Gluten-free flour is flour that doesn’t comprise gluten, a protein present in grains like wheat, barley, and rye.
In baking, gluten acts as a binder that helps meals maintain their form, provides elasticity, and helps dough rise.
Think about a baguette, with an oven-crisp crust on the surface and a chewy, craggy center.
Gluten traps fuel bubbles throughout fermentation, which provides that baguette its distinctive texture. With out gluten, bakers usually depend on a mix of various gluten-free flours to attain the identical outcomes.
Do you want gluten-free flour in your weight loss program? It relies upon.
“Except you’ve gotten celiac illness or a real gluten sensitivity, there will not be profit in eliminating it,” says Frances Arnold, R.D., proprietor of Namaste Nutritionist.
Preserve studying for all of the need-to-know particulars about gluten-free flours.
1. Rice flour
Probably the most widespread gluten-free flour substitutes, brown rice or white rice flour is gluten-free naturally.
This delicate, neutral-tasting flour is good for baking, in pancakes, and as a coating for rooster or fish.
Mix rice flour with one of many higher-protein flours listed right here so as to add construction.
2. Bean flour
Dense, sturdy, and stuffed with fiber, bean flours are widespread in gluten-free pastas. Use chickpea flour in baked items like gluten-free pumpkin spice donuts, tortillas, or pizza.
Black beans pair surprisingly properly with chocolate and the bitter notes of espresso.
3. Lentil flour
Milled from sprouted or unsprouted crimson, yellow, inexperienced, or brown lentils, this gluten-free flour imparts a gentle, nutty taste.
It’s additionally a wonderful supply of protein (26 grams per 100-gram serving) and iron (6 mg), in addition to supply of potassium, with 686 milligrams of that important mineral.
When baked, it could add a nice crispy-crackle best for gluten-free crackers.
4. Pea flours
Inexperienced pea flour and pea flour are excessive in protein and just like bean flour in how they carry out and style.
The protein content material provides construction, however utilizing an excessive amount of might give your masterpiece a inexperienced hue — good for Frankenstein or shamrock cookies however not a lot on a regular basis breads and cookies.
5. Corn flour and starch
Corn is incredible in tortillas, cornbread, pizza crusts, corn muffins, and Johnny muffins.
You too can use cornstarch as a thickener in gravy, soup, or stir-fry sauces rather than flour. Go for fantastic cornmeal for baking, and save the coarser grits and polenta for a gluten-free aspect dish.
6. Millet and quinoa flours
These powerhouses add construction, so that you would possibly be capable of skip different binding components.
Millet has a extra impartial taste than quinoa, which may style just a little bitter to some palates. The answer? Toast the quinoa earlier than you grind it, suggests Alyssa Rimmer, a meals blogger at Merely Quinoa.
7. Oat flour
Oats and oat flour make the long-lasting cookie with raisins and a kiss of cinnamon, and it’s straightforward to grind your personal at dwelling.
You merely grind oats right into a powder in a blender or meals processor. Oat flour is fluffy, so combine it with a few of the heavier flours for a extra balanced texture.
Notice when shopping for oat flour: Whereas oats are naturally gluten-free, they’re usually uncovered to gluten-containing grains throughout processing.
Search for licensed gluten-free oats if that’s a priority.
8. Teff flour
A staple in Ethiopian diets, teff is a grain that’s a wonderful supply of protein (13 grams per 10-gram serving!), fiber (8 grams), and calcium (180 milligrams).
It provides a nutty notice to cookies, biscotti, muffins, fast breads, and injera, an Ethiopian spongy fermented flatbread.
9. Nut flours
Coconut and almond flours are the most well-liked flours on this class, they usually’re keto-friendly.
You need to use 100% nut flours when baking, however the greater fats and protein content material can yield dense outcomes. Mix small quantities nut flours with different flours.
Almond flour is among the components in our favourite gluten-free banana bread.
10. Sorghum flour
Just like wheat, this flour is dense in protein and is available in crimson and white varieties. Use in pancakes, breads, muffins, cookies, or spice cake.
11. Cassava flour
All the craze in paleo merchandise, cassava flour is gluten-, grain-, and nut-free and comprised of the cassava root.
It’s a higher-carb flour, so it wouldn’t be best for keto recipes. Mix with almond flour to make killer grain-free tortillas.
12. Potato flour and starch
Potato flour is a fantastic powder comprised of dehydrated potatoes that may substitute gums in gluten-free baking.
Don’t overdo it although — add 2–4 tablespoons per recipe to keep away from gumminess. Potato starch can be utilized as a 1:1 substitution for cornstarch.
13. Seed flours
Flaxseed, chia seed, and hemp seed make nutrient-dense flour and thickener choices.
Chia bloats when suspended in liquid, which is why it makes an excellent gum-free binder.
Hemp comprises all important amino acids, however take into account that the flour will be gritty.
Gluten-Free Baking Ideas
Gluten-free baking requires extra precision than baking with wheat flour. Gluten-free flours and mixes usually comprise a combo of various sorts.
Larger-protein ones add construction however can yield a dense product. Beans, starches, and oats contribute totally different tastes and textures.
Nut flours are greater in protein and fats, in order that they burn extra simply. When utilizing them, cut back the temperature by 25–50 levels Fahrenheit.
Arnold additionally recommends protecting with aluminum foil till the ultimate 10 minutes to keep away from over-browning.
Gluten-free flours may additionally require using a binding agent — the most typical being xanthan gum.
To keep away from gums, substitute psyllium husk, floor flax, or chia.
The following tips may assist:
- Measure gluten-free flour fastidiously. Many kinds of gluten-free flour can get dense. Attempt a meals scale for extra precision.
- Combine your dough and batters totally and allow them to relaxation. After mixing, cowl the bowl with a clear towel and let it relaxation for half-hour to thicken.
- Depend on urged bake or cook dinner time vs. the toothpick technique. Let baked items relaxation earlier than slicing to provide the starches time to set and agency.