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How to Build a Gluten Free Flour Blend From Scratch

When you are first diagnosed with celiac or gluten-intolerance and transition to gluten-free baking and cooking, it is easiest to use a commercially available blend such as those from King Arthur Flour, Bob’s Red Mill, Gluten Free Pantry, Cup4Cup, or Authentic Foods. They are designed to be swapped 1 for 1 for the all-purpose flour in any regular recipe.

My personal favorite blends are the two I developed for our book, “The Gluten-Free Bread Machine Cookbook“. I use them interchangeably for all my GF baking projects and whenever a recipe calls for flour, everything from cookies and cakes to breads and biscuits.If you are converting a recipe to gluten-free, use 120 grams of the flour blend for each 1 cup flour called for in the recipe plus 1/4 tsp xanthan gum or 1/2 tsp psyllium husk powder. If you are making bread, we recommend using about 1 tsp xanthan (or 2 tsp psyllium) for tender bread that doesn’t fall apart. 

These flour blend recipes can easily be halved or doubled and are easy to put together and store in a tightly sealed container like this one from Cambro. Be sure to order a cover too. This container is commercial-grade and will last for years. 

Light Flour Blend

… perfect for recipes where you want other flavors to shine

Yield: 800 grams, 1.7 lb / 28 oz

  • 280 g (2 cups + 4-3/4 tsp) white rice flour or brown rice flour, preferably from Authentic Foods
  • 280 g (2 cups + 2 tbsp) sweet rice flour (not the same as white rice flour), preferably from Authentic Foods
  • 120 g (1 cup + 4-3/4 tsp) tapioca flour/starch
  • 120 g (1/2 cup + 3 tbsp + 2-1/4 tsp) potato starch (not potato flour)

Whole-Grain Flour Blend

… a good option if you want more fiber in your diet

Yield: 800 grams, 1.7 lb / 28 oz

  • 200 g (1-3/4 cups + 1/4 tsp) millet flour
  • 200 g (1-1/2 cups + 3/4 tsp) sweet rice flour (not white rice flour), preferably from Authentic Foods
  • 160 g (1-1/3 cups + 2-1/2 tsp) sorghum flour or brown rice flour, preferably from Authentic Foods
  • 120 g (1 cup +4-3/4 tsp) tapioca flour/starch
  • 120 g (1/2 cup + 3 tbsp + 2-1/4 tsp) potato starch (not potato flour) 

Directions: Weigh each ingredient with a kitchen scale and pour into a large bowl. Whisk until fully incorporated and transfer to a large food-safe plastic bin, such as the Cambro listed above. Secure the lid on the container and shake vigorously to evenly distribute all the ingredients. Gluten-free flours tend to settle and sometimes separate while sitting, so always shake the container well before measuring for each baking project. 

 

Once you are more comfortable with gluten-free baking and the various flours available to work with, you can use these charts to concoct your own special blends. This is where you can stretch your creativity and customize the flours to create the flavors and textures you want.

How to Build a Gluten-Free Flour Blend

From Gluten-Free Makeovers by Beth Hillson

To use this chart, find the flour in your blend recipe you wish to change and replace it with another one from the same list. The properties, while not identical, will be similar and serve the same function in building the structure in a particular recipe.

Neutral (light) Flours

High Protein Flours

High Fiber Flours

Stabilizers – Adds texture / moisture

Starches

Gums

 Brown Rice   Flour  Almond   Flour  Almond   Flour  Coconut   Flour *  Arrowroot   Flour  Agar   Powder
 Corn Flour  Amaranth   Flour  Amaranth     Flour  Expandex  Cornstarch  Carrageenan
 Sorghum   Flour  Bean Flours  Bean Flours  Flax Seed   Meal  Kuzu Starch  Gelatin   Powder
 Sweet Rice   Flour  Buckwheat   Flour  Buckwheat   Flour  Oat Bran  Potato   Starch  Guar Gum
 White Rice   Flour  Chickpea   Flour  Chickpea     Flour  Potato Flour  Sweet   Potato Flour  Locust Bean   Gum
   Millet Flour  Corn Flour  Rice Bran  Tapioca   Starch  Xanthan   Gum
   Montina   Flour  Mesquite   Flour      
   Oat Flour  Montina   Flour      
   Quinoa   Flour  Soy Flour  * Coconut   flour    
   Sorghum   Flour   actually absorbs    
   Soy Flour   liquids in baked    
   Teff Flour   goods.    

Individual Flour Characteristics

Learn about the flavor and characteristics of different types of flour and how much to use if you are substituting some in your baking projects. 

From Gluten-Free Makeovers by Beth Hillson

Flour

Flavor

Percentage to Use

Contents

Storage

Almond Flour Sweet, nutty   High in protein, fiber, fat Refrigerated or frozen
Amaranth Mildly nutty 20 to 25% in baking High in protein, nutrients  
Buckwheat Robust flavor, use with other flours Up to 1 cup per recipe; less in subtle recipes High in protein, fiber,

B-Vitamins

 
Chestnut Flour Nutty, earthy Up to 25% total flour Low in protein, fiber Refrigerated or frozen
Coconut Flour Subtle, sweet, coconut Up to 15% in baked goods Low-Carb, high-fiber  
Corn Flour Finely ground corn   Use in breads, cakes, etc.  
Cornmeal Coarsely ground corn   Use in cornbread, breading, polenta  
Cornstarch Fine white powder   Lightens texture; thickens sauces  
Expandex Modified tapioca/starch If used in place of tapioca, reduce amt of Expandex by 1 to 2 tbsp & gum by 1/2 to 1 tsp    
Flax Seed/Meal Only use ground not whole Use 2 to 3 tbsp per recipe High in fiber, Omega-3’s Refrigerated or frozen
Legume (Bean) Flours Can be strongly flavored; best in savory foods No more than 25% per recipe; Quinoa flour is a good substitute Best when used with brown sugar, molasses, chocolate, spices  
Mesquite Flour Pleasantly sweet Up to 25% per recipe Best in pancakes, brownies & gingerbread  
Millet Mild, sweet, nutty, distinctive flavor No more than 25% in any flour blend Nutrient rich, high-protein, high-fiber  
Montina Wheat-like flavor Up to 30% in flour blend High protein, fiber  
Oats/Oat Flour   Use only GF oats Add taste, texture, and structure  
Potato Flour Replaces xanthan or guar Add 2 to 4 tbsp per recipe; reduce or eliminate gums High in fiber, protein Good for soft, chewy mouthfeel
Potato Starch   Use 1:1 with cornstarch Best when used with eggs Whisk before using
Quinoa Flour Delicate, nutty flavor similar to wild rice Use up to 30% of flour blend Complete protein  
Rice Flour Varies from fine to medium to coarse textures Best when blended with other flours Brown is higher fiber, nutrients  
Sorghum Flour Slightly sweet taste Use no more than 30% in any flour blend High in fiber, protein  
Teff Flour, preferably light Mild nutty flavor   High in calcium, protein, and fiber Combined with Montina, tastes like whole wheat
Tapioca Starch     Good in breads, tortillas, and pasta  
Arrowroot Starch Pleasant tasting/versatile   Good for breads & bagels  
Sweet Potato Starch Yellow-orange hue in final baked goods   Best in recipes containing chocolate, molasses and spices  

Custom Flour Blends

Sample blends you can use for specific projects or substitutions. 

From Gluten-Free Makeovers by Beth Hillson

Ingredient

Basic Blend

Cake & Pastry Flour

Self-Rising Flour

Bread Flour #1

All-Purpose Breads

Bread Flour #2

Hi-Protein Breads

Rice Flour 2-3/4 cups (15.4 oz) 1 cup white rice flour (5.4 oz) 1-1/4 cups white rice flour (6.5 oz) 1-1/4 cups white (6.5 oz) or 5.5 oz brown 2 cups brown rice flour (8.5 oz)
Bean Flours         2-1/4 cups chickpea (9.5 oz), quinoa flour (9.1 oz), or other bean flour
Corn or Potato Starch 1-1/4 cups (8 oz) 3/4 cup (3.5 oz) 3/4 cup cornstarch (3.5 oz) or 4 oz potato starch 3/4 cup cornstarch (3.5 oz) or tapioca starch (3.2 oz) 2 cups cornstarch (9.6 oz) or potato starch (11.2 oz)
Tapioca Starch/Flour 1/3 cup (1.5 oz)   1/4 cup (1.1 oz)   2 cups + 2 tbsp

(9.3 oz)

Amaranth Flour     3/4 cup (3 oz) 1/2 cup (2 oz)  
Sweet White Sorghum Flour   1 cup (4 oz) 1 cup (4 oz) 1-1/4 cups (5.25 oz)  
Xanthan or Guar Gum   1-1/2 tsp 2 tsp Xanthan 3 tsp Xanthan 2 tbsp + 2 tsp Xanthan
Salt   1/2 tsp 1-1/2 tsp 1 tsp 3 tsp
Baking Powder     2 tbsp    
Light Brown Sugar         1/2 cup packed (2.8 oz)

Comparative Measurements of Gluten-Free Flours

From Suite 101.com

For every 1 cup of regular all-purpose flour in recipes, you can substitute:

  • Amaranth = 1 cup
  • Bean Flour = 1 cup
  • Corn Flour = 1 cup
  • Cornmeal = 3/4 cup
  • Millet Flour = 1 cup
  • Finely Ground Nuts = 1/2 cup
  • Oat Flour = 1-1/3 cups
  • Potato Flour = 5/8 cup
  • Potato Starch = 3/4 cup
  • Quinoa Flour = 1 cup
  • White or Brown Rice Flour = 7/8 cup
  • Sorghum Flour = 1 cup
  • Soy Flour = 3/4 cup
  • Sweet Rice Flour = 7/8 cup
  • Tapioca Flour/Starch = 1 cup
  • Teff Flour = 7/8 cup

Note: When using almond or hazelnut meal/flour, always combine it with a GF-AP blend. For 2-1/2 cups wheat flour in a recipe, substitute 1/2 cup almond or hazelnut meal for one of the cups and 1-1/2 cups GF-AP flour for the remaining flour. Almond flour is particularly good in pie crusts, pastries, cookies and sweet breads.

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