… https://www.glutenfreealchemist.com/christmas-scones-gluten-free-cream-tea-leftover-mincemeat/
I hope that helps a little
Best wishes
Kate
Hi Kate. Thank you for the in-depth info! My husband is allergic to Rice,Oats,Tapioca flour and to some extent Cornstarch. It’s an uphill battle trying to find the right blend to make anything without breaking the bank. I am able to get and use sorghum, millet, buckwheat, cornstarch (in moderation), psyllium husk and potato. can you recommend a blend using a combination of these? Any help or direction would be appreciated.
Hi Laila
The protein and structural flours you can get (sorghum, millet, buckwheat) are all good and should be a great base equivalent for the Blend B rice free recipe. You could then experiment with the potato starch and maybe arrowroot (which makes a reasonable sub for corn and tapioca) and a little cornstarch if it can be tolerated? Play with small batch quantities, making a note of the ratios on familiar recipes to see what works and what doesn’t.
Psyllium is a great ingredient and is perfect for breads. If flax is a possibility, that too can be great in bread.
For general baking… as a general rule… if a recipe states to use xanthan gum, it can be subbed with psyllium and twice the amount.
I hope that helps a little. If there are other flours you can access, let me know and I will try and factor them in.
Best wishes
Kate
Hello, thanks for the blends! I am in doubt about the flours/ starches.
If all are starches, Isn’t it too much starch in the formula? Or do I read it wrong?
160 g tapioca flour (starch)
60 g potato starch flour
80 g cornflour (cornstarch)
I know cornflour to make polenta, and it is not the same as cornstarch.. really confused!
Thanks!
Hi Claudia
I am a little confused about your comment and wondered if you are seeing the whole recipe?
In addition to the tapioca, potato and corn, there is a considerable amount of Sorghum, Teff and Buckwheat (all protein rich and structural).
But yes… it is corn STARCH that is required, not the polenta meal.
I hope that helps. If you can’t see the full recipe, let me know.
Best wishes
Kate
Thank you for all of your hard work and the time you’ve spent testing these blends and sharing them with us! I found out I was allergic to gluten about ten years ago and have ridden the wave of more awareness and more gf products in the stores. I have tried MANY blends of gluten free flour in the United States and in Europe. I moved to Asia not too long ago and was sorry to find that gf flour blends are much more few and far between here and they are expensive. I found your website while searching for good options. I’ve mixed up Blend A and have been using it in my favorite Sour Cream Blueberry Muffin recipe for a month or so and for biscuits and, just this morning, a Swedish oven pancake. I am VERY, very happy with the way these staples (in my cooking) are turning out consistently. Thank you so much!
Thank you SO much Laurajane. That’s lovely feedback.
I am so glad that you have found the site and that the flour blends are working well for you.
If there is anything you aren’t sure about or need, just shout.
Best wishes
Kate xx
Thank you, Kate! Your help and kindness really mean so much!
I just found out that I can’t eat any rice at all anymore. I was having trouble articulating words and had a blood test. Arsenic poisoning! From all the rice I eat. The amount in my bloodstream was sky high! I was horrified! Most of the U.S. gluten free flours have rice flour in them. Plus I do occasionally use my own gf flour with rice flour! So now nothing at all, at least until my body processes all the arsenic that it has inside.
That is terrifying, that it affected me that way. So now I can only use your whole grain mix. And I have to now go through all my gluten free recipes and weed out the ones with rice flour until I can figure out how to change them.
Oh my… That’s really scary! The rice free flour blend here has been pretty flexible with many recipes and I use it in my pastry recipe as well as breads too.
I hope you feel better soon. xxx
We raved over your gluten-free rice flour-free bread. And your pictures were SO helpful. But the best is how rich and European this bread tastes. Like a flavorful German brown bread would taste. I didn’t have millet so I used buckwheat and I didn’t want to use tapioca so I used Cassava flour. Yum, yum, YUM! I can’t get over how much my hubby loved it. It has such a smooth mellow taste. We will be making much more of this. Does it freeze well? Oh, and I added rosemary. May add caraway seeds next. Or anise? Can’t wait to experiment. Thank you for all you do and share!
Hi Joanna
Thank you so much for you amazing feedback. I’m so glad that you loved the bread. Your additions sound yummy. And the recipe is definitely versatile to playing!
The bread does indeed freeze well… It will lose a little elasticity, but if you wrap it well, it is still really good. We freeze ours all the time x
Hi
What can I use to replace teff flour for gluten free blend B? Thanks
Although I haven’t tried it, I would advise as an alternative, to use quinoa flour or millet flour.
Hi Kelly
I would suggest either quinoa or millet flours.
Best wishes
Kate
Hi 💚Kate💚,
You deserve “kudos” for this well researched, beautifully documented website. You truly are an “Alchemist”.
My wife & I have taken your suggestions and experience to create some wonderful G.F. Vegan breads. It has brought a whole new world of delectable breads to our meals.
