Gluten Free Flour Basics

This post is bookmarked under the tab "Ingredient Notes" for easy reference.

Revised 2/24/14

     To understand baking with gluten free flours you have to first understand what gluten does in baking because this is a characteristic that is being eliminated. 

     1. Structure: gluten is a protein that forms in wheat flour when the flour and water are combined. Gluten doesn't even exist until flour becomes wet. Water coaxes two different wheat proteins to combine and form gluten. These form a web like structure or building blocks that support the dough.

     2. Elasticity: The higher the protein content in flour the more elastic the dough will be. Gluten gives elasticity, allowing doughs to be stretched or tossed without falling apart.

     3. Proofing: Gluten proteins are broken down when kneaded, creating a web like structure of doughy bands. These bands help capture air bubbles that form when yeast gives off carbon dioxide. This expands dough, giving it rise and helps achieve fluffy, full texture when baked.

     Gluten or flour protein aides in giving higher rise to baked goods, provides structure and makes baked items lighter. Using gluten free flours is a challenge when baking items like cake where you want a light, airy texture or a bread dough that you want soft and chewy. Without the gluten other additives need to be added to the flour that can hold the gas bubbles. For gluten free baking this can be done with xanthan gum, guar gum or eggs. The gums or eggs work with other ingredients like yeast, baking powder or baking soda to help the dough or batter rise.

     Adding xanthum gum or guar gum to your gluten free flour mix helps replace some of the characteristic of gluten. You can’t replicate exactly what gluten does but these additions will help bind the ingredients, trap gas bubbles, giving some sponge and stretch to baked goods. I have been using xanthum gum successfully but I would like to try other options since xanthum gum is made from a corn sugar. If you have a corn allergy or are sensitive to the gums then you will want to use other binders. I have read that in some recipes but not all, you can use chia seed, flax seed meal and psyllium husk instead of the gums. Arrowroot, agar agar and potato flour are other suggested substitutions. What I have not been able to find is what amounts you would need to use in replacement of the gums. I'm going to keep working with the xanthum gum for now and hopefully I can find the answer I am looking for in regards to the amount to use for the other options. Right now I have enough kitchen experimenting and recipe adjustments going on and not interested in tweaking the gums just yet.

Update- Haven't tried this yet but here is a suggestion for an alternative to xanthan gum which suggests how much to use. From the Gluten Free Doctor- Pixie Dust Xanthan Gum Replacer (scroll down the page)

     In my quest for achieving delicious, healthier, gluten free baked alternatives, I find it best to just forget what I already know about baking. Baking is about precise measurements and chemical reactions so I find it more helpful to get acquainted with my new baking ingredients and learn new ways for achieving the baking characteristics desired. The fact that I am not going to be able to recreate the soft, spongy, elastic quality of gluten does not deter me. I like a good challenge but am not trying to recreate exact version of wheat baked goods. I just can’t have the same expectations. I think gluten free flours exchange pretty well in whole wheat recipes. Like whole wheat recipes, they tend to be denser and grainer in texture. In other words, they do well with hearty baked goods. It is the delicate pastries and cakes that baker's will most feel disappointed if they are trying to recreate the wheat flour versions. I'll say it again, you have to let go of expectations and comparisons. Embrace the characteristics and qualities of gluten free flours and you will be a happy baker!

     If you are only having to adjust one ingredient in a recipe then I think you have it made easy! In addition to working with gluten free flours, my baking science goes to another realm of scientific experimenting by also eliminating dairy, eggs, and using various sweeteners. For this reason, I will only offer a suggestion for a substitute in a recipe if I know it will work. Otherwise, feel free to do your own experimenting with ingredient substitutions.

     For this post, I will just focus on gluten free flour options that I use. I will address other substitutes for eggs, dairy, fats and sweeteners in additional posts. Gluten free baking is about choosing a combination of ingredients. Using only one type of flour cannot provide the desired characteristics for many baking items. You will need a combination of protein flours and starches when baking gluten free. Each gluten free flour has a different property, one may strengthen dough, another tenderizes or add moisture. Wheat flour has all of these characteristics. I realize that there are examples of gluten free baking that work with using a single flour, such as almond meal. I see this in 'Paleo' baking. These recipes rely on eggs, lots of eggs, to support the dough and for me that is not an option. I can successfully use an alternative for 1 or 2 eggs in a recipe, beyond that and I am looking at more recipe tweaking or a disaster. That is why in my recipes I am working with a variety of gluten free flours that work best without eggs. 

     Here are my choices for gluten free flour and starch options. This is not all of the gluten free options but rather the ones I choose for nutritional value and baking characteristics.

