What is gluten free flour?

Most people have only ever used wheat flour in their cooking, but there are many other flours that can be substituted, if you have to follow a gluten and wheat free diet.

The term flour generally means a cereal grain milled or ground into a powder. After being diagnosed with celiac you will find, however, that they can be made from a wide variety of ingredients.

When you are first diagnosed with celiac you may feel more comfortable using a commercial flour mix such as those produced by Authentic Foods or Bob's Red Mill and can be purchased online. These mixes can often be used in normal recipes by exchanging a cup of wheat flour for a cup of the mix.

However as you get used to following the diet you may like to experiment with making your own gluten free flour mix, as they are generally more successful used in combination.

When you are mixing your own flours you may find it difficult to measure small amounts on normal kitchen scales. A pair of digital scales can be very useful in this situation.

So let's take a look at the different types of gluten free flour around today.

Baking with Rice Flour

White rice flour is bland, inexpensive but of poor nutritional content. It is best used in cakes and cookies. It isn't suitable for thickening. Brown rice flour is milled from unpolished grains and contains the most nutrients. It does not have a long shelf life and is best kept refrigerated. It is often used in baking, where it can account for up to 50 percent of the mix, but can also be used for thickening.

Sweet or glutinous rice can confuse many new celiacs. Sweet Rice Flour is perfectly safe to eat on a gluten free diet and is excellent for thickening and can be used when baking cakes.

The main problem with using rice flour is the gritty texture it gives to baked goods. In most recipes it is mixed with other flours to counteract this.

Other gluten free flours

Amaranth flour is the ground seed of the Amaranth plant. It has a mild and nutty flavor and it is normally used in combination with other gluten free flours when baking. It can also be used for thickening.
more about amaranth

Arrowroot is an all purpose gluten free flour that can be used in baking (up to 25 percent of the mix) and is excellent for thickening. It has very little flavor and is easily digested.
more about arrowroot

Buckwheat, despite its name, is gluten free. The plant is related to rhubarb. The ground seeds produce a grey/brown flour which is nutritious, being a source of easily digested protein. It is high in fibre and is also said to reduce cholesterol and lower blood pressure.

Buckwheat flour is used in pancakes or bread, normally mixed with other flours as it has a strong flavour. It does not work well as a thickener. In some people it can cause an allergic reaction.
more about buckwheat

Cornflour (or cornstarch in the US) is a light, white powder often used in gluten free mixes. It can be used by itself as an excellent thickener for sauces.

Cornmeal on the other hand is a yellow flour, also know as Masa Harina, and is often used for making tortillas. Although allowed on a gluten free diet, some people may be allergic to corn, in which case tapioca starch or arrowroot can be used for the same purpose.
more about corn

Gram flour also known as besan, or garbanzo is made from chick peas. A golden yellow coloured flour it is best used in savoury dishes. It is widely used in Indian cooking for things like pakoras and bajjis, however it can be used to make a wonderful, slightly nutty pastry. It makes an excellent thickener.

DO NOT confuse gram flour with Graham flour which is a type of wheat and NOT gluten free.

Potato starch flour is also used in the bought mixes. It is very rarely used by itself, as it has a distinctly potato flavor, but it helps to produce the lightness and softness in a mix. It doesn't work very well as a thickener. Potato Starch keeps well and can be bought in quantity.

Quinoa, pronounced keen-wah, is a cereal grain from Peru which used to be the staple diet of the Incas. Quinoa four is high in fat and is used in a gluten free flour mix to add moisture to baked goods. It has a pleasant, nutty taste. This non-allergenic grain provides a good source of vegetable protein. The flour is somewhat hard to find in the UK, however, I have had success in grinding the seeds in a coffee mill to produce flour. It can be used in baking mixes but you may need extra liquid in your recipe as baked goods can turn out dry.
more about quinoa

Soy or soya flour is made from ground, roasted soy beans. It is high in protein and fat and has a nutty flavour. Full fat soy flour has a short shelf life and is best kept refrigerated or in the freezer. Defatted soy flour can be kept in the larder or pantry. Baked goods using soy flour may brown more quickly so it is best to lower the oven temperature slightly. It is another ingredient that people can become allergic to so best used in moderation.

Tapioca starch is a flour commonly found in the commercial gluten free flour mixes. Made from the root of the Cassava plant, tapioca flour serves to lighten baked items and helps impart a good texture and a "chewiness". It has no pronounced flavour and is usually non-allergenic. It makes a good thickener when dissolved in cold water first.

Teff grains, grown in Ethiopia, are tiny and therefore the whole seed is ground into flour, including the germ and husk. It contains the highest calcium, zinc, potassium and iron content of any cereal. Teff flour is high in dietary fibre and an excellent source of essential amino acids. A versatile flour that can be used to make breads, pasta, pancakes and muffins, but best not used in yeasted recipes.
more about teff

Flour substitutions

Authors of celiac cookbooks tend to have their favourite blends of gluten free flour. Depending of what you have in your cupboard it is possible to substitute for a missing ingredient, but try to keep to the same group, as below:

• Group A - Cornflour, potato starch, tapioca or arrowroot. These provide smoothness to your mix.
• Group B - Brown rice, cornmeal, quinoa, gram, teff, millet, amaranth or millet. These all provide protein to your mix.
• Group C - potato starch and quinoa. Add moisture to baked goods.

• Xanthum gum or guar gum.

Remember, these gluten free flours may not produce exactly the same flavour and texture that you have been used to with wheat flour, but that doesn't mean you will not enjoy them!