Alternative Flours And Starches For Gluten-Free Baking
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Where To Find Gluten-Free Flour
Why yes, there are other flours out there that contain no gluten. Wheat is not the end-all, be-all of baking options. Those who are not of Western European descent will probably be familiar with several of these choices. There's also a few others I have not listed below (like teff) because they are really obscure at the time of writing.
If there are any ethnic markets near you, you might be able to find some of these at a reasonable price. It's good to shop around and support your local markets if possible. Otherwise, you can always order gluten free flours online.
Gluten free flours
- Amaranth flour: Ground from the seeds of the amaranth plant. I'm told this tastes like dirt, but haven't tried it yet.
- Almond flour: Ground from almonds and comes in varying grinds. It goes rancid fast, so grind your own as needed.
- Buckwheat flour: This is related to rhubarb and is ground from the seeds of the plant. Nutty flavour.
- Chickpea flour: Ground from chickpeas and goes rancid fast. Grind your own.
- Cornmeal: Ground corn, usually a coarse grind. I recommend the Maseca brand.
- Millet flour: Ground millet seeds. Very light.
- Potato flour: Ground potatoes. Very heavy and potato-flavoured.
- Quinoa flour: Ground quinoa seeds. One of the supergrains that is popular lately.
- Rice flour: Ground from rice. It's coarse and gritty.
- Sorghum flour: Ground sorghum. Slightly sweet, usually light brown in colour. This can be an almost one-to-one substitution for wheat flour.
- Soy flour: Made from ground soybeans. Most gluten-intolerant people are also soy-intolerant, so it's not widely used.
- Sweet rice flour: This is almost starch-like in texture, very fine. Preferred brand for this is Mochiko.
Buy gluten free flours
Gluten free starches
Gluten free starches
- Arrowroot starch: a fine white powder from the root of the arrowroot plant. It's excellent for thickening sauces and soups.
- Corn starch: another fine white powder. There is no obvious corn flavour in this.
- Potato starch flour: Do not confuse with potato flour. This is a fine white powder with no obvious potato flavour.
- Tapioca starch: Sometimes listed as "tapioca flour"; it's the same thing. This comes from the root of the cassava plant. It's a fine white powder.
Buy gluten free baking starches
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terrapin719
May 25, 2011 @ 11:52 am | delete
- Bob's Red Mill products have made my life a little easier. I really enjoy baking and I didn't think I would be able to - fortunately my favorite grocery store has a nice selection of the Bob's Red Mill flours and gluten free products :)
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spritequeen
Mar 7, 2011 @ 8:33 am | delete
- I'm always looking for gluten free flour mixes to give a little variety in my baking. Thanks for sharing! (And yes, Amaranth tastes like dirt! LOL)
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