GF Flours and Starches - Uses

Over the few years I've worked with Gluten Free Flours I've tried to gather information about them and how well they do in different applications.  There are more Flours out there that I don't have listed here, but these are the ones I find used most offend in recipes.


Amaranth Flour
  • Nutty. I've heard it’s mild and I've heard it’s spicy. I haven’t tried it yet, but maybe it depends on the brand.
  • Excellent for baking ...great when combined with Aquino and Arrowroot starch also good combined with white buckwheat.
  • Fair for breading
  • Fair for thickening
  • Storage – Refrigeration

Arrowroot
  • Flavorless
  • Excellent for baking.
  • Great for breading ... add seasoning/other GF flours for taste
  • Excellent for thickening. ...use like cornstarch. Dissolve in cool liquid and add to boiling water ... don't cook over 5 minutes. Over cooking results in it loosing thickening ability
  • Storage – Airtight Container, Cool, Dark Place

Bean Flours / Lentils
  • Flavor is moderate
  • Excellent for baking. Watch out, can take over the taste
  • Poor for breading
  • Poor for thickening
  • Storage – Refrigeration

Brown Rice Flour
  • Mild flavor
  • Excellent for baking… 7/8 c. of brown rice flour equivalent to 1 c. of wheat flour
  • Not great for breading.
  • Satisfactory for thickening
  • Storage – Refrigeration

Buckwheat Dark
  • Dark Strong characteristic flavor
  • Fair for baking with other flours.
  • Good for breading
  • Poor for thickening
  • Storage – Refrigeration
* Watch out ... commercial buckwheat MAY contain wheat. Verify gluten free

Buckwheat White
  • Mild and mellow taste. Totally different from dark
  • Excellent for baking ... tendency to dryness.
  • Excellent for breading
  • Bad for thickening
  • Storage – Refrigeration

Chickpea (Garbanzo) Flour
  • Tastes like Hummus (I've never had Hummus)…Blends well with other flours
  • Excellent for baking
  • Fair for breading
  • Excellent for thickening.
  • Storage – Refrigeration

Coconut Flour
  • Sweet tasting
  • Excellent for baking. Especially good in cakes, muffins, and cookies. May need to adjust oil content to account for oiliness of coconut.
  • Poor for breading by itself
  • Poor for thickening
  • Storage – Airtight, cool, dark place.
*Coconut Flakes: Same as coconut flour

Cornstarch

  •          Flavorless
  •          Excellent for baking with other flours, adds fluffiness & lightness
  •          Good for breading
  •          Excellent for Thickening
  •          Storage – Airtight, cool, dark place

Millet
  • Mild flavor
  • Excellent for baking. Helps give body to your cookies, cakes and breads
  • Satisfactory for breading
  • Poor for thickening
  • Storage – Airtight, cool, dark place. 
* I've heard it can have a bitter after taste. I’ve used it for bread and never noticed it myself.

Nut flours
  • Excellent flavor -roasting makes even more flavorful
  • Excellent for breading
  • Excellent for baking ... up to 25 percent
  • Cashews can thicken well

*Can be pricey. Reduce oil in recipe slightly to account for high oil content of nut flour

Potato Flour
  • Bland, potato flavor
  • Fair for baking. Combines well with brown rice flour to add body to cookie dough
  • Not suitable for breading
  • Can be used for some thickening but not desirable.
  • Storage – Refrigeration

Potato Starch
  • Bland
  • Good for baking. Needs eggs, baking powder and other leavening.
  • Good for breading
  • Poor for thickening ... turns to glue
  • Storage – Airtight, cool, dark place

Quinoa Flour
  • Flavor has a nutty/grassy taste
  • Good for baking when flour is FRESH. Baked goods can be dry
  • Poor for breading
  • Poor for thickening
  • Storage – Airtight, cool, dark place
*If flour is ground from unwashed seeds ... bitter taste will result.

Sorghum
  • It’s has a heavy sweet taste
  • Excellent for baking. Best tasting when used in combination with tapioca, bean flours and starch.
  • Fair for breading
  • Poor for thickening
  • Storage - Refrigeration

Sweet Rice
  • Is bland and gritty
  • Excellent for baking. Use very little in recipes. Nice in cakes and cookies.
  • Poor for breading
  • Excellent for thickening
  • Storage – Airtight, cool, dark place

Tapioca Starch
  • Flour Silky and flavorless
  • Excellent for baking
  • Very good for breading
  • Excellent for thickening. Dissolve in cold water. Don't leave on heat after it thickens; use as cornstarch.
  • Storage – Airtight, cool, dark place
*Don't confuse tapioca starch with tapioca granules used to make pudding/pies.

Teff Flour
  • Flavor is sweet, grassy
  • Good for baking - especially brownies, cakes and pancakes. Not great with yeast.
  • Fair for breading
  • Poor for thickening.
*Very low in fat, and will dry quickly if over baked. High Nutritionally!
*MUST VERIFY from a GLUTEN FREE SOURCE ... many cross contamination issues.

White Rice
  • Flavor is bland, but inexpensive.
  • Good for baking and combines well with tapioca, potato starch and cornstarch. Is best suited for cakes and cookies.
  • Poor for breading.
  • Poor for thickening.
  • Storage – Airtight, cool, dark place






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