Do I Really Need Potato Starch?

[boho*mama]

I bought all kinds of fun flours at wild oats today, sweet sorgum, brown rice, flax and tapioca...I forgot potato starch, actually I just didn't think I needed it, now every recipe I find has potato starch in it. Can I use more tapioca starch or corn starch, is regular corn starch not gluten free?

Thanks!!

[Jestgar]

I just mix in other starches. You might not want to make a rising bread without following the exact recipe, but most other things are pretty forgiving.

[jerseyangel]

Cornstarch is gluten-free.

You can interchange the starches--I'm intolerant to tapioca, so I always tweak recipes, adding more potato or corn starches, leaving the tapioca out altogether.

You could do the same for the potato starch..

[Suzie-GFfamily]

I was out of potato starch last week- I usually use 1/2 cup of potato starch in my bread recipe. I also use corn starch and tapioca flour (AKA tapioca starch) in the bread. So I just used some extra corn starch and extra tapioca starch to make an additional 1/2 cup of starch, but the texture of the bread was not as nice as it usually is. So it seems like the properties of the potato starch are beneficial.

Our regular corn starch has a statement immediately underneath the ingredients list that says it is gluten free- there is only 1 ingredient in the product: "corn starch". My product is called "Canada Corn Starch 100% pure"- but surprisingly it is not manufactured in Canada, it is made in Memphis by ACH Food Companies Inc.

BTW- sweet sorghum flour + tapioca flour can be used to make gluten-free scones. There is a recipe right on the package of Bob's Red Mill sorghum flour- or you can get the recipe on the Bob's Red Mill website:

Open Original Shared Link

Baking Tip: when patting the dough into a circle on the baking sheet, put your hand inside a clean plastic bag. This will prevent the dough from sticking to your fingers and makes it easier to spread out.

[Guhlia]

As others have said, you can replace with corn starch. You may find that it changes the texture though. I generally don't like things made with corn starch.

[boho*mama]

Wow, thank you all for the quick responce!

[RiceGuy]

Well, since I have to avoid nightshades, I can't use potato starch at all. So I've been substituting the amount with whatever seems logical for the given recipe. I've only just begun gluten-free baking, so I don't know what the difference in texture would be. Thus far results are promising. Considering the fact that I'm also not using dairy or egg, and haven't yet tried using corn starch (some types of corn bother me), I think there shouldn't be a big problem when the potato starch is the only ingredient being substituted.

I wouldn't be surprised however, if instant mashed potatoes could be used in place of the flour. It might work ok if you pre-mix them in some of the liquid you're using, and set them aside to soak it up and such before adding to the recipe. The thing is, from what I've read there's a difference between potato flour and potato starch. I suppose it's not as much of a difference as using another starch/flour altogether though.

[larry mac]

I bought all kinds of fun flours at wild oats today, sweet sorgum, brown rice, flax and tapioca...I forgot potato starch, actually I just didn't think I needed it, now every recipe I find has potato starch in it. Can I use more tapioca starch or corn starch, is regular corn starch not gluten free?

Thanks!!

bhm,

I'd just use all tapioka starch flour. See how that does.

Try to make a trip to an Asian grocery store. White rice flour, potato starch flour, and tapioka starch flour are dirt cheap there. Yes, it's quite an adventure in third world culture, but I love different stuff like that. Gonna be a long time before I run out of those items. Also got some cool flours at an Indian/Pakistani/African food store. Mexican (excuse me, Hispanic) supermarkets will have cheap white rice flour also (BTW, ya can't beat them for the best fruit).

best regards, lm

p.s., I always keep an ongoing grocery list of needed items near the kitchen, don't forget to take it with you to the store (perhaps that's only neccesary for us old senile type persons).

[Guhlia]

I agree with Larry. Just use more tapioca starch, the same amount you would have used for potato starch. I think that will work nicely. I've done that before in recipes and couldn't really tell a difference.