Vegan for 15 years, G.F. – our health is amazing, literally boundless energy and vitality. In the last four months or so, we dumped the “oil” from our meals – hoping our new breads will slow our weight loss somewhat – they are easy to eat 😋
Warmest regards from Perth Australia
Mal & Lee
Thank you so much for such lovely feedback Mal. I’m so glad you have found the site helpful. Bread is such an important thing to get right, so I’m really happy you’ve created ones you love xx
Hi, can I use anything else instead of the buckwheat flour in your Blend B please? Thanks
Hi Rosemary.
Although I haven’t tried it, you could try substituting with either millet flour or oat flour (if you can tolerate it). I suggest making up a small batch and testing on a favourite recipe to check you are happy.
Although it is a rice free recipe, it may also be possible to substitute with BROWN rice flour too as an alternative.
I hope that helps 🤞
I am so happy to have found this website. I am just overwhelmed by the work and time you must have have spent preparing all this information. This is more than generous of you and I just want to say thank you and how appreciated it is. You are really « un petit bijou » for us who can’t eat gluten.
I am just getting ready to prepare some of your suggested mixes, plus some of your recipes.
Un gros merci!!!!
You are SO welcome Lorraine. If I can make a small difference to the gluten free community, then I’m super-happy xx
Hi Kate
Could l make your A blend and leave out the brown rice flour. Im not keen on the nutty/gritty texture. Would it work if l use more white rice flour? I would like to make a vanilla and a chocolate sponge cake.
Thanks for such a great informative page!
Hi Marion
Rice flour generally makes the flour blend gritty (whether white or brown). However, if you’re making a vanilla sponge in particular, it’s better to use a whiter flour blend for visual reasons as much as anything else.
The flour blend A gains protein structure from the brown rice, so I wouldn’t substitute with more white rice. However, I have tested the blend recently with a substitution of brown rice flour for buckwheat flour and have also been testing sorghum as an alternative too. Both have worked well (although not been tried on every recipe).
I hope that helps.
Best wishes
Kate x
Thank you so much for this information. The amount of effort and time that must have gone into this post is amazing.
I am in the process of sourcing some of the flours you have written about above. let the play commence quick question. In your Mix B, if you were to sub in Oat Flour for another flour, purely for cost reasons. I am on a tighter budget than I’d like and oats are very cheap by comparison. Which flour would you sub and what ratio could I put in?
For example could I sub 50% of the sorghum with oat flour?
You’re welcome Melissa. I hope it helps.
In terms of subbing the sorghum… I would expect (although I have never tried) that oat flour would be a good sub either in whole or in part. It is worth trying a small amount as a whole sub and then testing with a favourite recipe.
And if not fully happy, you could then try half oat flour and half buckwheat (or maybe even test gram/chickpea flour).
The main reason for not using oat flour (which I absolutely adore) is that lots of people in other parts of the world don’t have access to GF oats and some Coeliacs are intolerant. So I try to get a safer blend for universal reasons. But It will bring fabulous qualities to any flour blend, not least because of the Avenin it contains. xx
Do let me know how you get on.
Job😊. Thanks a lot for this valuable information.
I would like to make waffles for my family bit we cant hace gluten.
The ones at the store are full of bad ingredients.
I have this flours but I don’t know the ratios that I should use of each one and how much baking soda and baking powder to use. 😳
MILLET, TEFF, BUCKWHEAT, SORGHUM, AMARANTH, QUINOA), TAPIOCA STARCH.
That’s a lot. 😊
Hi Sonia
This is my Waffles Recipe :
https://www.glutenfreealchemist.com/gluten-free-belgian-waffles-for/
It’s definitely much healthier than store-bought mixes.
It’s made with my Rice-Free Blend B from the post above, which uses Sorghum, Teff, Buckwheat, Tapioca starch, Potato starch and Corn starch..
You have all of those except the potato and corn starch.
If you can get hold of the potato and corn starches then I would recommend you do, as this will balance the blend for versatility. Or failing that, do you have access to cassava flour or mochiko (sticky rice flour)?
However, your alternative would be to maybe try replacing the potato and corn with a combination of additional tapioca and sorghum. Maybe sub the cornflour amount with additional tapioca and the potato amount with additional sorghum.
I stress that this is guess work, But you could try a half portion of the waffles with the amended mix B and see how it goes?
Best wishes
Kate
Thanks a lot 😊. I’m allergic to corn that’s why I have to omitted. But I will try your recommendation and let you know how it goes. Send you a hug ❤️
You’re welcome. Finger’s crossed for you xx
Regarding Blend B, is there a difference between teff flour and white teff flour? In my area I only seem to be able to find teff flour (for example, Bob’s Red Mill makes one here https://www.bobsredmill.com/teff-flour.html). I would love to know if I need specifically white teff, and if so where I can find it!
Hi Arianna
Where I am, I can get both white and brown Teff Flour. The brown is darker and stronger in flavour which is why I recommend the lighter version for this. However for Blend B, using a darker Teff shouldn’t make much difference. I’m not sure which Bob’s Red Mill use, it may well be the lighter version. Either way, if that’s what is available, then it’s fine.
Best wishes x
Great article!!
I am new to the gluten free, egg free, dairy free, yeast free world.
