Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Mix Recipe
Jun 2nd, 2007 by Mary Frances
The gluten free item that I most often reach for is my homemade all-purpose flour mix. When I first started cooking gluten free foods I bought Gluten Free 101
After almost four years of cooking gluten free, I am amazed at how well this mix works in so many different recipes. When I make biscuits with this mix, they taste like biscuits. When I make pancakes, they taste like pancakes. I’ve even made onion rings with this! I know I’m a geek, but this really is exciting!
Since I use this mix so often, I usually make up a big batch and store it in a large canister so that it’s ready whenever I decide to bake. If you don’t think that you will use the flour often, then I suggest that you store it in the freezer so that the soy and brown rice flours do not spoil. Just be sure to let it come to room temperature if you’re going to make yeast bread.
Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Mix
3 parts brown rice flour
3 parts corn starch
2 parts soy flour
1 part masa harina
I’ve given you this recipe in “parts” so that you can make as much or as little as you want. I usually use a 1 cup measure, so I end up with 3 c. brown rice, 3 c. cornstarch, 2 c. soy flour and 1. c. masa harina. However, I’ve also used a teaspoon measure when I needed just a little bit.
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. (If you’re new to mixing flours, then you want to make sure that you don’t see any clumps or streaks of indiviual flours. By the time you’re done it should be one homogeneous bowl of flour.) Transfer the flour to a canister or other storage container. You’re done!
Be sure to check back in a couple of days for a lesson on making biscuits!
P.S. I’ve added some links to the recipe so that you can purchase the ingredients online if you cannot find them locally. Masa harina is a flour made from corn that has been boiled with lime and then ground and dried. I can usually find it in local grocery stores in the Hispanic food section .
Can I use this flour mix for everything? (cakes, pie crust, etc…?) I told you I’m new at this.
JoAnna,
I actually haven’t made any cakes or pie crust since we started a gluten free diet. I’m pretty sure that it will work for cakes, given how it’s turned out on the biscuits and pancakes. I’m less certain about the pie crust, since gluten free doughs are very sticky and don’t have much stretch. Which would you rather me experiment with first, cakes or pie crusts?
Mary Frances
I don’t know! I guess pie crust. That would be a more universally used thing to know. Thing is, I am gluten-free… but I am putting my whole family on the same diet (once they eat through the remaining glutenous things in the house). I am married and have two kiddos, 2 1/2 & almost 4. Hubby doesn’t mind the diet as long as it tastes good and the kids can have all the ‘normal’ stuff. They are all joining me because gluten is thought to bring on auto-immune disorders and my family is full of them…. not to mention, my husband has serious digestive issues that I link to gluten intolerance.
You are so brave to experiment even for others! What desserts have you been eating all this time?
I don’t know if anyone has used coconut flour, but it is wonderful to make cupcakes with. For quite some time I couldn’t find it in the stores; I ordered it online from Bob’s, but recently I noticed in the local health food store. The cupcakes are actually springy, moist, and taste the closest to the real thing that I’ve ever had. Coconut flour also has an extremely high fiber content (even higher than beans I think) so it is good for you and has very low carbohydrates.
Lori,
I’ve never used coconut flour. Is that the only flour that you use in your cupcakes or is it a part of a mix? And where do you get it? I’m intrigued!
Mary Frances
Hi everyone, I make chocolate chip cookies with coconut flour and they are delicious, I also made the chocolate cake recipe on http://www.simplycoconut.com and it is also quite delicious! Now I am tempting to make pie crust! Share any recipies if you will!
Hi,
If I cannot get hold of masa harina, can I substitute it with anything else?
I’m from Singapore, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen masa harina in our supermarkets.
Hi Yeo Mun,
Thanks for your questions. Masa Harina is a corn flour, so another type of corn flour would work. You might also try using tapioca flour, if you can get that. Masa harina is similar to rice flour in texture, but it is very absorbent. You may have flours in Singapore that we do not have in the US that might be a better substitute than what I’ve suggested. If you can’t think of anyting, you can always just increase the brown rice flour and corn starch by 1/2 measure.
I was going to e-mail this to you but I couldn’t find your e-mail. I noticed that you wrote on SusanV’s FatFreeVegan persimmon bread that it should be pretty easy to convert to be gf. I would really like to know what your recommendations would be. If you could post or e-mail me, I would really appreciate it. Happy December!
Hi ~M,
Thanks for the question! I would substitute an equal amount of my Gluten Free Flour Mix for the 2 c. of whole wheat flour in Susan’s recipe. I would also add 2 tsp. of xanthan gum to the dry ingredients. I haven’t tried the recipe yet as I am quite lacking in persimmons, but I’d love to know how it turns out if you make it.
could you explain what it is about the soy flour that does so well in your mix? we have soy sensitivities…what would go well with the brown rice and corn as a substitute for the soy? lots of mixes have the bean flours these days, but i think the taste is too strong for baking.
Melissa, I started using soy flour because it has a high fiber, iron, and calcium content compared to other flours. For me, the high fiber was a big plus because I was used to getting tons of fiber from whole wheat cereals and bread. Now that we are vegetarian as well, I like that we’re getting as much iron and calcium in our bread as possible.
However, since you can’t do soy flour I would try using sorghum flour. It has about the same consistency as soy and is commonly used in gluten free flour mixes. I have a bag in the pantry that I’ve been meaning to experiment with, so I’ll try to use that the next time I make bread and see how it turns out.
And by the way, I completely agree about most bean flours. I cannot stand the taste of any mix that has garbanzo or fava flour in it. Yuck!
I can’t wait for you to try the alternative to Soy flour. We are soy sensative also. I will be waiting to see your results!
Dusty,
i LOVE sorghum flour, it is VERY similar to wheat flour in my opinion and I use it in my flour mixes. I hope you can use it and that you will like it!
mary frances,
I’ve always been intrigued by your flour mixture because I don’t like the taste of masa harina or soy flour in baked goods. I don’t know why and I wish I weren’t so sensative because both are so commonly available! I threw out my last loaf of break (very unfrugal of me… but I knew we wouldn’t eat it!) Because I used corn and soy flour in it and I just didn’t like it at all. I wish there was something you could do to mask the “beany” taste. Any ideas?? Most of my breads use sorghum and brown rice as the base, but I wish I could use something else that was a whole grain and not as hurtful to blood sugar levels!
Dusti and Melissa, I substituted the sorghum flour for the soybean flour in this recipe and it worked beautifully. It rose wonderfully, had a lighter crust, and somewhat more of a sourdough tasted (to me at least). So go forth and use sorghum. I’m going to make up a flour mix this week with the sorghum and try it in a few other recipes to see how it does as an all-purpose mix.
Carrie, I think God must have given us a great variety of taste buds. I can’t taste the soy or masa harina at all, which is why I use my flour mix for almost everything. Even my in-laws, who don’t eat gluten free, say that they can’t tell that I’ve used non-wheat flours when I make pancakes for all of this.
But I know how you feel. I once through out an entire batch of Bob’s Red Mill Cookies because I couldn’t stand the taste of the garbanzo flour in it. I’ve also never really loved his bread mixes either, for the same reason. I guess it’s just another one of those things that we all have to figure out for ourselves =)
Hi:
I’ve been having great luck recently with all the Betty Hagman baking powder recipes but the ones she offers for bread don’t work for my GF-sensitive husband. He can’t stand the strong taste of the yeast (talk about taste-bud sensitivities). There is no problem with them otherwise, they rise etc. I can taste the excessive yeast too. If there any way around this; less yeast, a combo of backing powder and yeast?
Hi,
I’d like to try your all-purpose flour mix, but we have sensitivities to soy and corn in my family. (Not to mention dairy). I saw the posting about substituting sorghum flour for soy. What could I use in place of the corn flour? I’ve read that millet flour is similar in texture to corn flour. Also, would potato starch work for the corn starch?
I’m new to the gluten-free world and could use all the help I can get.
Thanks.
That’s a tough one! I wonder how little yeast you would have to use so that he wouldn’t taste it? I’ve never seen a recipe that combined yeast and baking powder, but it’s worth a shot. I’m going to see if I can get Sea over at Book of Yum to weigh in on this one. I know that she uses Betty Hagman recipes. For any other Hagman fans out there, what do you think?
Karen,
I adapted my recipe from the one in Carol Fenster’s book “Gluten Free 101″ . So I looked at that recipe again tonight, and it suggests almond flour as a substitute for the corn flour and even suggest that you can grind your own flour from slivered almonds using a coffee grinder. I also looked at what she had to say about millet flour and I think that would work as well.
For the corn starch, you can substitute potato starch or tapioca starch (flour).