Gluten Free Flours and Starches

Grains & Seed:

These flours can be interchanged in a recipe but will alter the recipe slightly.

brown rice (Use sparingly as it can cause baked items to taste gritty)

sorghum (I use superfine white sorghum from Authentic Foods)

teff

These flours can not be interchanged in a recipe and have strong flavors. They should be used in small amounts, no more than 1/3 of a flour mix. Because of their strong flavor,  I would choose to only use one of these in a recipe and balance the strong flavor out with one of the neutral flours listed above.

amaranth

millet

quinoa

These are also gluten free flours but may not be tolerated by someone with an allergy or celiac disease-

Golden Masa Harina (corn)

Oat (certified GF oats) I do not have sensitivity to oats so I use oats in my baking. I look for certified GF oats so that my kitchen remains completely wheat free as I cook for others that have a wheat allergy. Oats themselves are gluten free. The issue with needing them to be gluten free certified has to do with cross contamination with wheat in facilities that are processing and packaging the oats. This is a real concern for persons with celiacs disease or who have a wheat allergy.

Nut Meals: avoid if you have a nut allergy. These are good low glycemic, healthy baking options.

Coconut

Almond meal and blanched almond flour  

Bean Flours: I only work with one bean flour, there are others such as soy, fava or a blend of garbanzo and fava. Bean flours are high protein flours but also have strong flavor so best to use in a savory item or rich flavors like chocolate and use in smaller quantity when baking. If you don't like the strong flavor, you can balance it with a neutral flour.

Garbanzo- also called chickpea, besan, or channa

Starches: 

Root flours-

   Potato starch

   Tapioca starch (or cassava)

   Arrowroot

   Cornstarch (avoid if you have corn allergy or are concerned with corn as a GMO food)

White rice flour is a a gluten free option for a starch but equivalent in nutrition to white flour, which I don't choose for baking. 

     Okay, if you are just starting out with gluten free baking, you are probably feeling overwhelmed with this list and just as overwhelmed when you go to the store. Believe me, it will all become second nature to you with time. Be patient with the process of getting acquainted with new ingredients.

Here are my suggestions for a simple starter kit:

Choose two (or three) grain flours- brown rice, sorghum or teff . These are healthy, neutral tasting, medium weight grains to start with.  (I prefer sorghum or teff flour as my first choices)

Choose two starches- potato and tapioca (these are my first choice for a starter but if you have an allergy to either then pick a different starch.)

Choose two binders- xanthum gum and ground flaxseed meal (which I also use as an egg replacer)

From here you can add a new flour, one at a time, experiment with it and see how you like it. For most gluten free baker's the flour combinations used become a personal preference in taste, texture and nutritional balance.

Storing Gluten Free Flours

How to store gluten free flours depends on the flour type. White rice flour and starches can be stored in air tight containers, in a cool, dry environment.

My Ancient Harvest Quinoa flour is the only flour I have seen that actually says on the package to store in the refrigerator after opening. According to the Whole Grains Council, whole grain flours and meals will spoil more quickly because their protective bran has been broken and oxygen can reach all parts of the grain causing them to spoil (go rancid). If kept in an air tight container, then they should be able to keep 1 to 3 months, stored in a cool, dry place, out of sunlight, like a pantry. For 2-6 months they can be stored in the freezer. Heat, air and moisture are the enemies of whole grains and this is what will cause them to spoil or go rancid.

I have been okay with having most of my flours stored in my pantry. I do keep the almond meal, coconut, millet, quinoa , brown rice flours in my refrigerator, along with flaxseed meal. I really do not have the space to place them all in the refrigerator or freezer so I don’t buy them in bulk or large sizes. You may want to use a permanent marker to mark the date you purchased your flours as well as note the sell by date on the package. If you use certain flours regularly it should be safe to keep on a pantry shelf for 1-2 months if the temperature is cool.

I suggest that any flours you do not use regularly or have high oil content like brown rice, amaranth, millet, nut and bean flours be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Whole grains and flours should smell faintly sweet or have no aroma at all. If you detect a musty or unpleasant scent then the flour has probably gone bad.

Measuring Flour

1. Scoop and level- This is a common way for most home bakers but not the most dependable method for consistent results. Use a spoon or whisk to stir the flour in the container to loosen and lift it up. Then take the spoon and scoop the flour into a ‘dry measuring cup’ until it is over flowing. Use a knife with a straight edge and slide it across the top edge of the measuring cup to level off the flour.

     Scooping directly into the flour, then levelling with a knife, will give you a denser measurement of flour than pre-stirring the flour and scooping with a spoon. For some recipes this way of loose measuring will not affect the final outcome, for others though it is an inconsistent method for measuring and not desirable. 