I have a few questions:
1. Which alternative flours can you combine to make a mild and tasty bread or roti?
2. What’s the best flour to make a roti?
3. Which flours rise well with baking soda and make it soft? I know pakoras are made with chickpea flour and baking soda and they turn out really nice and soft. I just want to know if there are other types that work well.
4. Also do you know which flour is soft on the stomach?
Thank you so much!!!
Sofia
Hi Sofia.
So glad you found the article helpful.
There are several recipes for gluten free bread on Gluten Free Alchemist that you may wish to look at either to make or for ideas.
https://www.glutenfreealchemist.com/p-index/gluten-free-bread/
I also have a very popular soft and flexible Roti that works well.
https://www.glutenfreealchemist.com/gluten-free-roti-soft-flatbread/
As for baking soda + flour… Are you looking to make a Soda Bread? If so, you still need to combine some protein-based flour and starches to get the combination of structure and softness. If you can eat oat flour, this is always a good addition and tapioca flour adds positive stretchiness. Chickpea flour and sorghum as well as buckwheat flours are also favourite protein flours here.
As for which flours are ‘soft on the stomach’? I think that very much depends on your body. What works well for one person is no good for another, so you’ll need to work out how your body responds and find your ‘happy’.
I hope that helps
Best wishes
Kate
Hi Kate,
If I wanted to incorporate Cassava flour into a mix what would it replace? The starch flour?
I’m so keen to try your recipes but trying to use what I have.
Thanks
Hi Jennie
Cassava flour would be a good substitute for the tapioca starch. Were you looking to replace other flours with it as well?
Yes possibly the sorghum flour? Never used sorghum before but I may give it a try.
Jennie
If you can eat sorghum, I would definitely have a go at sourcing it. It’s a lovely flour because it’s mild and brings great structural qualities to the blend. xx
Hi there,
It is quite difficult for me to get gluten free flour when I live. I have managed to secure brown rice flour, flaxseed, tapioca, corn starch, chia seed, xanthan gum, so far.
Can you please recommend a ratio for blending the above flours for me to start with?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Florence.
In terms of the ingredients you have secured, the key ones that you need to use as a base flour blend are (in my experience) the brown rice flour, tapioca starch and corn starch. I would not add chia seed or flaxseed to a base flour blend (as I tend to use them separately as binders and egg replacers where needed). Flax is helpful in bread bakes in particular. And xanthan gum I usually add recipe by recipe for greater flexibility as a ‘gluten replacer’.
The brown rice flour will act as your protein base (although if you can obtain either buckwheat or sorghum that would be a brilliant addition too).
With what you have available, I suggest that you try a version of the blend A mix. And sub all the rice flour weight with brown rice flour. As a starter, I would probably then split the potato starch weight between the tapioca and cornstarch, but not equally. So maybe (for 95g potato starch weight sub with 35 to 40g corn starch and the rest tapioca). If you can get hold of potato starch, I would definitely recommend it as a priority.
The best thing you can then do is to test on some recipes and tweak as you feel helpful when you get a feel for what is working. It may be that a little more tapioca would be helpful. But have a play and see what works for you.
I hope that helps a little
Best wishes
Kate
Thank you so much, Kate! I will get started and experiment.
No worries. Good luck! xx
Great fun to find your blog. thanks for this post! I am a longtime alternative flour baker with very particular sensitivities beyond gluten: nuts, seeds, nightshades, some GF grains. Almond flour is such a great sub for white gluten flour, but I can’t use it. I am a big fan of coconut flour for sponge cakes (1/2 cup to 6 eggs), buckwheat groats for sourdough bread (it’s a staple at our house and really honestly the best GF bread in the world), tigernut flour for lighter baked goods, banana flour for crackers (the best). I use 2 parts buckwheat flour to 1 part cassava for muffins and quick breads. I’ve never tried the ratio of 60/40 starch to flour and so I’m going to try that in some biscuits today. I always do 2 parts flour to 1 part starch and so this will be interesting 🙂
Thanks for your lovely comment Michelle. Wow! It sounds as though you are quite an expert.
I’m really interesting in trying some of the blending you use. Where I am, it’s much harder to come by tiger nut flour and also banana flour, so I have less experience with them. I find coconut flour to be very drying, so limit my use of it. But I’m particularly interesting in the idea of using buckwheat groats in sourdough bread. Do you add them to the bread dough? Or are they a fundamental part of the bread dough? I would really love to try your bread if you are willing to share the recipe?
How did the biscuits go?
Best wishes
Kate
Hi, I’m a little confused. Your blog post says:
“For a wholegrain-white starch balanced flour blend, I start with a broad 40 : 60 ratio (40% wholegrain flours : 60% white starches as listed below). This seems to be a safe starting point for a general blend.
If you want to aim for a more wholegrain gluten free flour mix, tip the balance further as far as a 70 : 30 ratio ( 70% wholegrain flours to 30% white starches).”
So, for the 40-60 ratio, is that really 40% flours, 60% starch? Your language in the next sentence, as well as the recipes for your Mix A, Mix B, etc, seem to imply it should be the reverse–60% flours, 40% starches. Can you clarify?
Hi Dave
Sorry to confuse you. I agree the sentence could have been better-written, but the ratios are correct. I’ll edit to word better.