By the way, the mix in Gluten Free 101 looks like it would be perfect for your family, so you might just want to try to get your hands on a copy of that. It was the first and only GF cookbook that I purchased and we’ve enjoyed several of the recipes.
Hi Kathleen! Hmmm… interesting about the yeast sensitivity. I wonder if he could have some mild yeast intolerance that makes it taste bad to him. With the yeast recipes, you could try making the largest possible loaf. At least in “The Gluten Free Gourmet Bakes Bread” she keeps the yeast at the same amount regardless of size of loaf, so presumably more flour would dilute the flavor and you’d still have a high rising loaf. I also noticed that the sourdough breads rise more and use less yeast granules, so you could try that (even decreasing the amount of yeast) and see how he feels about it. Your DH may not care for the taste of the sourdough, though. She also has a chapter in the same book of yeast free breads, so you could try those as your main staples. I imagine that baking powder and yeast might be able to be combined together with good results, but I haven’t experimented with that myself. You might also try switching yeast brands, or try using flatbreads (socca, corn tortilla, chebe), pancakes, or muffins as your main household bread. Good luck! Have you tried the gluten free bread mixes, like Bob’s Red Mill or Gluten Free Pantry? I wonder if they might be more to his taste…
-Sea
Come visit me at the Book of Yum!
Thanks Sea!
[...] I mix up a big batch of this flour mix (usually 9 cups) every couple of weeks and store it in a air-tight container. Whenever I want to make a loaf of bread, biscuits, or pancakes I use my flour mix instead of having to measure out 3 or 4 different kinds of flours. If this sounds like something that would work for you, and you’re not allergic to soy or corn, then you can find the original recipe here. [...]
Someone mentioned almond flour as a substitute for corn flour. We put this in our pancakes and they are delicious. You can probably do the same thing with other nuts. I’ve tried store-bought gf bread that had pecan flour. Yummy.
Candi,
Thanks for letting us know that it works!
Thank you for all these posts. We have to avoid gluten, egg, soy, all nuts and a lot of corn, so I’m hoping this will work:
3 parts brown rice flour
3 parts tapioca starch or potato starch
2 parts sorghum flour
1 part millet flour
If you think something else would work better could you post it? I tried to glean this from all the comments! I’m hoping to avoid an all out gluten sensitivity with my dd who is allergic to the top 8 except for wheat and dairy (but something’s been giving her stomach aches so off the gluten and low on the dairy for a while as she takes Glutamine and digestive enzymes). Thanks for this site. It’s been really great.
Psalm 40, that mix looks like it should work. Let us know how it goes, and I hope your dd starts to feel better soon.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the discussions on the various grains from all of you. I am not only dairy, soy, gluten intolerant, I am also extremely sensitive to using “regular sugar” and all synthetic sugars (aspartame and splenda - yuck!), I am also a naturopath who specialized in treating people with GI disorders. I never thought of replacing soy with sorghum, or corn flour with almond flour. Has anyone tried using arrowroot in place of cornstarch? What about using agave nectar and stevia in place of traditional sugars?
I use arrowroot in place of cornstarch for pretty much everything. We have a lot of food sensitivities and I am trying to keep things as “mixed up” as possible so more sensitivities don’t crop up. Use equal amount arrowroot for cornstarch.
I just mixed up a batch of the “Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Mix” to give gluten free baking a try. My son was diagnosed recently with autism, he is 3, and we’re putting the whole family on the diet, because he doesn’t understand why other people get things when he doesn’t. His little brother is actually allergic to eggs and milk, so the same is going for that as well. I’m thankful for your kitchen experimentation, I have a -very- picky husband. Here’s hoping we get some great bread
Stacy - for your sons autism, you might find a homeopathic remedy that pulls out the toxins from the vaccinations he has had. I have found it helps tremendously.
[...] 2 medium sweet potatoes, diced and boiled 1/2 onion, diced 1 jalepeno, diced 1 can black beans, drained 1/2 Gala Apple, diced 1 packet Guacamole seasoning Romaine lettuce, chopped 4 Flour tortillas - Hagman recipe w/ my flour mix. [...]
tickledr-do you have any suggestions of specific homeopathic remedies/brands that would help remove toxins from vaccinations?
Debbie-there are actually homeopathic remedies available that are specifically formulated to pull out toxins left behind from childhood vaccines and immunizations. Find a naturopathic physician and talk to her/him about it.
[...] c. Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Mix 1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum 2 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. salt 1 c. warm [...]
I’m allergic to soy and all nuts. Do you recommend any substitutions in the gf flour blend?
I tried to make yeast bread with a mixture of buckwheat and brown rice flours and it did not rise. Is there something else I need to make this work? I am new to needing to be completely GF. Thanks for your help. I would just love to be able to still eat good bread.
Hi Karen, Did you use any xanthan gum in your recipe? It gives the dough the structure it needs to hold the air bubbles from the yeast and rise. That being said, gluten free bread doesn’t nearly as well as wheat breads, and I think we all eventually get used to having smaller sandwiches. I have a bread recipe that uses buckwheat and brown rice flour, if you’d like to compare it to the recipe that you used. I don’t make it that often…the standard bread around here is “Finally, Really Good Sandwich Bread”. You can find both of the recipes under “Bread” in the recipe index. Hope this helps. Feel free to keep asking questions =)
Hi there. I’m new to this blog and also pretty new to the gluten free world (just the past month). To complicate matters, I am a full time rver (we live in a 31′ 5th wheel full time and travel the country - currently touring Alaska for the summer (2008). Anyway, I like the looks of your flour mixture in that those are items you can find in any grocery store; but I have a couple of questions. 1) Do I have to store it in the refrigerator once I make up a large batch? I have limited space, so if I don’t have to that would be great. 2) I’ve read that when using non wheat flour mixtures you have to increase the leavening agents. Is this correct with your flour mixture?
Gretchen, if you’ll be using the flour mix up quickly you don’t have to store it. I never do. Also, I usually use the normal amounts of leavening agents when I’m converting recipes. If it doesn’t rise enough, then I increase on the next try. I figure that swapping the flours around is enough of an experiment for the first batch.
I happen to love garbanzo flour… I’ve just mixed up two all purpose concoctions. I’ll let you know how they do…
2 parts brn rice
2 parts garbanzo
2 parts arrowroot
1 part coconut flour (very expensive!)
and
2 parts amaranth
2 parts garbanzo
2 parts arrowroot
1 part coconut
Hi,
I am VERY new to all this. But am wondering if this flour mix would work well with the majority of traditional recipes for baking? (ie: traditional cookies, cakes recipes, etc) I am/used to be a novice baker and was hoping someday to share that love of baking with my child. Probably the biggest loss to date was the realization that I might be able to share that with him. A GF all-purpose flour might just be the key….
I do realize that I will have to experiment, but would love to be able to come up with great treats for the family made with love….
@Laura: Hi Laura, this recipe is very good for pancakes, muffins, yeast breads and sweet breads. Ihave to confess that I don’t make cookies that often, but I do use this mix for sugar cookies at Christmas. For cakes I use a mix that is 1/3 brown rice flour, 1/3 sorghum flour, and 1/3 corn starch.
I’m so glad you stopped by and commented. When gluten free cooking is new it can be very overwhelming and you definitely can get lots of encouragement from the gluten free blogging community. Since you love baking, I’m sure that you’ll soon discover that you can bake really great foods even on a gluten free diet (much better than anything in the stores).And my two year old son loves to help me mix up the dough and batter for bread and muffins. He even has his own rolling pin so that he can roll out his own pizzas with me.
[...] flour frequently appears in gluten free baking mixes. I often substitute it for the soy flour in my all-purpose mix. (The light bean flour in the Bette Hagman cookbooks is garfava [...]
I’m loving your blog & the comments!
I love them! Enough that I made Socca (the Italian chick-pea pancakey thing that we kinda make like pizza) and liked it. BUT, first time I made it with garfava flour. I enjoyed it okay, but there was definitely a really beaney taste in the back/roof of my mouth from it. Next time I was at an Indian market, I bought gram flour–just chickpeas. Much Much improved, in my opinion.
I’m a bean-fan
One other discovery at the Indian market: Dosa batter. At $3.99 for a nice-sized container, I could make Dosa for the family and it turned out to make AMAZING onion rings!
[...] mix up a big bowl of the main flours in your recipe. I used my “Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Mix” because I wanted to make “Finally, Really Good Sandwich Bread”. Since I use my [...]
Hi,
I had a question about the flour mix. Can you substitute another flour for the soy flour, if necessary?
Thanks so much for all the information…this site is such a blessing!
@Beth: You sure can! Try garfava or sorghum flour instead.
