Here Are Your Flour Choices
There are many things to consider when choosing gluten free flours.
* The glycemic index is a concern if you are diabetic, a celiac or just trying to lose weight.
* If you are allergic to other things as well.
* There is taste to consider. Not all flours taste the same to everyone.
* Whole grain. We all know it is healthier to eat whole grain. If it is important to you, you would choose whole grain flours.
* How a mix performs for you. Not all mixes are the same. You have to find one that is right for you.
* Digestion problems. People do not tolerate are flours well.
* Affordability. Some flours are very expensive. Since I own my own wheat grinder I grind my own brown rice flour and save a bundle. You can buy brown basmati rice anywhere they sell bulk foods. Try Asian markets as well.
* Availability. Sometimes you just can’t find the flours that a recipe calls for. That is where online shopping comes in handy, but now we are back to affordability again. I would rather tell a store manager what I need and see if he will get it for me. Remember if you want to buy it they want to be the one to sell it to you.
Sorghum Flour
This has become very popular gluten free flour and is ground from the seeds of the Sorghum plant. On the farm this was grown with the corn. The dairy farmers would harvest the sorghum and corn together, chop it and put it in a sloping pit, cover it with black plastic and pile old tires on top. In winter the plastic would be peeled back and the steam that rose off the top smelled sweet and earthy. It is called corn silage and the farmers serve this warm mixture to the dairy cows, who love it. The sorghum has a sweet nutty flavor and adds texture to gluten free bread.
Sweet Rice Flour
I buy brown basmati rice and grind it fine, unless I am making bread and then I grind it just a little bit coarser. It is also called sticky rice and it is the rice the Japanese use. I make Swedish Pancakes using the sweet rice flour. I have made them out of all-purpose flour for years and loved them. Then when I discovered I was allergic to all grains I started making them out of the sweet rice flour. May I tell you I find that they are more delicate out of the sweet rice flour and melt in your mouth? Sweet rice flour is the best at thickening sauces and gravies. If you miss fried chicken and never thought you could have it again, try this flour. It will be crispier than you remember your chicken being. It works well for anything you want to coat in flour.
Brown rice and white rice flour
This flour has about 6.5 percent protein and does not form gluten. It is the main ingredient in most gluten free baked goods. When you use it in baked goods you must also use other ingredients to help gluten form. There are two binders, guar gum and xanthan gum. You can use either of these.
Tapioca Flour/Starch
This is a great binder in baked goods when used with other flours. It is also used to thicken sauces and gravies. It has the advantage of being able to thicken sauces without having to bring them to a boil. This must be stored in the frig as it goes bad quickly but in the frig it will last up to two years. I use it so quickly it doesn’t have time to go bad.
Potato Starch
Do not confuse this with potato flour. If you add hot water to potato flour you will have mashed potatoes. This is used hand in hand with Tapioca flour in baked goods. This will also thicken sauces and recipes and can stand heat better than corn starch.
Teff flour
This flour is supposed to impart a sweet nutty flavor to baked goods. Some people claim it has an overpowering taste and so takes over the whole baked item in flavor. I found it to be a little on the bitter side.
Quinoa Flour
This flour is supposed to be very healthy having a complete protein in it. I am at a disadvantage where as I have only tasted it in a salad last Fourth of July. It had a very nutty taste so I would imagine it would lend that same flavor to the baked goods. It is also supposed to lend moisture to a baked goods.