Best wishes
Hello! I have a rice blend that works for baked goods but it was too binding for the entire family so i had to adjust our diets. i tried your whole grain blend with some adjustments and i am loving it. i just made some donuts for my kids and it came out so soft and they loved it. My son has multiple food allergies and it has been tough food journey. Thank you so much for posting your blends! it has been a huge help for us.
Thank you Thao.
That’s absolutely brilliant. I love that people can find and make their own blends that work for them. So glad the information has helped for you and your family.
And thank you so much for the feedback. xxx
Thank you for this post. I’m new to GF and I had previously been baking sourdough for 3 years. I’m now gluten free and I’m trying to find a lovely sourdough recipe to continue my love for baking sourdough. I have a sorghum starter that I’ve been keeping up with for over 3 months but I haven’t found anything really to actually bake a wonderful loaf. I love the break down for the wheat/white GF flour and I don’t want to use any rice flour. I will take your tips and try to start fiddling with it to try and make a comparable loaf to sourdough.
How have you been doing with your sourdough experiments? I have used the Mix B with my own GF sourdough starter and its looking quite promising after several failed attempts with other mixes and ratios! I would love to know what you feed your starter with.
Hi Ryan
I’ve just managed to get to the end of a very long road with GF Vegan Bread Machine Wholemeal…. Next I start on Sourdough! Watch this space xx
Thank you Jennifer.
Really fantastic that you are fiddling with the flours to make it work for you. I love when people have the confidence to take their baking forward and if the information helps, then I am a happy woman!
I too am about to start on a quest for a good sourdough (having just completed a long and arduous journey to GF Vegan Bread maker loaves). If you get any breakthroughs, do let me know xx
What could you use to substitute cassava flour?
Hi Zoe. It depends what you are baking, but my go to’s would be tapioca starch, glutinous rice flour (Mochiko) or possibly corn starch.
I cannot eat nightshades and therefore potato starch. Can you recommend what I can use in it’s place in the flour blends?
Hi Linda
In terms of replacement for potato starch. I would recommend trying Cassava flour (possibly in combination with some additional tapioca starch) as a substitute.
I stress that I have not tried these combinations, but based on my knowledge of how the flours work, I would start experimenting using these and tweak as you need to, dependent on results.
Great call, cassava flour is very good and i have used it increasingly to replace part of the tapioca starch as well. Perhaps a combination of cassava flour + glutinous rice flour + cornstarch would make a good substitute for the potato starch.
Thanks Andre. That’s really helpful advice x
I love this B flour recipe and have fiddled with it as well since I mostly use cassava flour. I have replaced the buckwheat with cassava and the potato with arrowroot. I don’t eat corn either so I have just upped the tapioca starch to replace it. I will agree, using a scale makes the difference….plus the discussion regarding potato flour and potato starch. There is a difference. I live in Germany and was trying to find potato flour. Every grocer handed me a box of potato starch…lol had to go on line to find potato flour for a specific Netherlands pound cake…crazy. Thanks for your hard work. I sure enjoy reading your post. I plan to make the rolls from your resent newsletter this week!
Thank you so much for the lovely (and very helpful) feedback. It’s so good to see people experimenting to create their own flour blends and making something great with the ingredients that are both available and that they can tolerate.
Enjoy the rolls… They are yet another game-changer for me and have opened up a world of possibilities. If I was served them in a top restaurant (gluten free or not) I would be so happy xx
Could you please clarify the potato starch flour ingredient? Potato starch and potato flour, to my knowledge, are two separate products (unlike tapioca starch/flour, where the terms are used interchangeably for the same product). I’m a bit confused as to which to use for Blend A – potato start or potato flour. Thanks!
Hi Maggie
Yes of course…
It is Potato STARCH that you need. The difficulty is that in different parts of the world, everything seems to have different terminology. When I first started getting GF flours in the UK too, the starch seemed to be called flour (with an under-heading saying ‘starch’). So in an attempt to try and be clear, I used the term potato starch flour thinking that it would help to know that it was potato starch that came as a flour.
Clearly not very clear… Sorry for any confusion.
Just shout if you need anything else x
Thank you! I’m going through and reading the whole page on flours and blends. Had I done so before posting my question it would have been clear, lol.
On an unrelated note, I really appreciate that you include the nutritional information on your recipes (or at least the ones I’ve looked at). My son is type 1 diabetic, and we’ve eliminated gluten to see if it might help with severe behavioral issues. I bake a LOT and have gotten good at calculating and swagging (swag = scientific wild ass guessing) carbs for glutinous foods; but GF is new territory.
Thanks Maggie
Yes. I have some extra software which helps to calculate the nutritional content based on specific ingredients. So glad that it is helpful.
Happy New Year
xx
Hi, I have a box of Compliments all-purpose gluten-free flour mix. Its ingredients are as listed; white corn flour, tapioca starch, modified potato starch, carboxymethyl cellulose, xanthan gum. Would this be a good substitute for your mix B?
