At my short talk at the inaugural Free From Festival I referred to the fact that there are more gluten free flours in the world than flours than contain gluten!  I talked about a few of the most popular flours, but a few people asked for my more detailed notes so I thought I’d post them here.

One point that I made was the importance for those on a gluten free diet to include wholegrain flours in their diet.  At first, a gf diet tends to be naturally lacking in fibre as one removes brown bread, wholewheat flour etc but once you realise that there are such things as gluten free wholegrain flours, you have no excuse not to add them.

Normal, gluten containing whole grains are very high in gluten and this is what makes wholegrain breads so dense and heavy.  The flours are tricky to use without activating the gluten and ended up with something you could use as a doorstep! However GF whole grains are light – so you can have the goodness without the heaviness of gluten wholegrain flours.

Gluten Free Girl Shauna Ahern suggests making up a wholegrain flour mix that is  70% whole grains to 30% starches.  Chose any mix of wholegrains that appeals to you and that you can source, and any starches.  Experiment!

For most general gluten free baking you will always want at least 3 flours – a starch to do the holding, a whole grain for the nutrition and then a third one for the flavour or particular attribute for whatever you are baking. Always sift your flours – it really truly makes a difference.  Gluten free flours are fine, but any that are high in protein tend to clump.  Add any xanthum, baking powder or salt to the flour, mix well (a hand whisk is ideal) and then sift.  Remember when baking you can’t overmix in the sense of activating gluten (which makes things chewy).

Wholegrain flours in particular are high in protein and fat and therefore go rancid quickly. Store them in the fridge in a sealed container to extend their shelf life.

Flour Notes

Almond flour

Made from blanched, skinned sweet almonds. High in protein and fat and so adds moisture to baked goods.

Amaranth flour

Wholegrain. Slightly malty flavour, adds softness. Made from the ground seeds of the amaranth plant.  If used in bread, the flour needs to be combined with another type of flour in order for the bread to rise. Very high in protein – 150 grams of amaranth provides an adult with 150 percent of the daily recommended protein intake

Arrowroot flour

In the UK we’re used to seeing this on the shelf along with baking powder and bicarb.  However this fine, makes a clear gel, great for thickening.

Buckwheat flour

Wholegrain. Comes from the rhubarb family. High in fiber, amino acids, protein, niacin, and vitamin B.  Used a lot in Russian cuisine and also famously known for making the French galettes.

Chickpea flour
Chickpea flour (also sold as gram flour, garbanzo flour, or besan flour) is made from ground chickpeas. It has a strong flavour that not everyone likes. It has a higher protein value than other flours, and in equal parts to water can be used as an egg substitute in vegan cooking. I use it particularly as a batter for deep fried food.

Chestnut flour

Adds great taste and texture to breads. Make sure you source a gluten free supplier.

Coconut flour

This has the highest fiber content of any flour.  It sucks up moisture so when adding coconut flour an equal portion of water should be added e.g. ½ cup of coconut flour would require you to add an additional ½ cup of water to the recipe

Cornflour

Cornflour is milled from corn into a fine, white powder. It has a bland taste and is usually used with at least one other flour that will add flavour.  It is also ideal for fine batters such as tempura.

Millet flour

Wholegrain. Not just bird seed, millet is a great grain and makes a great flour.  Not to be used on its own, needs another flour at least to help hold structure.  Some suggest that it may impair thyroid function so if you suffer from hypothyroidism you wouldn’t want to have more than one or two portions a day, and not really every day.  Adds a great crumb to baked products.

Oat flour

High in fiber but goes rancid quickly so this is another one that needs storing in the fridge.  The whole oat is usually ground to make flour, keeping the nutritional value of the oats in the final flour.  A nutty taste that adds density to baked goods, giving a chewy texture to muffins.  You can also freeze it.

Potato flour and Potato Starch Flour
True Potato flour is NOT the same as potato starch flour. Confusing as internet recipes that say potato flour normally mean potato starch flour.  Actual Potato flour has a strong potato flavour and is a heavy flour so a little goes a long way and does not have a very long shelf life. It is not used as main flour in baking as it would absorb too much liquid.  Potato Starch is a very fine flour with a bland taste, that is made by removing the potato peel, making a slurry with water, then dehydrated to form Potato Starch. Potato Starch doesn’t absorb much water unless it is heated. So for example, it will make an excellent gravy if heated with liquid in a saucepan.  I use potato starch to coat meat when cooking Chinese.  Season the flour well, add some ground Szechuan pepper if you have it, and simply dredge your meat before deep frying it adding it to your cooked sauce before serving.

Quinoa flour

Wholegrain  Very high in protein. Also very high in dietary fibre making it a good addition to a gluten free diet. Savoury. Not usually used on its own as it can make things gluey or sticky – but you can use this characteristic carefully in things like pasta.

Rice flour

White rice flour is milled from polished white rice so it is very bland in taste, and not particularly nutritious but its ideal for recipes that require a light texture. It can be used on its own for a variety of recipes and has a reasonable shelf life, as long as it is stored in an airtight container to avoid it absorbing moisture from the air.

Brown rice flour has a nutty flavour and is more nutritious is it is made from the whole grain (just with the inedible outer husk removed).  Like other whole grain flours, brown rice flour can go rancid very quickly, because of the natural fats and oils in the grain. It should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container.

Sweet rice flour is also called glutinous rice flour – though it contains no gluten.  The flour is principally starch plus a small amount of protein.  I add a few tablespoons of it to any batter mix for extra crunch.  I’ve been unable to source a gluten free sweet rice flour in the UK so I buy glutinous rice and grind my own in my spice grinder.

Soya flour

Made from grinding roasted yellow soya beans. High in protein and needs storing in the fridge or will also last in the freezer for up to a year.  You can increase its nutty flavour by lightly toasting the flour before using.  Use as a thickener or utilise it’s high protein content to add moistness to baked goods.  It can make them brown quicker though so you may need to bake at a reduced temperature. You can also use it as an egg substitute – one tablespoon of soya flour to one tablespoon of water.

Sorghum flour

Wholegrain. You may never have heard of sorghum but this is one of the top staple grains in the world, especially prevelant in arid countries as it is highly drought resistant.  Slightly sweet but fairly neutral and takes on other flavours well.  A popular substitution for wheat flour.

Tapioca flour/cassava flour

Sometimes you can find tapioca flour sold as cassava flour in Africa shops but this may not be guaranteed gluten free due to cross contamination – when in doubt contact the manufacturer. As well as being used in standard gluten free flour mixes, tapioca is a good choice for thickening pie fillings, since it thickens at a lower temperature than cornstarch, remains stable when frozen and because it produces a clear gel.

Teff flour

Wholegrain.  Teff is the finest grain in the world (one kernel of wheat is equal in size to 150 grains of teff) that almost melts during cooking. Cooked teff is not gelatinous and adds body to puddings and pastries. It’s a good thickener for soups, stews and gravies. Teff is mild and has a slightly molasses-like sweetness.