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 by Carol Fenster and rushed home to bake some goodies for my husband. I eagerly flipped to the section on flour blends and was incredibly disappointed to find that I did not have any of the ingredients on hand, and had no idea where to buy them. I kept reading though, and thanks to Carol’s very informative writing, I came up with my own mix.
If you’d like to learn more about gluten free cooking – such as why you have to use so many different flours together, what the flours do, and which gluten free flour mix is best for you – make sure to check out my online Cooking School. I’ll walk you through step-by-step how to cook great gluten free food using easy to find ingredients. You can find out more about the online Cooking School here.
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 gluten free biscuits with this mix, they taste like biscuits. When I make gluten free 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 gluten free 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 .
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.
What can be substituted for the soy flour? We use Bob’s Red Mil floursl, since it is local and they have a great gluten free facility – but their soy flour is not processed in their gluten free facility. When we asked them they noted that it is not used much in gluten baking and they don’t have the demand for it. Also, I would prefer to avoid soy with teenage girls in puberty.
I cannot thank you all enough for the wonderful comments and experiments. We have been gluten free for all of less than a week and I have been feeling a little overwhelmed at all of the baking that has changed! I love to cook and bake and my girls do as well, but since both my daughter and I (and possibly my dh and other daughter) have gluten issues (just the 4 days and my daughter in particular has shown improvement. Today was the first day in 4 years that she has not had digestive issues) I was afraid we may have to use prepackaged mixes after all the years I tried to learn from scratch! THANK YOU!!!!!
I am new to gluten free, and while I have found much of this useful, I remain a little confused. What determines the ratios of the flours? Are there sets that are interchangeable, but others that are not? (As in, sorghum can sub for soy, but not for rice?) On hand already I have rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch, coconut flour and fine corn meal. Is there a usable blend somewhere in there?
Thanks!
First time here….love it!!! All posts where very helpful. I’m looking for a flour blend for dumplings (w/a Chicken & Dumplings receipt
. Not the ‘drop dumpling’ type,
roll-out the dough and cut into squares type. Some people call it ‘Chicken & Pastry’. My mother & grandmother made the best. Both have passed away and I never learned to make it.
Just for info purposes, my son has eczema that is GREATLY worsened if he has rice. However, we have found that he has NO problem what so ever eating ORGANIC rice. I have also discovered that he is gluten intolerant, and have had great success with a gluten free diet. Searching for gluten free products with organic rice flour in them has been a difficult journey, though. Someone sent me instructions online about how to make my own rice flour today, and I’m definitely going to give it a try!
http://hubpages.com/hub/An-illustrated-Guide-to-Making-Rice-Flour
I’m curious about his flour mix. I am trying to do the sugar cookie recipe. How much Xanthan gum should I use?
Hola from Mexico,
I am an expat (just found out I am lactose and gluten intolerant) that is looking for a gluten free sour dough bread recipe ………. I thought I saw a comment a couple days ago that someone made this and without using sour dough starter…. ??? I went through the comments again today and I obviously missed it.
I would really appreciate having this and making it for myself.
By the way this is a great site and have gotten so much help from this place.
Just wanted to encourage everyone to consider using a nutrimill grain mill. I love mine and it has been extremely useful in making my own bean and rice flours. I’ve noticed that my fresh ground bean flour (navy bean) began to get “beany” tasting about 4 days after being ground. But using 1/2 bean flour and 1/2 rice flour in place of all purpose flour and then just following a regular pancake recipe–oh my, the results were incredible. Looking forward to trying your tortills recipe. Thank you for sharing!!
i would like to make my gluten free sister the same dessert as for everyone else. 1 inch dense white cake, chocolate ganache, white chocolate raspberry mousse, chocolate ganache. will this flour work? also there are 2 tsp cornstarch in the mousse. will that be a problem?
Hello Mary! Love your site =)
To anyone that cannot eat soy or other foods:
I would recommend almond, oat or quinoa to substitute the soy flour in Marys Mix. If you are have problems with soy, potato, rice, corn, etc you should also try and see if organic helps. Me and my son have celiac’s disease and an intolerance to soy, so even organic soy doesn’t make it better for us :/ But I have a friend who can only eat organic soy, if the soy isn’t organic she has a ton of problems.
Eliminating soy and gluten worked wonders for us but we did continue to have problems with eczema and bouts of upset stomach. So I tried buying organic veggies and fruits especially potatoes and now we are eczema and tummy ache free.
Through the years I have realized that pesticides, chemicals, fungicides, etc are the main culprit of me and my sons intestinal problems and eczema. Organic can be pricey but some foods carry more toxins then others. Here is a list of foods that is on my top list of organic foods. http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Dirty-Dozen-Foods
Jay in NZ: If you would like me to mail you some Masa Harina, please say. I am a Texan of Kiwi descent, so I do sympathise very much! Here in Texas, Masa Harina is a very, very common food item.
Let me know. I too, have coeliac, and I know it’s challenging enough without being able to find some food items!! Cheers, mate.
Kind regards,
xo
Jude
Random Question… I have noticed that most recipes for call for Rice Flour, Soy Flour or Corn Flour. Unfortunately, I am allergic to those items. I try to avoid them as much as possible. Any ideas for substituting them in your recipes would be a welcome relief.
Thanks for all of your hard work!
Hi,
I have been working on a wonderful GF flatbread using ancient grains for a long time and am now starting my own company calle Zema’s Madhouse Foods, inc. I have a line of GF flatbreads(soft and chewy) and will be coming out with baking mizes in a few months. My breads are yeast free, soy free, dairy free, rice free, and are a great source of protein, omega’s and complez carbs. I started this business due to my kids(I have 5) adhd, as well as my husband. They love them. You can contact me at jill@zemasflatbread.com and I can try to help you with some options.
I mixed up just enough of this to make your pancake recipe and since I didn’t have the masa harina on hand I substituted quinoa flour. I thought it was wonderful! On one of your posts you mentioned not liking the beany flours and up to now that’s been the only pancake or flour mixes I’ve been able to find in the stores – mixes that include bean flours. It’s been awhile since I’ve eaten wheat flour, but this mix sure made pancakes that tasted like the real thing to me. Thanks so much!
I reside in Canberra, Australia and there’s a bakery right near me that is entirely grain-free (they use no grains/grain derivatives in any products on premises). I’m allergic to soy as well as coeliac, and finding alternatives has been hard. The aforementioned bakery, however, sells a few items that are soy free as well including rolls which contain water, quinoa, tapioca, sugar, canola oil, salt, sesame seeds and guar gum. Their products are delicious!
From here, there has been greater awareness now for individuals with multiple allergies and additional requirements as well as coeliac disease.
I guess this is no help to you, I’m sorry. Haven’t been to the States for a while but I’d hope things are steadily getting easier over there, too.
I used this flour blend to make my old German Pancakes recipe, and it turned out great! Of course it looked quite different (it was a little grey-ish and the crust didn’t curl up on the edges), but it was as tasty as it always was with wheat flour. Try it if you’d like:
3-5 Tbsp butter (more tastes a little better but less is healthier)
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
Melt the butter in a casserole dish in the oven while it heats up to 425 degrees.
Mix eggs, flour, milk, and salt until smooth.
When the butter is melted and the oven is hot, slowly pour batter into dish with the butter.
Return to oven and cook for 20 minutes (until a knife or toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean).
Some of my favorite toppings are blueberries and honey, fresh lime juice and powdered-sugar, or yogurt.
We are very anxious to trying your recipes but we have been unable to find sorghum flour where we live in Costa Rica. We found soy flour but we don’t really like it unless it is extremely necessary: the question then: is there a substitute for sorghum flour? In Costa Rica we have been able to find: Potato Starch, Pejibaye (Bactris gasipaes HBK) Flour, Tapioca Flour, Sweet Potato Flour, Cornstarch, White Rice Flour, Chickpeas Flour, Soy Flour basically.
By the way, we don’t find Brown Rice and I would like to know if I can use White Rice Flour instead.
Thanks a lot in advance for your help.
Hi, I just tried the bread recipe. Thanks so much! I had all but given up on a tasty GF bread. Great texture and taste. One question- my loaf was only 4″ tall, did I do something wrong or is this normal. I tried to follow the recipe closely; beat it for a couple min. before adding to the machine, also. Thanks for any input.
Also, would like to know if you have perfected a sourdough bread recipe. My husband is diabetic and sourdough has a lower glycemic index no.
Thanks
I don’t know if there are any more “Jays” out there who aren’t able to get Masa Harina easily, but it is just corn flour instead of corn meal. It should be easy to find online, but I’ve wondered if a person could grind white cornmeal into flour with a blender or food processor? It would be a little more coarse than Masa Harina, but it should still do the trick in a pinch, I would think.