(for making your chocolate cake)
Hi Uzmaa
It should be okay for the chocolate cake as a replacement for Blend A (which is used in the recipe). Keep other ingredients in the recipe the same. I see that the pack blend has xanthan gum already, so be sure to remove the xanthan from the recipe.
I wouldn’t use the blend in place of blend B for bread however, as it is not as balanced for protein-rich flours.
I hope that makes sense.
Just shout if you need anything else.
Best wishes
Kate
Hello. I love you’re recipes and have just downloaded your lovely Berry trifle recipe. But what I hope you can help with is rice substitutes in GF flour. As I said in a previous post, I’m on a low fodmap diet for IBS and they suggest the following as a go to all purpose flour :- 2 parts fine rice flour; 1 part soya flour; 1 part potato or tapioca or cornflour. What would be a good substitute for the rice (I’m a avoiding oats which isn’t low fodmap) ? Any suggestions would be most welcome as I don’t like the idea of so much rice flour. Many thanks and I wish you a Christmas filled with love and joy and good health for us all in ‘21.
Hi Augustine
I’m so glad you are finding the site helpful.
You may want to check out the ingredients in my B blend which is a high-protein, no rice blend.
But in terms of replacement for the rice flour, I would suggest subbing with Sorghum flour (which I believe is low fodmap?).
I hope that helps.
Best wishes and have a fabulous Christmas.
Best wishes
Kate x
Thank you very much. Yes, I’ve used both your recipes with and without oats, quite successfully. And I’ve checked – and all the flours except oats are low fodmap up to 100 grs so that shouldn’t be a problem. All your information on GF flours, their properties etc is extremely helpful so thank you for doing all that hard work and sharing it. My next test will be sourdough using gluten free flour. I’ll let you know how that works. I discovered when I was in Sidney a few years ago, before my IBS diagnosis, that the local artisan sourdough even with wheat and rye was far easier on my digestion than added yeast bread. The trouble is supermarkets sell ‘ sourdough’ bread but it doesn’t taste or feel like the true artisan made stuff. Hardly surprising since it’s priced at £1.50 a loaf as opposed to £4 for the local organic artisan sourdough. But at least we are all learning what’s good and what’s not through helpful and fun websites like yours.
Fantastic. Thanks Augustine… and yes… let me know how you get on.
So glad you have found the site helpful.
As soon as I have perfected my vegan breadmaker loaf I’ll onto Sourdough too… so any wisdom gathered would be most welcome xx
Kate, I have enjoyed learning from your post and feel renewed that I could possibly mix my own gf flour
(that tastes any good)!
Have you made puff pastry before? I’m thinking your flour blend B.
I have a craving for beef wellington for Christmas and I just refuse to pay the (USD) price for prepared gluten free flour to be shipped to Canada.
It puts regular food out of reach for so many families, it’s just a shame.
Thank you in advance, Cathy
Hi Cathy
Apologies… I have only just seen this comment… I’m a little behind.
I have made puff pastry and rough puff before. Blend B is good and should work well. It has for me.
So happy you have found the flour information helpful. Absolutely you can make a flour blend of your own! Start from a point you are happy with and then tweak with a couple of well-honed recipes that are straight forward from your repertoire to find the best blend for you. xx
Hi,
Thanks for all this helpful info. I’m new to the GF world and miss regular bouncy, chewy bread!!
Would I use mix B to make Montréal/NYC style bagels? If so what else would I still need to add? Baking powder? Yeast? Egg or a binder?
If not can you share a recipe that would help me achieve this type of bagel?
Thanks
Hi Rachel
Thank you for your query. Apologies for the delay in response.
I do apologise, but as yet, I haven’t tried Bagels. I would therefore hate to advise wrongly. Your best bet is to start with a basic recipe that you know or that seems traditional and then start to work on subbing ingredients… Try to use a good balance of protein-based flours with starch flours… although for the bagel texture, I would definitely be using a reasonable amount of tapioca flour within the start point. Bear in mind that GF flours tend to be more absorbent, so extra liquid may be required.
You will definitely need a binder… psyllium husk is usually good for bread products as it gives a lovely spring. Beyond that, just tweak and play.
But… I will put it on my list for development in the coming months.
Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful.
Hi
Im wanting to start a dog treat bakery and have had so many issues with recipes that im exhausted and has cost me so much $.
Im so glad i found you and hope you can help me please.
With your flour mix above , which is best to make cupcakes using vegetables and meat broths or fruit, as plain gluen flour is making my muffins like glue😥
And which flour blend to make hard flat cookies using just meat broths or fruit please. Ive been using rice flour and gluten free flour and they crack 😪
I would appeciate your knowledge and help Thanku🌺
Hi Jacqueline. Apologies… I’m only just catching up with comments, so this may be a little behind.
I don’t know much about dog treats, but I would suggest that for actual cake-type bakes, use the blend A. It’s pretty cheap. Give it a go and then when you know how it turns out, tweak from there. It may be that you can ‘lighten’ the blend slightly with a little extra corn starch if necessary. I think also it is about balance… the ratio of broth to flour may need tweaking? Also… has the flour blend that you have been using got xanthan gum? It can make things gluey sometimes.
For hard flat cookies, maybe try subbing the extra rice flour for corn starch or tapioca?