2. A more accurate way to measure flour for consistent baking results is to use a digital kitchen scale. This is especially important with gluten free flours since the serving size and weights of each flour varies. For example, 1/4 cup of brown rice flour is 40 grams weighed and 1/4 cup of sorghum flour is 34 grams weighed. Baking is about precise measurements so buy a scale if you want consistent results! It will save you money in the long run because you won’t be throwing out failed attempts.

     I like to double sift my flour to ensure the flours, starches and xanthan gum get thoroughly combined. After measuring each flour I add them to a bowl then stir with a fork or whisk. Then I use a wire strainer and sift the flour into my mixing bowl.

Here are a few Gluten Free Flour Charts. One is on Flour Measurements and Weights.

Flour Blends

     I have worked with a few store bought all purpose flour mixes because I like the convenience and it was cost effective while I built up my individual flours. If you are baking for a family then it is more economical to buy larger quantities, as long as you can properly store them. I like to have the individual flours on hand for additional customizing of a recipe or creating something from scratch on my own. My preferred all purpose blends are Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Flour Blend and King Arthur’s Multi-PurposeFlour. You may find other brand options if ordering from internet sources or at your grocery store. I would make sure they are sources that are truly certified gluten free and look to see that they include a balance of healthy grains and starches. 

Note: Check to see if your gluten free flour blend includes xanthan or guar gum. If so, you will not need to add any additional that may be called for in a recipe. I actually found I prefer the mixes without the gums added because I can't control the amount of gum being used in a recipe.

A few benefits to using premade all-purpose gluten free flours:

1. You will not be doing a lot of gluten free baking or only bake occasionally for a guest.

2. You are just starting with gluten free baking and find it too expensive to go out and buy all the individual flours for starting up.

3. You are just too busy and need something convenient to work with.

A few benefits to making your own custom flour blend:

1. You will know the exact ratio of grains to starches used.

2. You can adapt a blend to work best with different baked goods, like a bread flour mix or a cake mix.

3. You can change the taste of your flour blend by using different flours. Who wants all their baked items to taste the same?

Creating your own custom gluten free flour blend:

     I am not going to suggest a recipe here for my all-purpose gluten free flour mix because I do not have one. I have tried to make one but found that I prefer to customize my flours for each recipe. If you are interested in trying to create an all purpose flour blend here are some sources I have found on the internet and in cookbooks.

Here are two flour ratio combinations that I like:

1. Tammi Credicott, author of The Healthy Gluten-Free Life, suggests taking half the amount of wheat flour called for in a recipe and divide it in half. Replace half with one or two gluten free flours (grain, seed, bean or nut) and replace the other half with starches. This would be a ratio of 50% whole grain and 50% starch.

She points out that not all starches are the same so it can be tricky using any starch or one starch alone. A combination of starch works best. For example, potato starch will give lift and lightness, tapioca starch will create lift, chew and crumb so which one to chose or combining the two, depends on what you are making. You will need to play around with the actual starch ratio.

2. Gluten Free Girl, Shauna James Ahem, suggests 70% whole grain and 30% starch or white flour. 

I think these are two great ratio suggestions and a good starting place for an all-purpose flour blend. I like the idea of pushing the whole grain as far as you can with the 70/30 ratio in a recipe but some consideration has to be given to the characteristic of the baked good you are trying to achieve. 

Using the flours suggested in the starter kit above here are two examples using the ratio blends.

50/50

50% Whole Grain: 1/2 cup sorghum, 1/4 cup brown rice, 1/4 cup teff

50% Starch: 1/2 cup potato starch, 1/2 cup tapioca starch

This would make 2 cups of an all purpose flour blend. You would not add the binder yet because the amount of binder needed would depend on the recipe.

70/30 - you will need a scale for this one :-) 

70% Whole Grain: 700 grams (2.96 cups), a mix of whole grain flours totalling these measurements

30% Starch: 300 grams (1.27 cups)

This makes 1000 grams or 4.23 cups 

Note: this one is a challenge for me to figure out in some recipes so I like to go with 2/3 whole grains, 1/3 starches.

Here are a few more resources with recipes for making gluten free flour mixes.  

all-purpose blend  from gluten free girl

all-purpose whole grain flour mix from gluten free girl

several flour blends and some very helpful baking tips from glutten free goddess

several flour blend recipes (scroll down page) from Living Without

Also from Living Without, a question/answer page, scroll down for a "Bisquick" mix.

gluten free whole grain flour blend from About.com-gluten free cooking 

Note- this makes a large quantity, 8 cups. You can half the recipe for a smaller batch.

self rising cake flour blend from gluten free recipe box

pizza dough and flour blends from to much time on my hands blog

whole grain flour mix from Gluten Free Baking for Dummies

pizza crust recipe from Bob's Red Mill- this is an easy recipe I have success with and use a flaxseed egg replacer.