Hi,
I have a recipe that calls for all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. I’ve found a good substitution for the all-purpose portion, but can’t seem to figure out what a good substitution for the whole wheat flour might be (using an all-purpose GF flour for both flours does not give the finished flavor I like). I definately want to try to keep the whole wheat flavor as much as possible, as it makes quite a bit of difference in this recipe. I’ve heard substituting buckwheat flour or teff (one-to-one for the whole wheat) doesn’t work well, but don’t know what combination of flours/starches/gums would be best. This is for a scone recipe (in case that makes a difference). Thanks so very much!
We have been GF for about a year now. I love to bake and have experimented with a lot of things. What I’ve found to make the best “goodies” is white rice flour from the Asian Market - no substitution!! There is nothing like it! I use it to make my GF flour (1part tapioca flour, 2 parts potato starch, 3 parts rice flour). I have taken all of our old favorites, (cookies, including snickerdoodles and christmas cut out cookies- which I missed the most the first year - banana bread, cakes….you name it! I make it and you can’t tell that its gf!! No grainy feel at all!! I use it pretty much cup for cup but in cookies I add a little more to make the cookies stand up better! and of course you need xanthan gum (about 1 tsp for every 2 cups). Now we probably eat too many goodies again!! I’m actually starting to gain weight!
Hi there,
I’m so glad I found this site (well, that my brother did). It’s nice to see so many enthusiastic bakers. There is always an element of trial and error in cooking, and a community like this will always get over the error part a lot quicker than each of us working in isolation.
I have a specific question: the recipe here calls for brown rice flour. Do you think it would be an error to substitute this for rice flour (that isn’t brown)? I am aware that brown rice noodles, for example, have a different texture than ordinary rice noodles, so I imagine there will be some difference. I have found a supplier of rice flour, but not brown rice flour yet (I’ve only been looking for a short while, though, so in time I’m sure I will find the brown variety).
[...] Ingredients 2 2/3 c. “Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Mix Recipe“ 2 Tbsp. sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. ginger 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. [...]
[...] Can I just substitute your gluten free flour mixture for a regular cookie / cake / muffin recipe that calls for all purpose flour? What about the [...]
Up near the top of this post, there was a question about substituting Stevia or Agave nectar for sugar. I have been put on a gf diet as well as many other restrictions (dairy, included), and cannot have any “regular” sugar and I have been wondering the same thing, especially with yeast breads. Sugar is what yeast eats when you proof it, so would agave or stevia have the same effect? Any of your infinite wisdom will be greatly appreciated by this newbie.
Me again…
I am having a VERY difficult finding extra fine brown rice flour anywhere near where I live. Is it regular brown rice flour that is used in your mixture or do I need the extra fine? I was assured that the flour I bought this morning at a grain processing mill in Toronto, is “fairly fine”, but I haven’t used it yet.
Again, any advice is appreciated. *smile…*
Diana
@Diana: I have only used the Bob’s Red Mill brand. I just poured some of mine into my hand and you can see very small individual pieces of flour, but when I rub it between my fingers the word “grainy” does not come to mind. It doesn’t even feel like very fine sandpaper. Maybe that will help? Or you may have to try cooking with it and if you note a grainy mouth feel you’ll know to try another brand next time.
@Diana: I think agave nectar would be fine.
This has been a good read. I want to eliminate wheat and corn starch from my diet as recommended by Dr William Davis. I have no idea if other products cause the detrimental effects on cardiovascular health as highlighted in Dr Davis’ site, but until the science is done, I will assume brown rice, soy, potato and Teft (Ethiopian grain) are ok subs. With the information from this site (eggs/xanthate gum/cider vinegar), I hope to have better success with my bread rather than continuing to make a series of adobe bricks
thanks for the info.
@trevor: I’m glad the article was helpful. All of the flours that you mentioned are gluten free and should be okay for your diet.
@Mary Frances:
Thank you so much. I love this site; I have so much to learn. Obviously, being new to all of this, I need both assistance and support, because it’s tough to have so many restrictions, but I can deal with it creatively, with these suggestions. The buttermilk substitution and all-purpose flour, to name two. I found a recipe for cornbread I just have to try. I can use soy margarine and agave nectar on it and I’m sure it will be fantastic. It’s on page 17 on this e-book:
C:\Documents and Settings\HP_Owner\My Documents\Gluten-Free Baking Classics - Google Book Search.mht
Does anyone here know a good sour dough recipe that can be made with this wonderful all purpose flour mix? I was at my naturopath yesterday and she said for me to not only go gf, but to go yeast free, as well. She mentioned sour d’oh bread as an alternative, along with corn wraps (tortillas) It’s frustrating to no end to have any diet restrictions, especially restrictions that are an integral part of everyday life. *sigh*
@Stephanie
I checked out the recipe for making Socca, and I can have all that’s in it, so I’m going to try it this weekend. Small things make me so happy. hehehe I’ve never heard of that “bread” before, and I was married to an Italian.
@Diana
sour dough is a yeast bread.
If your naturopath did not know this, maybe you have the wrong ND.
@trevor
My ND is not a cook/chef. Sour dough gets its “wild yeast” from the air, not by processed yeast that is commonly found in the grocery store. She said wild yeast is okay, since we breathe the air that yeast is gathered from.
@anyone
Is it only from wheat flour that the “wild yeast” can be gathered or would Mary Frances’ brown rice all-purpose flour mix have that ability as well?
I have numerous diet restrictions, and I am finding that there is less frustration if I stop looking for substitutes for the “old food”, and change my outlook a little, and experiment. Bread is good, and it’s a comfort food, but I don’t think it has to be a staple.
I have so many food restrictions (gluten, anything to do with cattle or pork, sugar, yeast, coffee, black tea and many more.) , there are few things I CAN eat. Finding something close to the “old food” is a comfort in itself.
@Diana
Try kerfer instead for raising your bread mix. Yeast is yeast (although there are many strains) and if you have an intolerance to yeast then any sub won’t help IMHO. My own philosophy is that mind and soul need to mesh. If you are seeking guidance then often it is self serving to speak to an “authority” such as a Naturopath Doctor. Personally I don’t eat animal flesh and that works for me despite the fact that humans have evolved as omnivores. Feeling good about what you eat is very satisfying. I say do what makes you feel good about yourself. To hec with the rest.
I am trying to make my own Brown rice tortillas. I looked at the ingredients on the ones u buy and ithas brown rice, tapicoaflour. sunflower oil, rice bran,vegetable gum(xantham,cellulose).sea salt.. Can anyone turn this into a recipe for me?? I would appreciate it. I am one of those cooks who needs strick quidelines to follow or my food flops.
I need to know where to go to get GF flours that don’t cost an arm and a leg for just a small bag. I tried making bread with white soy flour and white rice flour, corn flour and corn starch and some Xanthum gum and it did not raise much and it tasted strong, not like real bread. What can I do to get the taste of glutened bread and cookies etc.
Rita if you find some let me know. Im still experimenting with the expensive stuff trying to get a good brown rice tortillas to come out right..
@Alice & Rita,
I go to a bulk food store here as well a couple of weeks ago, I went to a grain mill and bought 10kg bags of flours. It’s a lot to store, but you might be able to save some money on the flours you use most often.
Diana,
Thanks for your response, I hope to find a place like you..
Diana, which grain mill and would they ship if i asked them for the same quantity? I live in a small city for a health food store selection. I would have to find a bigger store around here.
I do need to find someone who has made some good baked products that tastes “normal” with the flours so I can get recipes and follow the directions with those same flours.
@Rita,
Unfortunately, I can’t tell you which grain mill, unless you live near Toronto, Ontario, Candada. Do you ever get to a big city? If you do, it might do you well to investigate on-line, places to go for bulk foods and make a day-trip, if possible. I learned of Grain Process in Toronto, from a friend of mine who is caeliac. He and his wife had already done investigations of where to go to get the supplies they need. There are more caeliacs than you can shake a stick at. Do you know any whom you can ask? I’m not, however. I have an illness that my naturopath has severely restricted my diet to aide in treatment. I now investigate everything, to the point of obsession. I like food… plain and simple.
I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.
@alice: I have a brown rice tortilla recipe
here on the site if you’d like to try that.
@Diana: Elana’s Pantry has a yeast free bread recipe. It just substitutes baking powder/baking soda for the yeast.
@Mary Frances,
Thanks so much. Do you happen to have the website address for it? It would be so much appreciated.
Nevermind, I found it.
The recipes look wonderful. I am also further restricted by the Acid Alkaline Diet, among other things, and this site looks like I can substitute out the things I can’t have, to suit my diet requirements.
I really don’t like rice flour and would like a recipe for pie crust from scratch. Does anyone have a good recipe?