Sometimes these things are a case of trial and error. But if you start with Blend A and then let me know what happend with a small batch, I may be able to advise better from there.
I hope that gives you a starting point. Let me know how it goes and we can think again… xx
Hi !
I would like to try your mix A for cakes/cookies, but I don’t like using white rice flour (mainly because it upset my tummy), I only use it to dust my work space when I’m making bread or in the pan for baking. Strange enough, I’m ok with brown rice flour.
Any idea how could I replace it? I do have available in my pantry teff, sorghum, tapioca, potato starch, arrowroot (I have successfully replace corn starch for arrowroot, as I have 2 kids who are intolerant to corn), coconut flour, brown rice flour and oat flour (self made as directed by you)…
Thank you so much for your support, as always !
Hi Nathalie
No worries. If you can eat brown rice flour, then you can just replace the white with extra brown. That would be your best bet. So combine the whole rice flour weight in the recipe and just use brown.
Best wishes
Kate
thank you so much for your feedback !!! I will give it a try tomorrow 🙂
Thank you so much for this wonderful information. I am not sure how I missed it previously but our daughter was diagnosed celiac in August 2019 and we have been trying to find suitable gluten free substitutes and have managed to find some ready made breads which are quite good but ending up costing a small fortune. A pizza base is definitely on the cards – personally I love being able to kneed and roll out my pizza dough, spreading it out with a spatula doesn’t quite fill the void of a great pizza dough.
Your thoroughness and dedication to this certainly is very much appreciated!
Start a YouTube channel! 🙂
Thank you so much for the lovely feedback Craig. I’m really pleased that the information has been helpful to you.
I totally agree with the kneading experience which gets missed.
My Vegan artisan bread offered a little opportunity to ‘play’ with the dough… but my Roti Flatbread are very kneadable.
I’m working on a ‘traditional’ pizza dough… Although I have a couple of great recipes re the final result, I’d also love to get to the ‘kneadable’ recipe.
A YouTube Channel is certainly being considered xx
I have in my pantry arrowroot, cassava, amaranth and flax seed meal and Xanthan gum. At what ratios can I mix some or all of these flours for making pasta or for baking? I’ve just recently been told by the doctor to go on a gluten free diet. I don’t like all the premade gluten free products on the market. I like to make my own recipes. Of all the websites out there I’ve totally enjoyed yours. I like the science behind all your research.
Thank you Sandra.
It’s not a combination I have ever tried before, so I would probably consider adding an alternative/additional protein flour to the mix. Amaranth is a fabulous flour, but can be quite strong in flavour. It would also help to add a ‘structural’ flour to the mix. Sorghum may complement well. I would also ensure the flax is fine ground for a flour blend and would limit the amount to maximum 10%. Maybe even less as it can be a little ‘gummy’.
I would suggest starting with a 40-60 ratio as suggested in the post and just make a very small amount… test and then start tweaking. It can be a bit trial and error, until you fine the blend you are happy with for the food you want to make. It is also likely that you will need to vary the blend for different bakes too.
Start with a trial and test and then if you need advice based on how it has come out, contact me again.
I have to agree though. Home-blending is far more flexible and healthy x
I don’t see any reference to using raw buckwheat groats? I measure the desired weight, soak the raw groats for a couple of hours, rinse carefully and weigh again – reduce the liquid amount in recipe by the water absorbed. Then I toss it in the blender with the wet ingredients. It is nothing like buckwheat flour, but much more neutral in flavor and lends wonderful structure. I usually use it as roughly half of my flour requirements but that is for taste, not structure, because I like the flavor that oats bring. Have you tried this?
Also, I find that when using red lentil puree (from lentils dot org) as fat replacement instead of applesauce, it ACTS as flour (sort of) and makes it easy to make thin, lovely crèpes. The only rule seems to be that the puree amount can not weigh more than the flour amount for the crèpes (they are whole foods plant based and thus egg free and oil free).
Sounds amazing Jenny. No I haven’t tried either of your suggestions, but I will make sure I do.
Thank you so much for the information x
Hi Alison,
Like everyone else has said before me, this is an incredibly good resource for making and blending gluten free flour recipes so thanks for going to all the effort. I have come across some good Italian gluten free flour (which I find really great for pizza with) and they include gluten free wheat starch. Is that one that you have ever investigated? Its a key ingredient in Chinese dumplings. I googled wheat starch and it seems to be gluten free but perhaps there are kinds that are not gluten free?
Hi Pete.
Thanks for your comment. I’m Kate!
I’m glad you have found the page helpful.
I have been looking for a good pizza flour and have explored the Italian brands a little (although not managed to get hold of any to try).
Regarding GF wheat starch (Codex), I try to avoid using it in recipes as despite having had the gluten ‘washed out’, it still impacts some people. I am aware that some of the major manufacturers (inc Schaar) use it in their products, particularly breads and pastry, but it can be a tricky one. Interestingly, I have reacted to some products and not others myself, so from a recipe perspective, it’s possibly better for me to stay clear. It’s a tricky one!
What I aim to do instead is to find ways round the no gluten texture to bring all my recipes as close as possible to their glutenous cousins using variations of flour blending. My bread has been very successful with determination.
