Home-made Gluten-free Flour - Help, Please

[Jujbe]

I'm new to gluten-free cooking & just joined this forum. Since I've always done my own cooking & baking, I'm not upset about having to make adjustments. But rather than buying pricey ready-made gluten-free mixes, I'd like to make my own. I like to add soy flour for extra protein & like to tailor the flour to my own tastes.

1. Can anyone please give me some basic proportions of various substitutes such as rice flour, arrowroot powder, pea (or soy) flour, etc along with a brief explanation of what works best & why? I've noticed that some mixes have vegetable gums included? What's the reason for this? And are some gums better than others? I have agar powder - would that work too?

2. I'm also aware of the hidden places wheat may be in that isn't always mentioned. Does anyone know if bean threads (also called glass or transparent noodles) contain any wheat? It doesn't say so but then most of the printing is in Chinese or Thai which doesn't help me.

3. I make my own rotis (Indian flat bread) & pita bread but need to find what will work without using wheat flour. Are there good substitutes I can use for making these? I'd hate to do without them.

Sorry for the questions but when I try to use the search feature, it comes back saying it doesn't work right. Not sure why. This is all new to me but I'm determined to stick to a gluten-free diet yet still eat well. Good thing I love rice & Oriental foods. I'd appreciate any help I can find. Oh, yes - I'm not crazy over the taste of cornflour. When I use it, I only use a small amount as the taste doesn't appeal to me.

Thank you everyone in advance.

[lcbannon]

I mix my own flour and am happy with this mix right now, this uses less Xanthan gum than some bit I find I don't like the elastic feel that too much adds. For baked goods with Chocolate I will usually use at least 1/4 cup of teff flour for part of the gluten-free flour. Some people do not use Xanthan or Guar at all. Individual choice.

1 Cup Sorguhm Flour

3 c rice flour I use 1/2 White Rice and 1/2 brown

1 c tapioca flour

1c potato starch

1/4 c potato flour

1/4 c xanthan gum

I usually add about 1/4- 1/2 cup ground flax seed to this as well. I am not as strict on mix as some but I have had GREAT luck with this.

For potato flour I grind Instant Potato Flakes into a fine flour- MUCH cheaper than buying. I also buy as many of these as possible at Asian Market - Way cheaper than Health Food Store.

For your indian flat bread millet might be a choice, I personally do not care for the smell but I know it is sold for that use at the Asian market I go to.

[dbmamaz]

The parent website which hosts this forum has a whole section of flour mixes:

https://www.celiac.com/categories/Gluten%25...ee-Flour-Mixes/

of course, you can always buy cookbooks, too. I have gluten-free baking basics, which has 4 different flour mixes in it.

Also, personally, i was frustrated w which flours and starches were good for what, so i actually mixed some egg and some rice milk together and then made 1 crepe with each flour and starch I had, to test the texture and taste of each one by itself, so i could learn their properties and start playing around with it myself. Nothing tastes like wheat flour, but at least when you taste them yourself, you can decide what you DO like. Some of the more bitter ones are still fine in smaller quantities, to add texture or a richness of flavor.

oh, and the gums are added becuase gluten holds bread together, and without the gluten, things will fall apart, and yeast breads wont rise because theres nothing keeping the bubbles from popping (the bubbles make things rise, kwim?) so the gums take that role in gluten-free baking.

[Jo Ann]

Maybe it's just me, but I haven't found one single combination of flours that works well with every recipe. I buy all available at Asian markets (rice flour, potato flour, tapioca flour, glutinous/rice flour). This is much less expensive than those in the health food stores. Sorghum, millet, garfava flours, flax meal and flax seeds are available in many supermarkets and health food stores. Finely ground brown rice flour is only found at Authentic Foods. I usually try to follow the individual recipe, since they vary so much in which flours to use. Go on line to recipe sites like: Recipezaar.com, eatingglutenfree.com, pamelasproducts.com (a good mix), foodforyourbelly.blogspot.com. You can find many more if you search. The best recommendation for a good recipe is right here on this web site. It's always good to know someone else has tried the recipe and found in edible. Our favorite bread recipe is Gluten-Free Flax Bread at recipezaar.com. If you have questions, use this site, because there's undoubtedly someone who can give you a good answer. Good luck!