Thank-you
@Kathleen,
I have been told to stay away from yeast, too and my mom told me that she made me Soda Bread when I was younger. I found a good gluten free soda bread recipe, so, if you want it, I will post it.
Yes, Please, Diana, I would love the recipe for Soda Bread. My daughter stays away from yeast 2.
@Alice,
I can’t remember where on the net I got this. I used the tapioca flour instead of the sweet rice, but I used the brown rice flour. I hope it’s okay with you. It tasted really good.
You will need a baking tray, lightly dusted with brown rice flour
Ingredients
310 g/11oz brown rice flour
140 g/5 oz sweet rice flour (or tapioca flour)
1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar + ½ tsp salt
1 heaped tsp xanthan gum
1 egg lightly beaten (try flax gel made from 1 TBSP flax seeds and 1 cup boiling water?)
300-350ml/10-12fl oz rice milk (or make nut milk using ½ cup nuts and 2 cups water blended in a processor. Yield is over 400 ml – use up to 350 ml of it here
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 230C/450F/Gas 8 and put your oven shelf up high.
2. Sift all the dry ingredients together into a large bowl. Mix well by lifting the dry ingredients up into your hands and then letting them fall back into the bowl through your fingers. This adds more air and therefore more lightness to your finished bread. Lightly whisk the egg and rice (or nut) milk together.
3. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in most of the egg and milk at once. Using one hand, with your fingers stiff and outstretched (like a claw!), stir in a full circular movement from the centre to the outside of the bowl in ever-increasing circles, adding a little more egg and milk mixture if necessary. The dough should be softish, not too wet and sticky.
4. The trick with soda bread is not to over-mix the dough. Mix it as quickly and as gently as possible, thus keeping it light and airy. When the dough all comes together, roll lightly in the bowl for a few seconds - just enough to tidy it up. Pat the dough into a round, pressing it to about 5cm/2in in height.
5. Place the dough on a baking tray dusted lightly with brown rice flour. With a sharp knife cut a deep cross in it to mark out 4 large pieces, letting the cuts go over the sides of the bread.
6. Bake in the oven at 230C/450F/Gas 8 for five minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180C/350F/Gas 4 for a further 45 minutes or until cooked. If in doubt, tap the bottom of the bread. If it is cooked, it will sound hollow. If the top doesn’t brown, put the loaf under the grill to brown it (keep an eye on it). Remove from the oven and transfer the loaf from the baking tray onto a wire rack to cool.
7. Serve freshly baked, cut into the four thick pieces. Spread with coconut oil/butter, if desired.
Variations
Cranberry soda bread: Perhaps you could add some home dried cranberries and maybe some sweetener to make a fruit loaf, or shape into buns?
Soda bread with herbs: Follow the master recipe, adding 1-2 tablespoons freshly chopped herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme, chives, parsley or lemon balm) to the dry ingredients.
Soda bread with cumin: Follow the master recipe, adding 1-2 tablespoons freshly roasted cumin seeds to the flour.
Seedy bread: If you like caraway seeds, this variation is a must and is delicious served for afternoon tea. Follow the master recipe, adding one tablespoon sugar (how much sweetener?) and 2-3 teaspoons caraway seeds to the dry ingredients.
Diana
Is their something I can substitute soy flour for? Daughter won’t touch soy,
@Alice,
Sorghum flour is a good soy flour substitute.
Diana
What is kerfer?I am having problems finding it when I google.
Sorry, spelling is “kefir”
search: kefir, bread
Hi there
I have great success proofing yeast using honey. The ratio is:
1 tablespoon of honey
4 tablespoons warm water and
1 packet of active dry yeast (which equals on/about 2 tsp).
I thought of using agave. Haven’t tried it yet - I’m sure it’s fine. I’ve never used stevia for this purpose (I don’t tolerate it). The key is to use only lukewarm water - otherwise it kills the yeast. When I make my bread - this is my first step. So, it has a chance to proof for about 5-10 minutes or so while I am measuring both wet and dry ingredients. Hope this helps.
Hi, I promised a friend that I would make (or attempt to make) him a gluten-free pizza this weekend. Can I simply substitute the “Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour” for regular flour in my recipe? Should I add xanthum gum or any other ingredient? If so, how much?
Here is my simple pizza dough recipe from my bread machine that I make all the time and everyone enjoys:
1 cup water
3 cups flour (to which I would substitute the gluten-free flour recipe from above)
3 tablespoons sugar
1.5 teaspoons salt
1.5 tablespoons evaporated milk (checked and its gluten-free)
1.5 tablespoons margarine or butter
2.25 teaspoons yeast
Thank you so much for any advice you can give me. I commend you and all the people who have posted to this site. It is so informative and a pleasure to read. There’s a real sense of community here. I will certainly recommend this site to my friend and his wife, if they haven’t already found it!
@Joanne: That should work well, but you will need to add some xanthan gum so that the crust doesn’t crumble. I posted a pizza crust recipe last week, so you can look at that to get a feel for how much xanthan gum that you should add.
Hi Mary Frances, Thank you for all your help. I found your pizza crust recipe after I made the post; sorry. In case anyone is interested on the outcome of my gluten-free pizza crust, here it is. My friend claimed it was delicious and wanted the recipe. He said the crust had nice bread-like, thick texture and he likes Silician pizzas. Since I wasn’t able to get a hold of xantham gum, I added an additional cup of your all-purpose gluten-free flour to my recipe because the dough had looked too soft. Here is the final outcome.
I used my bread machine in the dough setting to mix, knead, and rise the dough. The cycle in my machine takes 1 hour and 40 minutes. I ended up with a cycle of 1 hour and 80 minutes because after 40 minutes, the dough looked too soft and I added more flour and wanted to make sure that it was well mixed, so I started the cycle over again. Here is what the gluten-free pizza crust recipe ended up as:
1 cup water
4 cups gluten-free flour (made from 3 parts white rice flour, 3 parts corn starch, 2 parts soy flour and 1 part fine corn meal–I couldn’t find corn flour…)
3 Tablespoons sugar
1.5 teaspoons salt
1.5 Tablespoons dry milk
1.5 Tablespoons margarine (or you can use butter)
1 Tablespoon powdered yeast
For my regular pizza dough, I usually knead the dough a little after the bread machine cycle ends and let the dough rise in a bowl covered with a wet dish cloth (or put it back in the bread machine bucket) and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Last night because I was pressed for time and the dough cycle went longer than usual, I didn’t let it rise for another 30 minutes, but just kneaded and rolled it out. To keep the dough from sticking to my board, I used the left over gluten-free flour to flour the board and the dough. From the above recipe, I made two pizza crusts.
I topped the pizzas with my tomato sauce and one pizza with just cheese and the other with cheese and eggplant (I prepared the eggplant ahead of time by spreading the slices with fat-free mayo and dipping them in crushed corn flake cereal mixed with a little parsley flakes, minced onion, and garlic powder). Then I sprayed the eggplant with canola oil and baked them at 350 degree for about 35 minutes, turning over half way. Regular mayo and no oil spray works better but I was trying to cut down on the fat and cholesterol).
I put the pizzas in the cold oven and then set the temperature to 375 degrees. I found that not preheating the oven gives dough another chance to rise (regular dough anyway). When the oven reaches 375, the pizzas are usually within 5 minutes of being ready.
Thank you again for all your help. I pointed my friend to your web site for recipes and the “Finally, Really Good Sandwich Bread,” which looks delicious.
Joanne, I see that most everyone uses bread machines with the recipes, pizza dough. Can you do this same recipe without changing it if you don’t have a bread machine?
I’m new here. Been GF for about 4 years, wouldn’t go back. Re: substitute for whole wheat–make up a batch of flour in the amount you need, using 3 parts brown rice flour, 1 part potato starch, 1/2 part each (red) teff, amaranth, almond(flours), and stabilized rice bran. The almond and teff flours and rice bran give that “whole wheat” color and texture. The amaranth I use interchangeably with millet flour, in everything, to lighten the mix and add nutritional value.
Side note: flours made primarily of white rice, potato starch, tapioca or arrowroot flours are nutritionally worthless. And yes…bean flours are icky. My husband usually goes along with the diet, but he drew the line at bean flours.
Does anyone know if Amaranth flour known by any other name? I can’t find it where I live.
Can this flour mix be used like regular flour to fry chicken and make gravy? Some gluten-free mixes I have purchased and tried make very tough crust and gravy that stays thick as mud!! I need to be able incorporate my gluten-free requirements into some of the country type cooking that my husband loves.
