Gluten Free Flours, How Much do you Actually Know? A Study in Flour Substitution. Part 1.

How can you mix your own blends  of flour substitute to enhance the flavours in your baking? To do so you need knowledge of how the different types of flours work together; this is what this post is all about.  So be warned, it contains considerable written information -  there is no other way of doing this!

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Gluten free flours are simply categorised into three areas which serve different purposes in baking. 

The 'Light' type flours include white rice flour which contains a large amount of starch, and the starches - arrowroot, cornstarch, potato starch and tapioca starch. Their purpose is to lighten and help bind the different gluten free flours which lack starch. 

The 'Medium' type flours include sorghum (jowar) flour and brown rice flour. They are the ‘all purpose’ flour substitutes in baking. 

The 'Heavier' type flours include bean (legume) flours, buckwheat, corn meal, millet, nut meals and quinoa. As with using whole wheat flour, when the heavier flours are used baked items tend to be denser, they do not rise very high, they also tend to be darker in colour. Use them in conjunction with a mixture of the above two categories of flours, to make a 'strong' flour substitute for bread flour, etc. 

Knowing the different types of flour to substitute does not really give an understanding of what each flour brings to the 'party'. To help with this I will give more information on each of the gluten free flours mentioned in each category. You can then make a reasoned choice on which textures and flavours work for you. 

When substituting within these flours, use another from the same weight category; balance light, medium and heavy weight to give your perfect mix.  Play around with the different types of flours to get your ideal flour for baking breads, cakes and pastries. You would not use one of the heavier flours in biscuits, but you would need a light  'starch rich' flour in bread, to 'gum' the mixture together.

So make sure that you include a starch in each of the blends, to act as a ‘gum’ to help ‘bind’ the flours together. 

As with many Gluten Free Flours, the final baked product can be drier and crumblier. Add extra oil/fat and eggs to the recipe to counter this. 

Xanthan Gum is usually used as the gluten replacement to add structure to flours. As it is derived from corn starch those intolerant to this medium could use Guar Gum. 

 Most gluten-free flours will require the addition of Xanthan or Guar, which are substitute binders used in baking to compensate for the lack of gluten. They increase dough yield, give greater resiliency, and improve their texture and shelf life. They can also be used to prevent ‘weeping’ of liquid in the filling which helps keep the pastry crust crisp. The amount required will depend on the type of product and how strong the gluten structure needs to be. Breads in particular rely heavily on gluten for their structure, cakes to a lesser extent, and cookies almost none. 

For every half cup (4ozs/100g) of wheat free/gluten-free flour use:

½ teaspoon Xanthan for cakes

1 teaspoon Xanthan for breads or pizza

0 - ½ teaspoon xanthan for most cookies

If using Guar gum it is stronger. so you only require half as much as Xanthan as a gluten substitute in your recipe.

Now lets consider a few of the most commonly available substitutes for wheat flour:

'Light' Flours 

White Rice Flour

is a type of flour produced from grinding polished rice into a powder after the bran and germ have been removed. It is a gluten free flour if processed correctly. 

White rice flour can be used as a thickening agent for sauces and puddings and can be used, in part, to make baked goods like cakes, cookies, and dumplings. 

The 'glutinous' white rice flour is high in starch so will act to 'bind' other substitute flours which are low in starch. It is also high in protein but is low in fiber and minerals. 

Arrowroot

comes from the root of the tropical Arrowroot plant. The plant is dried and ground up to a fine powder. It has about twice the thickening power of regular flour due to its high starch content. 

It is completely flavorless when used. It will not leave a starchy taste in puddings or other dishes. 

Another advantage with Arrowroot, it is often used to aid digestion as it has properties which can soothe the stomach when eaten. This makes Arrowroot a very popular 'binding' ingredient. 

Cornstarch 

is a fine powdery starch that is made from the endosperm of the corn. Cornstarch, also known as Corn flour (UK), is produced by washing and drying the endosperm and grinding it to a fine powder. 