Having said this, I would love to know what flour you have found for pizza! Could you let me know?
Many thanks and kind regards
Kate
Really sorry Kate (thats embarrassing).
Thanks for the reply. The gluten free flour I was referring to is Caputo Gluten Free Pizza Flour. Here is a link – https://www.amazon.com/Antico-Caputo-Fiore-Glut-Gluten-Flour/dp/B00FXH8QFQ. Its the best flour i have come across for making pizza, pasta etc. I’m not celiac so I get mild symptoms when I eat the wrong thing so perhaps thats why wheat starch doesnt bother me.
Caputo GF flour is not always available (and even harder due to COVID-19) so thats why i have been investigating making my own and given that wheat starch is the one key ingredient that this flour has that others dont i was wondering if thats why its particularly good for bread and pizza. I can buy the Bobs Red Mill flour so perhaps i give that a go with their pizza base recipe first.
Thanks Pete.
No worries!
I’ll check out the flour link. If you can tolerate GF wheat starch it’s a good option. I’m working on a pizza base that meets my high standards, but may take a while to get there…
Best wishes xx
This has been such a great resource! Thanks for all the great details and tips you’ve included. I would like to create a high protein all purpose blend using teff, oat and chia seed flours for use in cookies, brownies and possibly muffins. Do you think I can get away with not using xanthan, guar or pysllium? If I must use a starch can I use arrowroot only? Also in what proportion would you recommend I mix them? I hope you can provide some guidance and I look forwards to hearing from you!
Thanks Ann. That sounds like an interesting combination! I have never used chia as a flour before. It can be quite dense when used as a binder, so I would be tempted to go lighter on it. But I would think that using chia would probably eliminate the need for other binders. I would probably use oat as the highest ratio and then teff, with just a little chia flour. It may be worth seriously considering adding a starchy flour into the mix to lighten it (maybe some corn or tapioca?)… and then I would try playing with the ratios with a single recipe to see how it goes and how it changes with each tweak. Do let me know how you get on. But if it doesn’t work the first time, keep playing with it until you are happy. Do shout if you need advice after trying a couple of tests… x
Hello ,
Firstly let me thank you so much for providing so much transparent info on GF flours and how to use them . I was so happy to find these .
It will be grateful if you can please advice my below concerns :
1.Now for Blend A , I am unable to get potato starch and tapioca starch in Dubai . Any alternative for these two flours ?
2.For Blend B , we are not getting white teff flour , any alternative for these ?
3.Could you please specify some baked goods where I shoud Blend A and Blend B ?
Thanks in advance
Thank you for your comment. I am pleased you have found the information helpful.
1. Regarding substitutes for potato and tapioca starches… My advice would be to try substituting with a combination of cassava flour; sweet rice flour (also known as Mochiko or sticky rice flour); cornstarch (or alternatively arrowroot). Use in combination rather than subbing with just one flour. I stress that I have not tried these combinations, but based on my knowledge of how the flours work, I would start experimenting using these.
Don’t sub with extra rice flour. It won’t have the same qualities.
2. To replace the Teff, you possibly have several options. You could replace with buckwheat flour or sorghum. But you could also try replacing with millet flour or quinoa flour (which are similar seeds). Obviously the flavour may influence choice as much as texture.
As I haven’t tested myself, I would suggest cautiously trying out your favourite options from these to see what works best for you.
3. In terms of what you would make with each mix, I tend to use Flour A where the colour of the bake is significant (it is much ‘whiter’ in terms of results) and for treats like cakes and biscuits.
I use blend B when making breads and doughs, some pastries, crackers, etc. Although I also use for some cakes, scones etc too. It is a good versatile blend. The B blend with additional oat flour is used in my Wholemeal Bread for example https://www.glutenfreealchemist.com/gluten-free-brown-bread-recipe/
All the recipes on gluten free alchemist specify which flour blend I have used (A or B) or a separate blend if specific to the bake. If you are making a recipe from elsewhere, you can try cross-checking with a similar recipe here to see what I have used, or seek separate advice from the recipe developer.
I am planning on updating the GF Flat Bread recipe soon and trying to improve it to make it more flexible.
I hope that helps
Best wishes
Kate
Hi,i
I love this site, and the idea that you have created all these as a cookbook for your daughter, truly a labour of love. Thank you for sharing this with the world!
Teff flour is not readily available in Malaysia, can I substitute with sorghum? Thank you.
Thank you so much. What a lovely comment! It’s so nice to be able to share. I figure if I’m working it out for us, then other people should benefit too.
To replace the Teff, you possibly have several options. You could replace with buckwheat flour or sorghum. But you could also try replacing with millet flour or quinoa flour (which are similar seeds). Obviously the flavour may influence choice as much as texture.
As I haven’t tested myself, I would suggest cautiously trying out your favourite options from these to see what works best for you.
Let me know how it goes x
Hello, I’ve got gastrointestinal issues and would like to make GF bread. Looking at Breadmix 2 I can’t have tapioca, potato starch or corn starch. What could I use in place of those please for a successful flour blend please? Thanks in advance
Hi Claire. Thank you for getting in touch.