@Tracie: Yes, use this flour just like plain wheat flour for breading chicken. For gravy, I generally just use brown rice flour by itself. We made Sawmill gravy last weekend and the brown rice flour worked just fine. (3 Tbsp brown rice flour, 3 Tbsp butter, 1 pint half & half, black pepper and salt to taste)
Hi Mary Frances: I made a traditional roast beef dinner last night with Yorkshire pudding and brown gravy. I used your all-purpose flour mix as I would have used wheat flour and it turned out beautifully. I had made your mix up once before, only I used corn flour instead of Masa Harina. Oops. Not a good decision. My daughter said everything I made with it tasted like dog biscuits! But the correct mix
worked great. The Yorkshire pudding, which I make in one large pan like a souffle, although many people make it in muffin tins like popovers, rose beautifully and had a lovely, tender texture. I did make sure my measurements were scant as I find the rice flours tend to take a little more moisture. We had a feast! thanks!
Hi again: about rice flours- White rice flour is made from white rice. White rice is brown rice with the bran removed (it is the outer bran that makes brown rice brown). White rice flour is smoother than brown rice flour because it does not have the milled rice bran in it. I do not feel it rubbed between my fingers, but my palate sure knows the difference. I use brown rice flour as my preference for the extra nutrition, but if the ’sandy’ texture gets in my way, I use white rice flour instead.
Have also used coconut flour in my cookie flour mix. Delicious.
Hi,
Just found this web-site while looking for instructions on how to use a GF French Bread Mix I bought today. No instructions on the bag and I need to use this for Thanksgiving (Mom-in-law is newly diagnosed). The ingredients are:
White Rice Flour, tapioca flour, soybean oil, sugar, whole egg solids, egg replacer (corn flour, dextrose, salt, soy oil, egg yolk, lecithin), xanthan gum, salt,egg white solid, modified cornstrarch, lecithin.
No brand name, no nothing.
Can anyone help?
My name is Jackie: I am gluten intolance and it is hard to get myself to cook a decent meal because of this intolance that I have. I want to thank U for the different reciples that I can follow so I can make bread that is gluten-free. I have a bread machine and I bought a pre made brown rice bread machine from a box and the dough went all doughy. I didn’t like it. It feels like I want to enjoy myself and start eating properly. Thanks so much for the different reciples. Keep me posted at all times for new reciples
@Esther: Unless someone recognized the ingredients, you’re probably going to have to find a gluten free french bread recipe online and do some math to figure out how much yeast, oil, and water to add. (It looks like those are about the only missing ingredients). Gluten Free Sox Fan and Gluten a Go Go both have recipes on their blogs. I’d also recommend adding the water gradually to make sure your dough doesn’t get too loose to shape properly, and beating the dough with a mixer for several minutes to get the xanthan gum to develop properly. Good Luck!
I have been using your flour mix and it is great that I don’t feel left out eating something baked that is sweet. Now I need to know how to convert the flour mixture to resemble Bisquick Mix? I want to do a recipe that uses this Mix. Also, I just ordered a bread machine for Christmas that has a GF setting. I will soon be able to eat a sandwhich….Merry Christmas to all!
I have a recipe for a hazelnut pumpkin cake and i want to know how to substitute the Gluten free flour mix for bisquick mix. I want to make the cake soon, so anyone who has a recipe contact me at rfaulkner06@bellsouth.net or here, but I need it reallllly soon. Also, i want a recipe for a sugar cookie that you can use cookie cutters with that are not as hard as a brick and are tasty. I got my bread machine so after all the hussle and bustle of Christmas I will start using your recipes in it. I can hardly wait…Rita
@rfaulkner06: Ginger Lemon Girl (blog) has a recipe for a Bisquick type mix that should point you in the right direction.
I own a small baking company. We have been slowly adding gluten free baked goods to our production. Right now we offer gluten free cup cakes, sugar cookies, double chocolate peanut butter cookies, vanilla sticks (which are a meringue cookie), macaroons, & peanut butter brownies. I am going to try the bread recipes on this site to see if we can start adding bread to our repetoire.
Why is gluten free bread so expensive? This I don’t understand! The ingredients are NOT expensive. I know the xanthan gum is pricey but heck, you only use a little. I hate to say this but I think gluten free commercial bakers are gouging the public.
We are sucessfully making gluten free pie crusts. We do charge $1.50 extra gluten free pies. The ONLY reason why we do this is because it IS more complicated to make. With regular dough you mix flour, fat, salt, and water and get pie crust. For the gluten free version you have to measure out three flours and then jump through a few extra hoops to get a pretty pie.
Here are some tips to follow:
1. Take any pie crust you used before becoming gluten free. Mix the flour and shortening in a food processer using the same amount of shortening the recipe calls for. To that add one egg yolk. While the processor is still running you will want to drizzle in just enough cold water to get the dough to form a ball. For most pie crusts you want to work the dough as little as possible to keep gluten strands from forming and toughening the dough. No worries here of that happening! The egg yolk is going to add color and some tenderness to the finished crust.
2. Add about 1 tablespoon of sugar per 2 cups of flour mix.
3. Brush the top of the dough with an egg wash then sprinkle with sugar to give some color to an otherwise pure white dough (we use tapioca and white rice flour with potato starch).
4. Roll the dough out between two pieces of parchment paper.
5. Chill the dough a little to make it easier to handle. Not too much, though, or the dough will crack as you try to work with it. You want it just cold enough to peel away from the parchment without sticking but not so cold that it becomes a hardened disk.
6. Forget about crimping- just use a fork around the edge. If you must crimp you will need to constantly dip your fingers into your flour mix to keep the dough from becoming a sticky mess. It CAN be done but it is tedious.
7. From this point forward bake the pie and test for doneness just like for any other pie. For apple pies use your cake tester to see if the apples are tender. For other fruits you want to make sure the pie is bubbling well before taking out of the oven. Bubbling tells you that the thickeners have had a chance to set up.
8. To thicken fruit pies use tapioca flour instead of flour. You already knew that, right?
For a delicious cream pie make a cornstarch pudding. Pour it over sliced bananas and voila: Banana Cream Pie. Just ice with Sweetened Whipped Cream. For Coconut Custard make a custard using cornstarch as the thickener. For Chocolate Cream Pie use cocoa in your cornstarch pudding.
I buy my potato starch, tapioca flour, and rice flour at an Asian grocery store. It beats paying exorbitant prices for Bob’s Red Mill products, a lot of which are not organic anyway. I find the rice flour to be nice and silky…ie not gritty like some rice flours out there.
I hope this helps all of you pie lovers.
Lori
PS. Do NOT use the gluten free pie dough recipe out there that calls for cream cheese. It’s a big sticky MESS! If you remove the cream cheese from the mix that recipe is actually a good one. Don’t try to use Egg Replacer for the egg yolk. I’d probably leave the egg out in that case and then maybe add a tablespoon or two of cream cheese for tenderness. Use some yellow food coloring to give some color or perhaps some tumeric.
Lori,
Thank you so much on the info for the gluton-free pie crust and where to get the flours inexpensively,I have a new very small bakery and have been asked to do non-gluton without much success so far,but I am going to give your pie crust a try………
thanks
Terry
@ Lori,
From Canada, I thank you too. I was going to ask if anyone had a gluten free pie crust recipe. Do you think that Mary Frances’ flour mixture would work or what ratio of the tapioca flour and rice flour would you suggest. Like many here, I’m new to the gluten free world, so as much guidance you can give will be appreciated immensely.
Diana
Diana - From what I’ve read, kefir contains yeast, which is how it can make things rise. It sounds like an interesting ingredient, but if wild yeast is supposed to be ok, that’s certainly simpler. I don’t think there would be a problem getting wild yeast to grow in other types of flours as long as they’re starches. But if you have trouble, add sugar or something with sugar in it.
Has anyone tried making Irish Soda Bread with a gluten free flour combo and xanthan gum?
I’ve had some really good Irish Soda Breads that slice just like regular loaf breads and taste really good. They are leavened with baking soda. I guess they are classified as Quick Breads. I’m thinking that they would work really well as sandwich bread.
If anyone tries/has tried this please let me know. I think it could be an awesome alternative to yeast breads which never seem to work the same way twice in a row (at least for me).
I would also be interested in yeast gluten free breads if anyone has a recipe.
This recipe was given to me using Buckwheat flour, which I’m not at all a fan of.
I just substituted Mary Frances’ flour mixture for the buckwheat, but if you like buckwheat, by all means, use it. If you want it for sandwiches, just leave out the raisins and Cinnamon.
4 to 4 1/2 cups flour
* 2 Tbsp raw sugar
* 1 teaspoon sea salt
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 4 Tbsp butter or virgin olive oil
* 1 cup raisins
* 1 tsp. cinnamon
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 2 cups buttermilk
1. Preheat the oven to 230C/450F/Gas 8 and put your oven shelf up high.
2. Sift all the dry ingredients together into a large bowl. Mix well by lifting the dry ingredients up into your hands and then letting them fall back into the bowl through your fingers. This adds more air and therefore more lightness to your finished bread. Lightly whisk the egg and rice (or nut) milk together.
3. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in most of the egg and milk at once. Using one hand, with your fingers stiff and outstretched (like a claw!), stir in a full circular movement from the centre to the outside of the bowl in ever-increasing circles, adding a little more egg and milk mixture if necessary. The dough should be softish, not too wet and sticky.
4. The trick with soda bread is not to over-mix the dough. Mix it as quickly and as gently as possible, thus keeping it light and airy. When the dough all comes together, roll lightly in the bowl for a few seconds - just enough to tidy it up. Pat the dough into a round, pressing it to about 5cm/2in in height.
5. Place the dough on a baking tray dusted lightly with brown rice flour. With a sharp knife cut a deep cross in it to mark out 4 large pieces, letting the cuts go over the sides of the bread.
6. Bake in the oven at 230C/450F/Gas 8 for five minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180C/350F/Gas 4 for a further 45 minutes or until cooked. If in doubt, tap the bottom of the bread. If it is cooked, it will sound hollow. If the top doesn’t brown, put the loaf under the grill to brown it (keep an eye on it). Remove from the oven and transfer the loaf from the baking tray onto a wire rack to cool.
7. Serve freshly baked, cut into the four thick pieces. Spread with coconut oil/butter, if desired.
Thanks Diana but my daughter wont touch anything with soy or wheat. I am assumming buckwheat is wheat… I dont know for sure.
@Alice,
Buckwheat is actually a grass, not wheat, but the name is confusing. You can replace soy flour with sorghum flour (I do, as I’m not fond of soy flour). The flavour is as close to wheat flour as I’ve tasted since entering the gluten-free world. I hope this helps.
Yes Diana, it does help. Now, I have to convince my daughter that it is not wheat. Thanks for all the information.
@alice,
Why don’t you use Mary Frances’ flour mix, substituting the sorghum for the soy flour? That way, you don’t have to do any convincing? It only tastes close to wheat flour, without containing any.
I made my first loaf of bread in the breadmachine using the bread recipe Really Good Sandwhich Bread. It didn’t rise much. My machine has a GF button an that is what it was baked on. I did put one packet and 3/4 teaspoon more yeast in it maybe that is what is wrong. It was Flet Rapid rise. And the water was the right temp with a themometer. It did get foamy too. So what should I do? Should I not use the GF setting? It was a treat even to eat this with some jam on it.
Also I once had a recipe for a cheese sauce to make and put over vegs like brussel sprouts, but I can’t find it. I would think that you could make a rough from the flour mix? And then add the cheese and milk maybe? Help.
here’s a rough recipe for cheese sauce: 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp flour mix, enough milk to get the right consistency, grated cheese to taste. So, melt the butter, whisk in the flour, cook for a minute for so, whisk milk in gradually (adding more as needed as the sauce thickens), then add grated cheddar cheese to taste. My mom used to make this for broccoli, and would substitute broccoli water for some of the milk.
I made a loaf this week that didn’t rise either, so it may just be the current weather conditions in Birmingham. I’d give it another shot on the GF setting once the weather has changed and see if that makes a difference. If not, try mixing the ingredients before putting them in the bread machine so that you can make sure that the xanthan gum develops properly
Thank you Mary Frances
I have made several loafs of this bread; in fact, I have one baking right now. I don’t have a GF breadmaker, so I just turn my oven on 200 for about 30 seconds to get it slightly warm, then shut it off. I use my Kitchenaide to mix the batter (dough) for about 3-5 minutes, then I transfer it to a greased bread pan. I put it in the oven to rise for 20 minutes. I take it out of the oven for a minute while my oven preheats to 375 degrees, then I put the bread in the oven for 60 minutes. It rises beautifully and has fantastic flavour.
somebody help me please, I need to know if I can use STEVIA or AGAVE NECTOR in a homemade lemon merigue pie ??????If so how much ????
@Joyce,
I have found Stevia absolutely hideous tasting in any great amount, but Agave I have used cup for cup instead of processed sugar. Is it the merangue you want to use it for? If so, that may present a problem, since it’s liquidy. If it’s in the lemon filling, I can’t see a problem.
Diana
I have found a product called sevita that does not have the bitter aftertaste that stevia has. The only place I can find it is on line. Just google in stevita and see what you can find.
Mary Francis, I love this discussion group - have learned so much about different flours. Thank you.
How long can you keep the coconut flour, and does it need to be
stored in the refrigerator?
Do you have a recipe for GF Cocoanut Cake and macaroons?
Hi
I came across your website browsing for anything gluten free as I’ve recently discovered I am. I make biscuits and cakes for markets and thought of trying out some of my “normal” recipes with gluten free flour, however, the ready made GF flours you buy at the supermarket cost a fortune even through the supplier. I will definitely give your recipe a try, but could you tell me what I can substitute the brown rice flour with as I experimented with it recently and the biscuits turned out dard brown. Also would you have a recipe for Self Raising Flour Mix, I live in Australia and Gluten Free is only recently becoming very common, there isn’t much information out there. I’ve noticed that the US if quite advanced in this area.
I’m hoping for get my biscuit and cake recipes right and start selling them to gourmet shops. Sorry for all the rambling and thankse for reading.
@ Renee: I generally only work with brown rice flour so I can’t offer a substitute, but I’m not sure that is your problem. The biscuits that I make using brown rice flour and corn starch come out very light and do not get as golden brown on top as biscuits made from white wheat flour.
To make self-rising flour add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to 1 c. of my flour mix.
I just want to share, something that I am sure others have also shared, I buy my rice flour and tapioca flour at Asian food markets. The rice flour is very fine. You can also get glutenous (spelling is bad) rice flour, which I believe is made from sticky rice and has no gluten in it at all. I can buy a pound of rice flour for 1.50 and a pound of tapioca flour for .99. When I make biscuits, I use a combination of the white rice flour and brown rice flour- he expensive one (along with tapioca flour and potato starch) -and two tsp of xanthan gum. For the liquid I use rice milk that has been treated with vinegar (1 tsp vinegar for every cup milk alternative and let stand for a minumum of 5 minutes before using) (alternative for dairy buttermilk) My biscuits turn out awsome! Will send recipe if Mary Frances is willing.
You can buy potato starch at the Asian grocery store as well. We stopped using Bob’s Red Mill products as they weren’t organic anyway so there was no reason to use them. The only organic rice flour that is on the market where I live is very gritty so there is no advantage to using it.
Lori
Hello - I’m trying to find a flour mix to replace the Bob’s Red Mill one I currently use - although my 1 year old will eat muffins made with it, I think it is too “beany” tasting! Your mix looks good, except that she is also allergic to rice and soy…yes, rice! So, for her we avoide wheat, rice, oats, barley, dairy and soy (plus we avoid egg & dairy for my son’s allergies - yep, baking is a bit challenging here). Any suggestions would be helpful…thanks.
@Kim: The cookbook “The Gluten Free Gourmet Cooks Fast and Healthy” by Bette Hagman has quite a few bread recipes that are rice, soy, gluten, and dairy free. They do contain eggs, but at least you’d only have to be doing one substitution. Hope that helps!
I am new to gluten-free cooking as well. My husband is gluten, wheat, & soy intolerant. Myself and our two children have always eaten wheat. Recently, my husband and I have decided to take the whole family completely wheat, gluten, and dairy free. Eventually, we would also like to remove eggs and sugar completely. I have been doing alot of research on gluten-free baking to try to come up with a good flour recipe for sandwich, dinner rolls, and pastries. This website has been very helpful - as it saved me alot of trial and error. I enjoyed reading everyone’s posts and am glad to know there are people all over the world trying to cut wheat and gluten as a diet staple. I just ordered Bette Hagman’s “The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread”. I have alot to learn because I am not an avid baker.
Mary Frances’ comments about the addtions to make a self-rising flour should be used for biscuits and what other baked goods?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Mary Frances:
I too am new at gluten free baking. My 4 1/2 year old son was just diagnosed with celiac disease (and I’m pretty positive he’s not the only one in the house–so everyone is going gluten free). I tried Bob’s Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour and OMG I wanted to throw up. The pancakes tasted like bile or something!! My husband who was the trendsetter for GF said it was pretty bad. My 4 1/2 year old loved the pancakes, though. Must not have developed taste buds! I am eager to try your mix….but I was wondering what I could substitute the masa harina with ( I know I’ll taste the corn) and do you need xanthan gum in your recipe?? I am going to use sorghum intead of soy (just because I have heard rave reviews about sorghum) and I understand I can use potato starch instead of corn starch (only because I already bought the potato). What do you recommend my ratios be…. Thank you so much.
Brandi
Sorry I forgot to mention…it was the tapioca flour that made my husband & I want to throw up!! I figured that out by individually tasting the flours in Bob’s mix. Yuck!!! I used a diffrent mix for chewy chocolate chip cookies that used the tapioca flour and those were good. My culinary spouse thinks it’s because there is a ton of butter and sugar in those bad boys!! Oh, and of course the kids loved those too!!
Hi Everyone: I’ve been going through some of the comments and like the idea of trying coconut flour for cake/cupcake style recipes. However, my big goal for this year is to come up with a good gluten-free pie crust. I know it can be done and I’d sure appreciate having something that is workable and tastes good too. I was a great pie baker before I started a gluten free diet.
can I use the flour mix for the usual method of making drop dumplings for stews? What about cocoanut cake?
I’m also new at all this and unfortunately after reading all the helpful comments I cant find what I need. We are gluten, corn, potatoes, shorgum and soy free. What kind of mix can I do without all these, potatoes and corn seems to be everywhere?!
Thanks,
Ellie xx
Ellie, It looks like you could do 3 parts brown rice flour, 3 parts tapioca starch, 2 parts garfava flour, and 1 part almond flour. It will be a bit more expensive than my mix, but all of these flours are available at the Bob’s Red Mill website. If you’re not crazy about garfava flour, try substituting a white bean flour.
Brand new to this and loaded with questions. I’m not a fan of soy and haven’t found any sorghum flour in my brief experience in the gf world. Can coconut flour be used in the all purpose blend, or would it be too strong in taste for most cooking (thinking here of savory type recipes)?
Thanks so much! I’ve learned a lot in the past few days from reading here.
Is potatoe starch flour, potatoe flakes from instant potatoes ground up? I am illiterate to the flours and need advice. And tapioca starch, can you get that in the super market? I know they sell tapioca, but I have never taken the time to see if they have the flour. I have a book that gives gluten free recipes and they have a mix that I would like you to see and tell me if it will work or it will be to grainny or strong before I go out an buy the flours it requires. It goes 2 parts white rice flour, 2/3 part potato starch flour, 1/3 part tapioca flour. And when it calls for parts how would that break down to cups? Rita
@Rita.
If the ratio of the flours that you mentioned above is correct, you could use a cup to represent a “part”, giving you 2 Cups white rice flour, 2/3 Cup potato starch flour and 1/3 tapioca flour.
Diana
@rita,
I get all of my flours at the bulk store here in town. They have a pretty good variety of gluten free flours and starches.
In my previous message, I meant to write “1/3 Cup tapioca flour”. I recognized this as soon as I submitted it, but messages can’t be edited once they’re sent, to correct my ooops.
Diana
@rfaulkner06: As far as I know, potato starch is not ground up potato flakes. Potato starch and tapioca starch/flour are typically found at specialty grocery stores that carry a wide-range of gluten free flours, or through mail-order sources such as Bob’s Red Mil.
Lets try this again, my connection was lost. My husband had a visit with the allergist today. He had gone to a gastro doctor earlier. He has had tests that shows nothing so far with the gastro doctor with a cat scan a colonoscopy, and blood work. He has constant stomache cramps and diarrhea after eating any meal any type of food almost. Especially when we go out to eat, but as well as if we eat at home. The allergist was the last resort. He told my hubby that he needed to go on a gluten free diet which my husband said i was already on. Is there anyone out there that can relate to these symptoms or know of someone who has this problem and what they have been diagnosed with? I have been told by the gastro doctor it was IBS, what exactly is it. Is it just a term to catch all when they don’t know what is wrong with you? Is there a specific medication he should be on specific to IBS all they put him on was Lomotil to stop the diarrhea. Heck, the pain pills will have the effect to constipate you so that should have helped that way and it didn’t. I am so sorry about the subject matter everyone!! I need some direction. Thank you. Rita
@Rita,
No apologies necessary for the subject matter, as all of us have difficulties in some area of digestion, otherwise, we wouldn’t be here.
A question I have is, has he been checked for lactose intolerance? I have heard and read that if raw milk (unpasturized) is ingested, that there wouldn’t be anything called lactose intolerance, as the pasturization process kills all vitamins and enzymes needed for digestion. Then, they put some back in it and call it “enriched”. It’s so much healthier unpasturized. I’m searching for it where I live, but in Canada, it’s illegal to sell it, so it’s very difficult to find.
Rita, here’s the link to the post where I tell about being diagnosed with a wheat allergy instead of celiac. I was having lots of stomach cramps and diarrhea too, and the gastro said it was IBS. However, it turned out to be a wheat allergy.
I Don’t Have Celiac!!
Rita,
Try an elimination diet — take out the gluten, dairy, eggs, and other things that may be upsetting the tummy. Some other foods/ingredients to consider are soy and msg. Start a diet diary, which includes all foods, snacks, and drinks, followed by reactions and comments on general well-being. This will also be helpful to the allergist. Try going organic as much as possible, as this keeps the body cleaner.
I am gf and soy free. My flour blend is a mixture of rice, tapioca starch, corn starch, masa harina and xanthan gum. It can be a frustrating process to determine what the problem is. Hang in there.
Rita,
And read the labels on everything you eat, including the seasonings and spices! Might be an idea to eat at home, or eat only homemade food for a while.
Mary Frances, looked at the site, and was quite informed. I was sickly growing up. after being on my, I had some testing done. Allergies to wool, tomatoes, chocolate, grass, mold, mildew, dust mites and some plastic compounds. Then had moved to Florida and had more tests after moving back to my state of childhood. I aquired allergies to trees. Bad part is I bought a house with 50 of the ones I was allergic to before I knew I was allergic to them. I figured out I have to watch what I drink too. I am not a party person, but at times I will have a drink. I couldn’t drink things with Gin, But I could Vodka. Vodka is filtered a number of times. I can’t drink some wines, especially the ones in oak barrel processing. When I was a baby longggg ago, I had a problem with milk, formula. I had to be on goats milk. Now I also have allergies to medications, anesthesia is among the list. To have my teeth worked on I have to go under general anesthesia. A dentist won’t even touch me. It is amazing that as long as the dental field has been in existance they don’t seem like they have evolved much in research for anesthesia types of products. I was given all the “canes” in various doses, with and without preservatives and childrens doses and still felt numb from the top of my head to the center of my chest. I would be hooked up to all kinds of monitors. Then the nitrous oxide laughing gas, that was a laugh. I didn’t know that you were suppose to be able to open your eyes while under. I couldn’t open mine. Then one day while I was under everything went black and I passed out. I was given oxygen for a few hours before I could leave the office. And with windows open in the winter to feel able to drive, stopped in the ER to be put on oxygen for a couple more hours. So my system has not tollerated a few things. Most of it has been after a thyroid problem unless that was just a coincidence. I am not a good speller. I hope my adult kids aren’t this bad I have a grandson who is 9 and is starting with the allergies. Thank you all for you input and suggestions. I will be using them.
[...] cups gluten free bread flour 2 tsp. xanthan gum 1 tsp. salt 2 Tbsp. baking [...]
[...] 1/3 c. Mary’s Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Mix* 2 tsp. xanthum gum 1 tsp [...]
Hi,
We are limited in the types of flours we can have - amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat, arrowroot, tapioca, sorghum & corn. Both my husband & I can’t have yeast.
It’s tough finding GF bread/cracker because they all have
rice or soy that we can’t have.
Do you have suggestion for a flour mix that doesn’t have rice flour?
Thanks
Pei
Hi All
I cannot get the MASA HARINA ingredient for the all purpose flour here in nz.
What does this ingredient do? Can I miss it out?
Can I substitute something? If so what?
I would welcome the help
Kind regards J
I can completely sympathize with rfaulkner06…I assume you’re the “Rita” people have replied to? I had years and years of being half sick all the time. I would eat and have to run to the bathroom, not eat and still go to the bathroom. It got to where I didn’t want to make any plans unless I knew there was a private bathroom where I was going. I was diagnosed with IBS, which seems to me to be a kind of “we don’t know exactly what’s wrong, so here’s a label” diagnosis. Anyway, about 5 years ago I went to a nutritionist for some guidance on controlling my blood sugar, and she caught the gluten intolerance. We did an elimination diet, except all I eliminated was gluten, and within 2 weeks I felt better than I had felt since I was 9 years old! Well worth the time, effort, and money. Do I have Celiac’s? I don’t know, I’ve never had a biopsy done. But I do know that most days I feel good, which is enough for me. Stick with your efforts, be patient, be diligent (watch out for hidden gluten, modified food starch, etc., not to mention cross contamination) and you and your husband will feel better. And I agree about maybe being lactose intolerant. I’m not, but I call it “lactose annoyed”. If I have too much milk product over a couple days, my body lets me know it’s annoyed with me. Anyway, good luck!
hi
I want to thank you for all your hard work and for sharing.
My question is why do some people on a gluten free diet also go on a soy free diet? What is the deal with soy free. I eat soy yogurt due to the fact that it helps relieve my hot flashes.
Also what is casein free (did I spell that right)?
@Gloria: Great questions! Soy is actually one of the top 9 allergens in the U.S, so a lot of the requests for gluten and soy free recipes are from people that have issues with both foods. Other people do not eat soy because they don’t like the taste, or because they have read that is harmful.
Casein is a protein in cow milk,so all casein-free recipes do not contain any dairy products. Some people with autism respond favorable to a gluten free, casein-free diet. Milk is also one of the top 9 allergens, so a lot of people that are gluten free also have issues with dairy products, and so are on a gluten free, casein free diet.
Hi. I am new to this website and like it very much. I would like to know if you have a recipe for Cinnamon Breakfast Bread using Mary’s Gluten Free All Purpose Flour blend? Thanks. Keep up the good work!!
My food sensitivities run rampant, and it is so hard to find recipes that omit things I can’t eat!
This recipe is very flexible; I have used rice, amaranth, spelt, and wheat flour. I have also used a variety of oils, as they are important, too. Here is the original recipe. (Be sure to follow directions.) My favorites are brown rice flour and olive oil. I don’t have the touch to make it really pretty, as it is kind of fragile and breaks. (Some of you talented cooks, help me with this.) However, I love the taste with my egg free, sugar free, soy free, mgm free, milk free, pumpkin pie! I haven’t tried it will my apple pie recipe, but will this week.
I like a 9.5″ pie pan, but you have more crust to work with in an 8″ pan. For pumpkin or apple pie, put filling in unbaked shell.
Pie Crust
1 c plus 2 T flour
1/2 t salt
1/3 c salad oil
2-3 T cold water
Shape dough into flattened ball. Place flattened dough between two 15 inch strips of waxed paper. (tape two together if needed. I have also used plastic wrap.)
Wipe table with wet cloth to prevent paper from slipping. Roll pastry 3″ larger than inverted pie pan. Peel off top paper. Place pastry, paper-side up, in pan. Peel off top paper. Ease pastry loosely into pan.
Trim 1″ from the rim of pan and fold excess under - even with pan. Flute edges.
Bake 12-15 minutes at 475 degrees.
@Kristen: IFor a cinnamon bread recipe, check Comment #105 on the Finally Good Sandwich Bread post - you can find a link to it in the right sidebar
How long can you store these type of flours in a airtight container?
I bought some tupperware ones at a garage sale thinking they might work! But, someone suggested putting it in the freezer if you don’t use it fast enough>? So, what is the rule of thumb,,,,,,,,,use it or freeze it by?
@Chelle: My rule of thumb is a couple of weeks in the pantry, a month in the refrigerator and 6 months in the freezer. I don’t know that there’s any science behind that though =)
Pei,
I have a cook book that would be a help to you. It lists many recipes with different kinds of flour in the same recipe! It also teaches on oils, egg replacement, and other problem issues. It is not hard to use, and has been very helpful to me. The book is “Allergy and Candida Cooking.” It is by Sondra Lewis with Dorie Fink. She discusses many health issues other than allergy and candida. My allergy clinic recommended it.
Sondra has allergies herself and is a scientist and a doctor. She has done a lot of research. He web site is http://www.canaryconnect.com. 319-338-3827 I have received personal emails from her.
About my pie recipe in #157, I discoverd something. This week I made it with Amaranth flour, rolled it between parchment paper, added a little more olive oil, until less crumbley, and baked it in an aluminum pan instead of glass. It worked super well!
About my pie recipe in #157, I discovered something. This week I made it with Amaranth flour, rolled it between parchment paper, added a little more olive oil, until less crumbley, and baked it in an aluminum pan instead of glass. It worked super well!
Rita,
Am thinking about your husband’s problem. Elemination diets may help, but not always, because sometimes it takes up to 48 hours for allergies to show up that way! Somethings are obvious, some are not.
When I was tested, they found 22 food sensitivities, many of which I had no idea.
One thing that is helpful is to leave out “anything you can’t pronounce” on the ingredients label. In other words, mixes are out, unless they are from the health food store, and then you have to read it carefully! These things don’t show up on a test, but are very real threats.
Praying for you, girl. There are answers, but sometimes it takes awhile to find them.
This chat room is an excellent place to start! Thanks to Mary Frances and many others, I have recently found solutions to problems that I had not found other places.
I close out now to prepare for my husbands birthday: Enchilladas and chocolate sour cream cake are on the menu. They are a lot of trouble and I cannot eat a bit of them! Girls, this is the hardest part of the whole situation for me. I will take out some meat and spices before I add the tomato sauce and then I will make mine with a rice tortilla with white cheese instead of colby. (I even like it now, but it took some getting used to!) There is no substitute for the cake, except that I made a banana bread recipe yesterday, so will at least have some dessert. Every meal that I fix is like this one; eating out or at pot luck dinners are are hard, too, and it really got to me at first. Then there are the “loving” doubters who think there is nothing to it, and I am just a fanatic.
I am so refreshed to read of all of your interest in hitting the problems head on and having a cheerful, thankful attitude that there can be solutions to the problems!
God bless you every one!
Alice #108
For yeast free recipes, see #161. Yeast is one of my big problems, both as an allergy and in Candida! There IS help, but lots of adjustments to make!
I just ordered a book called Gluten-Free Baking with The Culinary Institute of America by Richard J. Coppedge & Chookazian, George. I graduated from the CIA in 1977. I have wanted to take one of their gluten free baking courses for a few years now but they are always at an inopportune time and very expensive when you take into consideration lodging and food. I’ll let you know how the recipes work!
I have problems with all corn and potato products, as well as gluten and wheat, so I am looking for a bread recipe or all purpose flour recipe without corn or potato starch. Is there such a recipe?
Michelle,
Try 2 parts white rice, 2/3 part Sorghum flour, and 1/3 part tapioca flour.
I cannot use corn or wheat, either, so do know how hard it is to use a lot of GF recipes.
Gloria,
My problem with soy is that it puts me in the bed for about three days at a time. I also had an experience once thinking soy was good and was delighted to find a meal substitute. I was soooo sick, and called my doctor. He said to get off the soy immediately!
If you can do soy, count your blessings, as there are a lot more gluten free recipes with soy than without. Each of us has different things that we can tolerate or can’t.
May you find the foods that give you optimal health!
Someone was asking about sweetners, but am not finding the post right now. I use honey, sorghum, and agave for sweetners, for the same reasons you listed for not use other sweeteners.
I can not say I do not still miss sugar once in awhile. I do use Xylitol, but it must be the kind that does not have corn in it. I found that in Smart Sweet Xylitol on the net. It tastes a whole lot like sugar and can be used the same way, but I can get too much of it, so I just add a couple tablespoons. I often mix a couple tablespoons of Maple Syrup and a 1/4 cup of agave for sweetening. I am not sure these can activate yeast, but if I could eat yeast, I would sure give it a try!
Alice, have you checked out Mary Francis’s bread recipes on this site? She has a number of them, and they are a big help. Click on recipes, and you will find them.
Go to http://www.mercola.com and do a search on agave syrup. It’s high fructose corn syrup and should be avoided. I use xylitol, but your body has to build up to larger amounts, so have a bit each time and gradually increase, or you may have gastrointestinal discomfort. It’s alkaline, as well, for those who follow those guidelines and good for your teeth.
Oh, you scare me! I have his book on sweeteners and have paid alot of attention to what he says about them. I do not find agave on his site, so must be missing it. I see corn syrup.
The agave that I get at the health food store is organic made purely form salmiana variety of agave with no additives or preservatives in it. I am very sensitive to corn syrup, and have no problems with this agave.
Can you give more info on where to find the article? I want to know more about it, as do not want to play with fire! Thanks.
Pamela’s Pancake mix makes marvelous dumplings. I made the biscuit recipe on the bag, which is really simple. When my broth was boiling, I dropped the biscuit dough into it by spoonful and used the same time for biscuits, with lid on the pot. I Added the cooked chicken and then I took it off for a few minutes and served it.
I also put stuffing spices in one batch and doubled the liquid. I baked it in a small baking pan. It was tasty with chicken!
Anyone who has no problems with almonds or rice will love this mix, esp if you have tried other gluton free. Mary Frances has a link on this site for it.
Lori, please report on that book when you can. It sounds good.