Cornstarch is mostly used as a thickener for sauces, gravies and fruit pie fillings. It has roughly twice the thickening power of flour and thickens very quickly. It is flavourless after cooking, but does need to be cooked for a short period to remove any starchy flavor. It does however leave a slight 'opaqueness' when used to thicken fruit juices. 

If cooked for an extended period of time, or whisked too vigorously, a mixture thickened with cornstarch can 'break'. Since it is a gluten free flour, Cornstarch can help add some structure to baked goods while increasing its tenderness. It appears very often in shortbread recipes where bakers are looking for a very crumbly and soft texture in the finished product. 

Another common way of using cornstarch is by adding a small amount to 'all purpose flour' to make a substitute for cake flour if needed for a high quality cake recipe. 

Tapioca Flour 

is high in starch. It comes from the root of the Green Bough Bitter Cassava, Aipim or Manioc plant. The processed root's starch can be made into powdered Tapioca flour, sticks, pearls and flakes. 

Tapioca flour is super smooth and when cooked goes translucent. Tapioca flour in baking gives a chewy texture to muffins, cakes and biscuits/cookies. Tapioca flour can be used to thicken sauces as it remains translucent and will not discolour. 

As it is high in quality white starch, it is an excellent 'binder' and 'lightener' for other gluten free flours which are low in starch. 

Potato Flour 

is ground up whole cooked potatoes. 

Potato Starch 

is starch processed from cooked potatoes. Potato Flour can be used instead of grain flour during Passover, when grain-based flours and thickeners are prohibited. 

Both products can fulfill the same purpose.  However, Potato Starch is a more 'refined' product and its high starch content is ideal as a 'binder' for other low starch gluten free flours, or used as a flour substitute to thicken sauces.  For baking purposes, Potato Starch is the preferred medium especially in baked items like muffins or cookies. 

Care must be taken in the quantity used as Potato flours will impart their potato flavour if too high a proportion is used in delicate tasting baked goods. 

Avoid replacing all the flour requirements with Potato Starch flour; it absorbs more liquid than wheat flour and so your finished product will turn "gummy" or wet if you replace all the flour. 

Add 5/8 cup of Potato Starch flour to replace the 1 cup of white flour. 

To measure 5/8 cup: measure out 1/2 cup and add 2 tablespoons. 

Potato Starch flour works best when used within a mixture of other flours; this will diminish the potato flavor.

'Medium' Type Flours 

Sorghum Flour

is made from a grain common to Africa and India.  The whole grain kernel is ground into flour and can be used for cooking and baking. Sorghum flour is nutritionally similar to corn but is higher in protein and fat, and lower in Vitamin A.  Sorghum flour can be used to make pancakes, porridge and flat bread; though the best baking results are achieved with a mix of flours.  A good mix for cakes and pastries is Rice Flour and Potato Starch, with Sorghum Flour. 

Sorgum Flour is a tasteless flour which is beneficial when another flavour is prominent, eg Almonds. It is low in starch therefore it needs to be used with high starch flours like Cornflour which will help to bind it. 

Brown Rice Flour 

is made from brown rice and is gluten free as long as it is processed correctly. 

Brown Rice flour has a stronger, nuttier flavour than conventional wheat flours. It does though behave differently from conventional wheat flour when baked; it tends to be more brittle and if not processed 'finer' will leave a gritty texture to the baked goods. 

Use as part of a mixture of flours when substituting for baking. Choosing how much Brown Rice flour to use depends upon which flavours will work best for your recipe. Those recipes which are flavoured with chocolate or nuts can naturally withstand a stronger flavoured substitute flour, like Brown Rice flour.

A benefit to using Brown Rice flour is your baked goods will be high in fiber.

'Heavier' Type Flours 

Bean Flour

is a light flour generally made from Garbanzo and Broad Beans, although there are many other varieties of beans which can be made into flour. All Beans can be made into gluten free flours

Care must be taken in the use of Bean flour as some people cannot tolerate beans in their diet. Bean flour also has a bitter taste. This can be 'masked' by replacing the white sugar with brown sugar or maple syrup in the recipe. You can also combine Bean flour with Sorghum flour to reduce the effects. 