That’s quite a tricky combination because of the qualities that need to be replaced.
However, based on my knowledge, the best replacement options would be Cassava (although this may not be something you can have?), glutenous rice flour (Mochiko) – found in Asian supermarkets (providing you are happy with using rice) and arrowroot (which is a perfect sub for corn starch). Let me know which of these options you can eat and I will try and suggest some ratios for you x
Also wondering whether you can eat GF oats? They may also be helpful to replace some of the change. x
Similar to Claire I cannot have tapioca, and also cannot tolerate cassava or arrowroot. Potato starch in small quantiles seem okays does glutinous rice and cornstarch. So many recipes have tapioca or arrowroot. What is the best substitute for tapioca?
Hi Tess
The starches are (I think) the trickier flours to sub. Because while they are all starches, they do actually all behave in very different ways and with very different absorption levels.
However, based on what you have told me, I would suggest maybe playing with a combination of a little glutinous rice flour (which will offer the stickiness and stretch) alongside maybe some fine white rice flour and a little cornstarch.
It will take a little experimentation, but if you have a recipe that you feel comfortable with, you can try in different ratios with the same recipe to see how it reacts.
Fingers crossed for you
And sorry for the delay in reply. I’ve been out of action with Flu for over 2 weeks.
Best wishes
Kate x
Is there a substitute for cornstarch?
The most like for like substitute for cornstarch is arrowroot. This will work perfectly if using as a thickener for sauces etc. Depending on how thick you want a sauce, you may need to add a little extra arrowroot than you would cornstarch. It can also be used to replace the cornstarch in flour blends, but I would suggest experimenting by starting with 1:1 sub and then if need be (I have never directly used it myself) shift the sub ratio to part cornstarch part tapioca dependent on results. As some flour blends on the internet directly use arrowroot anyway within the mix, I would expect it to work pretty well 1 : 1
Hope that helps xx
I’d like to make chocolate chip cookies – someone suggested equal parts teff, potato starch, and sorghum. What do you think? Thank you!
Could work! However I would usually limit the amount of potato starch I add to cookies as it is a very heavy flour and not always great for bakes. Personally I would use some cornstarch in the mix and limit the amount of potato.
I have quite a few cookie and biscuit recipes on the blog. If you can eat GF oats, this is a yummy recipe https://www.glutenfreealchemist.com/oat-choc-chunk-cookies/
I have used the green banana flour and had good results. Substituted for white rice flour.
It's not a flour I have come across, but I am always interested in new options and ingredients. I will have to see where I can source xx
I'd like to learn more about tiger nut, green banana and cassava flour. Maybe you can add them.
Thanks Barbara. I'll certainly look into them. Cassava and Tiger Nut I have used, but never green banana! I will be updating lots of stuff in the coming months, the flours included… xx
Thank you for your suggestion! x
Maybe you can add tiger nut, green banana and cassava flours to your library.
Thank you, will try that. Much appreciated.
You're welcome. Let me know how you get on x
The psyllium worked well and no gas!
Fantastic. I'm so pleased! Thanks for letting me know x
I am relatively new to gluten-free eating, going on about 2 years now. It is a choice for me that helps my IBS. I am finding that in experimenting with baking, gluten-free flour leaves me with a very heavy feeling in my gut. Even causing constipation issues (sorry for the info but necessary for question) which is mainly why I eat gluten-free to begin with. It's not just the pre-made flours that cause gastrointestinal issues, it is also when I have a recipe that calls for xanthan gum. The xanthan gum gave me an upset stomach so I tried guar gum. It is not as bad but still causes gas. So I started looking up how to make my own flour, but all the recipes have either guar or xanthan. I really am trying to eat well, but some foods cause the same issues I am trying to avoid. Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Jana. Apologies for the delay in getting back to you. I have been away and am just catching up now…..
Xanthan Gum does not suit everyone and there are many people who report similar symptoms when they use it regularly in their baking.
In terms of substitutes, I have used ground psyllium husk (you can get it from health food shops and then just grind it in the blender) a number of times and it works well….. especially good in breads. It is natural and friends who have had difficulties with xanthan have transferred to using psyllium with better health results.
Try substituting the xanthan with the same amount of the psyllium and see how it goes…. or I have found this link, which may be helpful to you : https://craftycookery.wordpress.com/substitution-charts/
I hope that gives you a starting point. Good luck and let me know how it goes x
A fab article. I wrote one a while ago but never thought of adding it as a page rather than a post. This is great because it's easy to find! Thanks so much for mentioning my blend! 🙂
Thanks Vicki. I have been meaning to write it for months as a Page. But this time, I have cancelled out the text in the earlier post from 2013…. just in case I got wiped off Google again!
A great resource thank you. I try to keep by me a jar of GF flour mix 1, the mix ready to make cheese scones and the bread machine bread mix, I am hoping that the habit of preparing one batch to cook and freeze immediately and another to keep for next time will become ingrained over a period of time.
Thank you Alison. I am so glad you are still enjoying the recipes. I love knowing that other people have benefitted from my efforts. It makes it all worthwhile! x