Gluten Free Pantry Primer - Flour Part 1

At one point, you probably had a 5 lb. bag of all-purpose flour in your pantry and now, that one bag has been replaced by many containers with things like tapioca flour, rice flour, xanthan gum and more. Gluten free baking can be full of strange and unusual ingredients that might seem overwhelming to the newly converted. And while navigating all these ingredients can be challenging, we can help! What to put on your pantry shelves largely depends on you.... We realize not everyone bakes, likes to bake or even wants to bake. However, it is inevitable that you will have to dust off that apron every once in a while. In which case, do you grab a mix, a pre-made gluten free flour blend or blend your own flours for each recipe?

Let’s see, you might be a dry mix user if:

You use your oven as storage.
You don’t own a muffin pan or at the very least, do not know where it is.
You think parchment paper and waxed paper are the same thing.
Your oven mitts/pot holders are decorative, not functional.

Please do not misunderstand, we think dry mixes are great. In fact, we specialize in dry mixes and our line of Cheatin’ Wheat Gluten Free products includes a pie crust mix, pancake mix, muffin mix, chocolate cake mix and a vegan chocolate mix. Using a mix takes the guess-work out of gluten free baking and has all the dry ingredients such gluten free flours, starches, sugar, leavening agents, etc. that are needed in the recipe. They are easy to store, quick to use and are great for the newly gluten free baker who used box mixes before.

Now, you might be a pre-made flour blend user if:

You revel in the sights, sounds, smells and rhythms of the kitchen.
You have more kitchen equipment then sense.
You have a collection of old, tried and true recipes you are dying to use.
You read cookbooks like novels.

If you dreamily went away there, imagining your time in the kitchen, you need our signature product, Cheatin’ Wheat Gluten Free Flour. It is truly an all-purpose gluten free flour mix that has been blended using a variety of gluten free grains. It is meant to be used as a direct substitute for wheat flour and is a great choice for those who love to cook, bake and want to use their own recipes. It also eliminates the need to keep so many different gluten free grains on hand, freeing up precious pantry space.

Finally, you might be a blend it yourselfer if:

You have multiple grain/starch allergies.
You are equally excited by your failed experiments as your successful ones.
You can spend hours in the grain aisle at Vitamin Cottage, Whole Foods, etc.
That fun texture and funky flavor was exactly what you were going for!

So, if you want to create your own gluten free flour blend, it is important to note you can rarely use a single ingredient to substitute directly for wheat flour. There are exceptions of course, but in general, a combination of different gluten free flours is used to create flavor, texture and balance. When we create a flour blend, we try to break the items down into “flours,” “starches,” and “gums”. Flours are a powder which is made from grinding up cereal grains, other seeds or roots. It does not just refer to wheat, but rather the milling and final particle size. You can make flour out of most anything which is why there is such a wide variety of gluten free flour options. We will address a handful at a time and, by no means will these posts be an exhaustive list. But check back often as we continue to review different ingredients.

1. Sorghum
The origin and early domestication of sorghum is dated around 8,000 B.C. and took place in Northeast Africa. It remains a staple food in Africa and India where it is known as milo and jowar respectively. Although many people are not familiar with sorghum, it’s the third most important cereal crop nationally and the fifth most important around the world. Today the United States is the largest producer of sorghum with Kansas, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and South Dakota leading 2012 production. In fact, planted acreage for sorghum exceeds that of oats and barley. The growing gluten free market has triggered a new use for this grain. Sweet sorghum is creamy-colored and usually milled to a soft, fine flour. While some gluten free flours can add a gritty texture to baked goods, sorghum flour has a smoother texture and a mild, slightly sweet, flavor. It is high in protein, iron, and dietary fiber.

2. Garbanzo Bean Flour
This bean flour goes by many names and I have seen it sold as chickpea flour, cici bean flour, chana flour, gram flour and besan. It is made by grinding dried chickpeas to a fine flour that can be used by itself or blended with other flours. Garbanzo bean flour is high in protein and folate and is low in fat. It is a good source of dietary fiber, iron magnesium and is completely grain free. Garbanzo bean flour contains no cholesterol, sodium, or saturated fat. Although this flour is highly nutritious, it does have a distinct flavor that may not be appropriate for every gluten free baking application.

3. Oat Flour
Ground from pure oats, oat flour has a subtle, sweet whole grain flavor and it is one people find familiar. Just like oats themselves, the flour is an excellent source of dietary fiber and is high in protein and low in carbohydrates. However, oats and oat flour can be tricky for gluten free consumers. As a grain, oats do not contain gluten, but many brands on the market consist of oats that have been cross-contaminated with wheat, barley and/or rye. Since those grains do have gluten in them, the cross-contamination makes most oatmeal brands unsafe for the gluten free diet. Be sure to buy oats and oat flour that specifically states it is gluten free. To make things even more complicated, a small percentage of people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity also react to avenin, the protein found in oats. So many gluten free bakers avoid them altogether. Read more about incorporating oats safely into a gluten free diet.