Any Alternative Flour Bakers??
Fri, 07/03/2009 - 09:30
Hi Everyone,
I was just wondering if any one else uses alternative flours for their baking? I like to try different flours when I am baking. In the past I have used Millet, Amaranth, Bean flours, corn, rye, and others. Depending on what I make, usually it turns out pretty good. Any one else?
I am completely gluten-free so I do use alternative flours. It depeds on what I'm making, but generally I use a mix of sorghum, tapioca, white rice, and cornstarch. I don't like my end product to taste gritty and some other flours can cause that. I use millet sometimes and have been thinking about trying blanched almond flour because some gf bloggers really seem to like it.
Amy Green
Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free
www.SimplySugarAndGlutenFree.com
I make a mix of Sorghum, White Rice, Potato starch, and tapico starch/flour and use that for recipes that call for 'gluten-free mix.' I have a lot of success with muffins, waffles, cookies, etc.
I occasionally use Bean flour, but find the taste too strong for most recipes, even when blended with other flours. I also use Brown Rice flour instead of White rice flour at times.
Bonnie
I love to try alternative flours, and because my husband is wheat and rice intolerant I find I can get better results with combination flours. My favouite flours are chick pea, quinoa, amaranth, and chestnut. I tried cocoanut but it seems too heavy and all the recipes had way too many eggs.
I just got a Nutrimill and this opens the door to use many more beans.
Shelley
Blogging at Riverlea Foods
All the Alternative Daring Bakers use alternative flours. The most common ones are: brown rice, millet, sorghum, tapioca & potato starch. The ones not used as much: quinoa, amaranth, bean flours, cocoa, teff, arrowroot & corn starch. There are many others too: plantain, coconut, cassava & sweet potato.
I hope this helps.
Natalie
http://glutenagogo.blogspot.com
I am wheat-free so I use alternative flours. My flour of choice is spelt flour (which sadly those gluten-free people cannot have). Spelt is my favourite alternative flour as it can basically be substituted 1 for 1 with regular flour, with little difference to the output. Other flours I use from time to time are rye, almond, hazelnut and chestnut. I haven't had a lot of success when using gluten free flour...
"...It pleases us": Eating, drinking, cooking, friendship and family.
For truely gluten free recipes most of the time you need a mix of flours to get a good result and sometimes something like a gum or other 'sticky' substance to replace the elasticity of the gluten. I have learnt a huge amount since I started at a Daring Baker from the others here, from trying things out and from other gluten free blogs.
Some of those things include.
gluten free baking is more like chemistry at times, you learn a lot about the properties of the various flours.
Gram flour (chickpea) goes wonderfully cheese or Indian spices..
Nut flours make amazing cakes and puddings(deserts for the americans).
I prefer to pick a flavour that goes with the dish rather than just use a generic bland flour mix.
Potato flour absorbs huge amounts of water.
The Lilac Kitchen
Hi, I use (for our coffee shop) a blend for baking made by Bob's Red Mill. Called all purpose gluten free baking blend. Its made with several different flours. It has a great texture.
I usually use a blend of rice and corn flour. I am limited to the alternative flours I can get in Argentina, and so far this blend (which I make myself) has worked out best for baked goods.
Out of curiosity, what flours are included in the blend? And is there xantham or guar gum also in the mix? Thanks!
Yes, I am not partial to bean flours myself, I just find their taste way too distinct. I do like a blend of sorghum, tapioca, millet, and cornstarch.
Just a comment regarding bean flours, because some people say they dont use them because of the beany taste. When I first started baking gluten free I used the Betty Hagman cookbooks annd her flour mix that was 1/3 bean. Since then, with many years of experimenting now, I find that the bean flour in a recipe should be 1/4 maximum so that the protein is increased in the recipe but the bean flavour is not too pronounced. My favourite bean flour is garfava that I make myself in a nurtimill at a ratio of 1 1/2 parts chick peas (I actually use chana dal because it grinds easier) and 1 part fava bean. You can get split fava beans that grind easier in middle eastern stores.
the other bean flour that is really wonderful for thickening is navy bean flour. I make my own but you can also buy it. It does not have a pronounced flavour when used for thickening, and blends easily.
I use bean flour overall becasue it increased both the fiber and protein in recipes. Many of the popular gluten free flours are low in nutrition and fiber unfortunately.
Shelley
Blogging at Riverlea Foods
My pastry-holic best friend was diagnosed with a whole list of allergies early this year and among those were wheat, egg and peanuts. I use a lot of substitutions in my baking so that when I bring a batch of cookies to school, she would be able to enjoy them too.
Personally, I have used rice flour (because my country produces a lot of rice) to bake and out of at least 10 recipes that I've tried, about 3 got the green light. I have considered using potato flour at one point, but since I bought the rice flour in bulk, I have yet to experiment with that yet. xD
But I have a yummy egg-free, wheat-free and nut-free chocolate chip cookie recipe, so I think that would suffice for now. ^^ (hopefully)
My blogspot: http://dumbapplepie.blogspot.com
My tumblr: http://dumbapplepie.tumblr.com
Hi,
I don't like my end product to taste gritty and some other flours can cause that.
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Hi, I use (for our coffee shop) a blend for baking made by Bob's Red Mill. Called all purpose gluten free baking blend. Its made with several different flours. It has a great texture.
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I usually use a blend of rice and corn flour. I am limited to the alternative flours I can get in Argentina, and so far this blend (which I make myself) has worked out best for baked goods.
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Great question! Since my family's been gluten-free for a while, I've had to use a mix of non-gluten flours. I usually use brown and white rice flours, potato starch or arrowroot powder, and tapioca flour. It turns out surprisingly good, as long as I don't forget the xanthum gum to make it all stick together!