Replace up to one quarter of the flour in any recipe with Bean flour. An advantage to using Bean flours are the high protein levels they bring with them. 

Beans combined with grain form a complete protein which is exceptionally efficient for the body nutritionally. White Bean flour or Fava Bean flour generally works best for baked goods as they have the mildest taste. 

Buckwheat 

is the seed of a plant related to rhubarb. The whole of the seed is ground as it is so small. It has a high nutritional value being high in fiber, amino acids, protein and vitamin B. 

It is especially useful in baked items which don't require the flour to rise, like biscuits, muffins or cookies. 

Buckwheat has a very different taste to wheat flour and has a 'nutty' flavour, so will change the flavour of baked goods. For this reason combine Buckwheat with other flours in your recipe. Only use light Buckwheat flour as dark Buckwheat turns baked goods purple! 

I used it when baking biscuits once. I have got to say, the end result was disgusting......even my hens would not eat it. Perhaps I substituted too much in the recipe? So be careful how much you use!

Corn Meal and Corn Flour 

both come from corn; the only difference in how they are processed; Corn Meal is corn ground to a 'meal', while Corn flour is ground to a fine flour.  This is a different product to Corn Starch/Corn flour(UK), which were discussed in 'light flour' substitutes earlier, they are very high in starch - Corn meal and Corn flour are not.

Corn meal has a sweet flavour and if used gives a 'sandy' texture to Baking.  Corn Meal is also known as Polenta. 

Nut Meals 

are nuts which are ground and can range from course to fine in texture. Any nut can be used in baking, depending upon the 'flavour notes' your recipe requires. 

Nut 'Meals' are usually ground with skins on, while 'flours' are ground with skins off. 'Meals' may leave a grainier texture in baked items. 

Most Nut Meals are high in protein, nutrients, and essential oils. A downside to them is that they are quite fatty. Foods made with Nut Meal tend to be high in calories, rich in taste and expensive! 

All Nut Meals impart a subtle flavour in baking and will enhance any sweet product. 

Use up to a quarter of the flour mix as nut in your recipe, and for a better produce grind fresh for use; roast the nuts first to enhance the flavour.  Nut meal/flour will not keep well due to the high oil content.  Add a little of the other flour from the recipe during processing, or the high oil content could quickly turn the Meal/Flour into a Nut 'Butter'. 

Millet 

is high in nutrition. It contains Niacin, Riboflavin (B2), Thiamin (B1), Magnesium, Potassium, Iron, Phosphorus, Vitamin E, Lecithin and Methionine. Millet is also high in Protein (15%). 

Millet is easy to digest as it does not form acid, and is thought to be the most non-allergenic of all grains. Due to the size of the seed the whole seed is milled. It is best used as part of an alternative flour mix, not on its own. 

Quinoa 

comes from a species of Goosefoot.  The seed is a complete food which contains a balanced set of amino acids. 

Before using Quinoa in its raw state, the seeds must be rinsed extremely well until they no longer taste bitter. It can though be purchased as a flour which has had the 'bitter' element removed. It is best used as part of a multi-grain mix. 

Use Quinoa Flour within three months as the high fat and oil content will make it go rancid quickly, especially if not stored properly. 

In Conclusion 

Above are a few of the most popular wheat flour substitutes, there are many more.  Dependent upon the use required for your substitute flour mix, and the flavour 'notes' you wish to impart is how you decide upon the mix.  You must though make sure a starch is added in whichever category you are baking; be it for bread, cakes or cookies.  This is necessary to 'gum' the flours together.  Otherwise, your baked item may crumble before your very eyes.  Do not forget to add in your gluten substitute: Xanthan, or Guar Gum, or no rise will hold up once your baking is removed from the oven.

More on substitute ingredients in baking later.

Until the next time, adios Amigos

From sunny Almeria Province, Spain. X