Advice On A Flour Recipe , Please

[pieman]

Hi, I'm new to gluten free and I am trying out different flour mixes for baking because it's much cheaper than any of the premade flour mixes. I wanted some suggestions on the best ratio to use in a rice flour/maize flour/potato starch combination (these are the only grains I can get in bulk where I am in new zealand) I was going to try a 2:2:1 mix but is this too much potato starch? Cheers very much.

[sa1937]

Hi, I'm new to gluten free and I am trying out different flour mixes for baking because it's much cheaper than any of the premade flour mixes. I wanted some suggestions on the best ratio to use in a rice flour/maize flour/potato starch combination (these are the only grains I can get in bulk where I am in new zealand) I was going to try a 2:2:1 mix but is this too much potato starch? Cheers very much.

First of all, Welcome! I agree that it's tough to find a *perfect* flour mix and it's definitely cheaper to mix your own. I think every cookbook author has their own mix/mixes. Here's a link that gives the recipe for Jules Shepard's Open Original Shared Link mix, which does include corn flour (maize). I don't know if that would work for you.

Can you get tapioca flour/starch or cornstarch? They're pretty easy to come by here in the U.S. but I don't know about N.Z. Hopefully someone from N.Z. will chime in with what they use.

ETA: Your flour/starch ratio sounds too heavy on the flour and too light on the starches, which are usually a mix of starches, not just one.

[freeatlast]

Cornstarch gives me heartburn, so that wouldn't work for me, but everyone has to experient to see what works for them. I use Bette Hagman's blend sometimes, but lately have used variations mixing different flours and like that better. One poster (20 yrs. gluten-free) said she uses equal parts hazelnut flour, corn flour, and rice flour for her flour. I haven't tried that, but plan to as soon as our new mostly gluten free health food store gets some hazelnut flour.

[mushroom]

Where do you live in New Zealand? Is there a Bin Inn in your vicinity somewhere? I find it easy to find tapioca, sweet rice flour, buckwheat, sorghum, quinoa, millet, etc. New World carries a few of these although if you live in a small town maybe not. Since New Worlds are independently owned some are better than others. Try talking to the manager and see what you can persuade him to carry. I have done a bit of arm-twisting at my favourite New World If there are any Asian markets around they usually carry tapioca as well as the other rice flours (but not brown rice - white is their "thing" but brown has more nutrition. I cook with sorghum a lot, and use almond meal in baking quite a bit.

By the way, welcome to the board, pieman