Jo Ann

[RiceGuy]

Most of the questions seem to be covered by other responses, so I'll try to answer the one about soy flour, and the agar powder.

Soy flour helps things brown nicer, lends moistness, and makes things a little softer and fluffier. To start, try it in about 1/5 to 1/4 the total flour, and adjust from there. Some other flours for decent protein would be amaranth and t'eff, both of which also have a good amount of fiber.

Agar probably won't work alone, but I've not tried that. I would say however, that you'd need to cook it first, so it would already be thick when you add it into the dry ingredients. Otherwise it won't be doing much if anything until it goes in the oven. Additionally, as it heats up, it does get much less viscous, so that's why I suspect it won't be good by itself.

[happygirl]

Better Batter Gluten Free Flour is awesome and can ship to you directly.

[Jujbe]

Thanks for the replies, everyone! I appreciate them. I like the idea of taste testing each type. I'm very proficient in baking (been baking since I was 16 & I'm 58 now) but always used wheat as my base. I'd add lots of other flours, mostly to breads so I'm familiar with how diff grains change the taste & texture. On recommendations & reading more posts from the baking forum, I went out & bought a variety of diff flours that I didn't already have & will begin to experiment. The biscuits I'd made earlier before asking here didn't turn out that bad but not that good either. I don't think the agar worked like xanthan gum does. I've now got xanthan gum instead.

I don't do much baking of sweets or desserts, mostly various breads & the occasional fruit dessert. It sounds like it may be a challenge making yeast breads that I'll be happy with but I don't mind a challenge. I hate using recipes though - never use them but bake like my grandma used to - by eye & through experience. That goes for anything I make unless it's really persnickety. I'll start with a bread recipe here but then experiment. If I come up with any good recipes for yeast breads, I'll post them. But that may take a while before one's good enough to share with others! It'll be fun though - sort of like experimenting in a lab but with edible (I hope) results.

I bought some of my flours from our health food store in town. Their price is quite reasonable. I live in Canada, near Vancouver. I'll go into PoCo (nearby) to T & T Market (a huge Oriental grocery store) & buy some other flours as I find which ones I like best. Wish me well & happy eating.

[RiceGuy]

I've also experimented (and still do) with small amounts. What I find helpful is to use a small oven safe cup, like a ramekin or stainless measuring cup. I suppose you could also use a muffin pan, and maybe only put dough in one cup, but I haven't tried that.

So far I get better results when the dough is softer than what I'd do for wheat dough.

[sixtytwo]

For what it's worth, I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour Mixture for everything and it works great for me. I find that you can cut back a tad as it is a little heavier than regular flour and then I use Xanthun gum, probably 1 t. for every cup of flour used. I have subbed this in all of my favorite recipes with delightful results. I just don't make a big deal out of this gluten-free thing, I go on with my life as it was, just subbing the gluten-free flour in and adjusting my recipes. If it weren't so danged expensive!!!!!However, with the price of wheat flour going up like it is, who knows-----it may catch up!!!!!! For my bread I use Bob's bread mix, it is so easy and I can make cinnamon bread out if it, if I want. In the scheme of things in life and considering all the things that can go wrong with a person..........this ain't so bad.

Barbara

[Yellow Rose]

My DH found this website. It gives wheat flour substitutes and the proper amounts to use. Personally I like coconut flour. It is light, not gritty or mealy. You have to add more liquid and extra eggs. I add club soda about 1/4c for the extra liquid as it fluffs up more.

www.karinya.com/flour.htm

[Jujbe]

My DH found this website. ...

www.karinya.com/flour.htm

Thanks, Yellow Rose for the site. Now I've got another question that I'll post to the group as I see that the site says to avoid certain grains if gluten sensitive (doesn't quite make sense) like rice, teff & quinoa. But as far as I've read on other celiac sites, those are fine. Do you avoid them?

[nikken007]

I add club soda about 1/4c for the extra liquid as it fluffs up more.

I bought some club soda to use in bread but I have yet to do so. Does it leave any kind of carbonated flavor? Can you use it in any recipe such as cake? Do you substitute for the full amount of liquid or just part of it?