Flours

Flours 

These days we have many gluten free flour alternatives to wheat four. However, recipes made with wheat free alternatives are always different as the gluten helps bind and strengthen the dough.

Below is a list of alternatives and their uses.

Note: Always check back of the package if it is gluten-free, sometimes these products are preprocessed on equipment containing wheat.

Quinoa Flour

Quinoa Flour is related to the spinach family and is pronounced "keen-wah.
This flour works well is bread recipes due to its high protein content. This helps to provide structure, shape and rise.

Uses:

1. Baking in cakes and pastries.
2. Puffed quinoa is an alternative to couscous or oats.

Buckwheat Flour

Buckwheat Flour is related to rhubarb. It has a strong nutty taste. It is not a flour you use on its own in a recipe. The best blends are adding rice flour or cornflour to reduce the nutty taste.

Uses:

1. Perfect for savoury pastry
2. Muffins
3. Banana bread

Rice Flour

Rice Flour is finer than white rice flour with a more delicate texture in cooking. It is made from a long grain rice in China where as in Japan rice flour is milled from Japonica or Calrose short-grain rice. This makes it a good substitute for wheat flour.

Uses:

1. Thickening Agent
2. Noodles
3. Pastry
4. Sponge Cakes
5. