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Prepackaged gluten-free Flour Vs. Homemade

lonewolf

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lonewolf Collaborator
lonewolf
Posted

I've been reading posts here for a couple of months now about all the different types of prepackaged gluten-free flour mixes. I have not bought any because of the cost. I use the Bette Hagman recipe and have really good luck with almost everything, but I'm wondering if the prepackaged mixes would work better for certain recipes.

So, for those of you who buy gluten-free flour mixes: Do you buy it for the convenience or because you think it works better? If you were cooking/baking for a large family would you continue to buy it or mix up your own? Do you buy it because you don't have access to inexpensive sources of rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, etc.?

I'm just curious to know if the packaged mixes are worth $3 and up a pound when I make my own for about $1/lb. If they are, I would like to try some to see if would improve some of my baking.

Thanks,

Liz

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tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted
I'm just curious to know if the packaged mixes are worth $3 and up a pound when I make my own for about $1/lb. If they are, I would like to try some to see if would improve some of my baking.

I do it for the taste. My husband isn't a fan of gluten free flours, in general, so when I find a combination that he likes enough that he'll eat pancakes with me (he's not gluten free), I'll buy it. I have not been able to make a mix like that myself. For my own general baking, I do not usually use store bought mixes.

minibabe Contributor
minibabe
Posted

I recently have just found the BEST gluten-free FLOUR!!!! I belong to this celica group on Long Island and they had a vender there. Well I purchased just about one of everthing from the vender and the flour it wonderful. It is an equal replacement 1:1 ratio. It is a little expensive but I feel that it is worth it.

Open Original Shared Link

(You have to download the product pice list and information, you need Adobe Reader in order to view it, any problems jsut let me know :) )

I have also purchsed some of there pies and cookies and everything is so wonderful. But know that I have the flour, I bake all of my own cookies and they taste almost exactly the same. HAPPY BAKING

Amanda NY B)

Idahogirl Apprentice
Idahogirl
Posted

I was using Pamela's Amazing Wheat Free bread mix, and then decided to try a recipe from scratch. It was very crumbly, and the texture wasn't all that great. I used the Bette Hagman's flour mix (mixed myself-rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch). I haven't expiremented with any other homemade recipes, but have gone back to using mixes. Although, if anyone has a really good recipe let me know, because it seems like nothing is as good as the mixes-probably since they know all the right combinations of flours to use, and it seems like there are a lot more ingredients in them.

Lisa

lonewolf Collaborator
lonewolf
Posted
  • Author
decided to try a recipe from scratch. It was very crumbly, and the texture wasn't all that great. I used the Bette Hagman's flour mix (mixed myself-rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch).

Did you put in xanthan gum? It's really crumbly without it, but works great with about 1/2 tsp. per cup of flour. And I like brown rice flour instead of white rice.

Liz

chrissy Collaborator
chrissy
Posted

we're still pretty new at this, but we've made some pretty good muffins and cookies. my daughter has also made 2 loaves of bread that were pretty good. we have been using bette hagman's featherlight mix. we have ordered her four flour blend to try and if we like it, we will start mixing our own.

christine

cdford Contributor
cdford
Posted

There are good reasons to use each. We have a larger family and find that milling and mixing our own is MUCH cheaper. We do keep some packaged mixes and pre-mixed flours around for when we travel, when my daughter has to cook on her own quickly, or when my daughter is headed on church trips or to the grandparents, etc. where someone else might have to cook for her. Frankly, they are just times when it makes life easier. We just cannot afford it for most of our cooking.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Cheri A Contributor
Cheri A
Posted

My dd has been wheat-free since October and has other allergies that prohibit us from using most of the premixed stuff on the market. I have found that my favorite blend is from Carol Fenster's website:

1 1/2 c. sorghum flour

1 1/2 c. potato starch

1 1/2 c. tapioca flour

1/2 c. corn flour, chestnut flour or bean flour.

The first time I made it, I did not have corn flour so I just adjusted w/ 1 1/2c. tapioca flour. I now have the corn flour but have been chicken to mess w/a good thing, lol!

wolfie Enthusiast
wolfie
Posted
I've been reading posts here for a couple of months now about all the different types of prepackaged gluten-free flour mixes. I have not bought any because of the cost. I use the Bette Hagman recipe and have really good luck with almost everything, but I'm wondering if the prepackaged mixes would work better for certain recipes.

So, for those of you who buy gluten-free flour mixes: Do you buy it for the convenience or because you think it works better? If you were cooking/baking for a large family would you continue to buy it or mix up your own? Do you buy it because you don't have access to inexpensive sources of rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, etc.?

I'm just curious to know if the packaged mixes are worth $3 and up a pound when I make my own for about $1/lb. If they are, I would like to try some to see if would improve some of my baking.

Thanks,

Liz

I haven't experimented with making my own flour mix yet, but would like to b/c this is gonna get $$ to keep buying the mix. I just made chocolate chip cookies yesterday with Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour mix and they turned out very close to my non gluten-free cookies. Th gluten-free ones are a little chewier, but still very tasty!

Would you mind sharing your flour mix?

Thanks!

Kim

Guest barbara3675
Guest barbara3675
Posted

Because it is just my husband and I, no children still at home, I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour Mix for the convenience. I have some recipes for the flour mixtures, but haven't tried them. The Bob's transfers to most all recipes nicely with the addition of xanthun gum with the exception of a recipe where there is little moisture. Then it can get crumbly. It is just so easy to pick up a couple of bags of the Bob's at the store and keep them on the shelf. I use it to thicken gravy and make white sauce and I don't use the xanthun gum then. For brownies, I like a mix too, but otherwise, the flour substitute is fine for most recipies. I don't make pies. I buy bread already made and like the bread at Whole Foods the best, then Kinikkinkkic the second best (bad spelling). Barbara

lonewolf Collaborator
lonewolf
Posted
  • Author
I haven't experimented with making my own flour mix yet, but would like to b/c this is gonna get $$ to keep buying the mix. I just made chocolate chip cookies yesterday with Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour mix and they turned out very close to my non gluten-free cookies. Th gluten-free ones are a little chewier, but still very tasty!

Would you mind sharing your flour mix?

Thanks!

Kim

I have been using the Bette Hagman recipe from her Gluten Free Gourmet books, but use brown rice instead of white rice flour. I usually add xanthan gum when I mix it up, although the recipe doesn't call for it.

2 C Brown Rice Flour

2/3 C Potato Starch

1/3 C Tapioca Starch

2 tsp. Xanthan Gum

Sift it all together 3 times and keep in the refrigerator. Use cup for cup for all-purpose flour. I usually make 3-4 batches at a time and put it in a gallon sized container with a tight lid.

I buy Lundberg brown rice flour in 25 lb sacks from Azure Standard (based in Oregon) and I've been getting Potato Starch and Tapioca starch in the bulk section at our local health food store. Next time I do an Azure order I'm going to see if I can get everything in bulk for cheaper. Since I cook/bake almost everything from scratch and have 4 kids and a husband with a big appetite, I go through a lot of flour. (They all eat gluten-free at home, except for an occasional sandwich or french toast.)

My mom bought me a package of Bob's Red Mill gluten-free Flour and I have had great results using 2/3 of my flour mix and 1/3 of the packaged stuff in cookies and pancakes. I am planning to sift it all together the next time I mix up some flour.

wolfie Enthusiast
wolfie
Posted

Thanks so much for the info! I will give that a try! :)

I have been using the Bette Hagman recipe from her Gluten Free Gourmet books, but use brown rice instead of white rice flour. I usually add xanthan gum when I mix it up, although the recipe doesn't call for it.

2 C Brown Rice Flour

2/3 C Potato Starch

1/3 C Tapioca Starch

2 tsp. Xanthan Gum

Sift it all together 3 times and keep in the refrigerator. Use cup for cup for all-purpose flour. I usually make 3-4 batches at a time and put it in a gallon sized container with a tight lid.

I buy Lundberg brown rice flour in 25 lb sacks from Azure Standard (based in Oregon) and I've been getting Potato Starch and Tapioca starch in the bulk section at our local health food store. Next time I do an Azure order I'm going to see if I can get everything in bulk for cheaper. Since I cook/bake almost everything from scratch and have 4 kids and a husband with a big appetite, I go through a lot of flour. (They all eat gluten-free at home, except for an occasional sandwich or french toast.)

My mom bought me a package of Bob's Red Mill gluten-free Flour and I have had great results using 2/3 of my flour mix and 1/3 of the packaged stuff in cookies and pancakes. I am planning to sift it all together the next time I mix up some flour.

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