Gluten Free Flour Made From Wheat Starch?

[B'sgirl]

I know someone in Austria with Celiac who cooks with this. The brand name is Wiechert and the flour is called Fertig Mehl. Does anyone know of anything like it available in the U.S. or online? I just wonder if it would taste better than rice or bean flour. My friend claims it does. I'd pay good money for some if it was really free of gluten content.

[NJKen]

I know someone in Austria with Celiac who cooks with this. The brand name is Wiechert and the flour is called Fertig Mehl. Does anyone know of anything like it available in the U.S. or online? I just wonder if it would taste better than rice or bean flour. My friend claims it does. I'd pay good money for some if it was really free of gluten content.

I don't know of any wheat starch product in the U.S. that is tested for gluten content. Keep in mind, if you order it online, that it can never be proven to be truly free of gluten. The gluten-free wheat starch in Europe is tested for gluten above a certain threshold, which I believe has been 200 ppm, so a batch with 190 ppm could be labeled gluten-free. I have read that Codex is considering lowering the threshold to 20 ppm, which would be the same as for foods that are naturally gluten-free. Perhaps someone from Europe will confirm this.

While traveling in Europe I have eaten foods prepared with Codex gluten-free wheat starch, and felt no ill effects. OTOH, I was a "silent" celiac who never had severe effects when I was ingesting gluten every day, so I am not a good test case. You'll have to determine for yourself whether your digestive system can handle Codex wheat starch.

[NJKen]

The gluten-free wheat starch in Europe is tested for gluten above a certain threshold, which I believe has been 200 ppm, so a batch with 190 ppm could be labeled gluten-free. I have read that Codex is considering lowering the threshold to 20 ppm, which would be the same as for foods that are naturally gluten-free.

In case this isn't clear, ppm = parts per million.

The US FDA's proposed threshold for gluten-free foods is 20 ppm.

[MaryJones2]

I know someone in Austria with Celiac who cooks with this. The brand name is Wiechert and the flour is called Fertig Mehl. Does anyone know of anything like it available in the U.S. or online? I just wonder if it would taste better than rice or bean flour. My friend claims it does. I'd pay good money for some if it was really free of gluten content.

Codex wheat starch isn't free of gluten but rather processed to contain less than 20ppm. I didn't tolerate it at all but everyone reacts differently so it's really a personal decision. It isn't allowed in gluten-free food in the US and I've never seen it in the stores here but I'm sure it's available online somewhere. There are a few celiac stores in Europe that will ship to the US for a hefty shipping fee.

Ken, the threshold in Europe was changed to 20ppm a few months ago but I'm not sure if it's fully in place yet. Open Original Shared Link

[Takala]

The best tasting gluten free "flours" are mixes of several different kinds of grains/nuts instead of a single flour. Many people have had tasty results using some sorghum flour in their mixes, along with millet, amaranth, almond meal, pecan meal, flax, coconut, teff, quinoa, etc. I don't think a highly processed wheat starch, devoid of protein, is going to taste any better than cornstarch- sorta chalky, and it won't have the texture of regular wheat flour, either.

[mushroom]

Another flour that provides a good flavor for breads (at least I love it) is buckwheat.

[ravenwoodglass]

One of my favorites is Pamela's Baking Mix for stuff like muffins and such. Tom Sawyer's gluten-free flour is my favorite for stuff like scalloped potatoes and dredging meats. When I was first diagnosed I tryed using a variety of single ingredient flours but once I found the mixes there was no turning back for me.

[TrillumHunter]

You can buy Toro mixes in the US already. I've bought them from my local health food store. The wheat starch in them contains no more than 20 ppm of gluten. Many will argue this issue ad nauseam. There is another thread on the board about the Toro mixes. You have to make your own decision about it.

Frankly, I thought the cake was good, and closer to a wheat flour cake than anything else I've baked. And due to the fact that I find 20 ppm to be acceptable for me and I don't eat cake everyday, I will eat it. The bread was nothing special and Lorka's recipe on this site make a better loaf.