Flour Power

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Flour Power

Source: Allrecipes.com

 

There are so many different kinds of flour that it can be downright

intimidating. Just go to your local health food store and you will

experience a sense of panic as you peruse the aisles.

 

Potato Starch Flour

This is a gluten-free thickening agent that is perfect for cream-based

soups and sauces. Mix a little with water first, then substitute

potato starch flour for flour in your recipe, but cut the amount in

half. It can be purchased in a health food store.

 

Tapioca Flour

This is a light, white, very smooth flour that comes from the cassava

root. It makes baked goods impart a nice chewy taste. Use it in

recipes where a chewy texture would be desirable. It would work nicely

in bread recipes such as white bread or French bread. It is also

easily combined with cornstarch and soy flour. It can be purchased in

a health food store.

 

Soy Flour

This nutty tasting flour has a high protein and fat content. It is

best when used in combination with other flours and for baking

brownies, or any baked goods with nuts or fruit. It can be purchased

in a health food store.

 

Cornstarch

This is a refined starch that comes from corn. It is mostly used as a

clear thickening agent for puddings, fruit sauces and Asian cooking.

It is also used in combination with other flours for baking. It can be

purchased in a health food store.

 

Corn Flour

This flour is milled from corn and can be blended with cornmeal to

make cornbread or muffins. It is excellent for waffles or pancakes. It

can be purchased in a health food store.

 

Cornmeal

This is ground corn that comes from either yellow or white meal. This

is often combined with flours for baking. It imparts a strong corn

flavor that is delicious in pancakes, waffles, or simple white cakes.

It can be purchased in a health food store.

 

White Rice Flour

This is an excellent basic flour for gluten-free baking. It is milled

from polished white rice. Because it has such a bland flavor, it is

perfect for baking, as it doesn't impart any flavors. It works well

with other flours. White rice flour is available in most health food

stores, but also in Asian markets. At the Asian markets it is sold in

different textures. The one that works the best is called fine

textured white rice flour.

 

Brown Rice Flour

This flour comes from unpolished brown rice. It has more food value

because it contains bran. Use it in breads, muffins, and cookies. It

can be purchased in a health food store.

 

Kamut and Spelt Flours

These are ancient forms of wheat. While they aren't appropriate for

gluten-free diets, they are excellent substitutes for plain wheat

flour as they add wonderful flavor and consistency.

 

Substituting Gluten

 

Wheat flour contains gluten, which keeps cookies, cakes and pies from

getting crumbly and falling apart. It is what makes baked goods have a

good texture because it traps pockets of air. This creates a lovely

airy quality that most baked goods possess when baked with traditional

wheat flour. In order to help retain this structure when using

non-wheat flours, gluten substitutes must be added to a gluten-free

flour mixture. For each cup of gluten-free flour mix, add at least 1

teaspoon of gluten substitute. Here are three very good substitutes

for gluten.

 

Xanthum Gum

This comes from the dried cell coat of a microorganism called

Zanthomonas campestris. It is formulated in a laboratory setting. This

works well as a gluten substitution in yeast breads along with other

baked goods. You can purchase it in health food stores.

 

Guar Gum

This is a powder that comes from the seed of the plant Cyamopsis

tetragonolobus. It is an excellent gluten substitute and it is

available in health food stores.

 

Pre-gel Starch

This is an acceptable gluten substitute. It helps keep baked goods

from being too crumbly. This, too can be purchased at most health food

stores.

 

Substitution is the solution

If you are ready to try some recipes, start with recipes that use

relatively small amounts of wheat flour like brownies or pancakes.

These turn out lovely and the difference in taste is minimal. Here are

two gluten-free flour mixtures that are suitable for substituting

wheat flour cup for cup.

 

Gluten-Free Flour Mixture I

1/4 cup soy flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1/2 cup brown rice flour

 

Gluten-Free Flour Mixture II

6 cups white rice flour

2 cups potato starch

1 cup tapioca flour

 

Keep these flour mixtures stored in containers at room temperature.

Having them on hand will simplify your baking routine. The above

mixtures can be doubled or tripled.

 

Another option is to purchase a gluten-free flour mixture at a health

food store. This really takes the guesswork out of substitutions. This

flour mixture can usually substitute wheat flour cup for cup, but read

the package directions to be sure.

 

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[Guest guest]

Pre-gel Starch

This is an acceptable gluten substitute. It helps keep baked goods

from being too crumbly. This, too can be purchased at most health food

stores.

 

 

Hi,

 

Do you know what pre-gel is made from? I haven't seen it before. I'm

also intollerant to corn and wheat and diary and soy.

 

Thanks for the info.

Becky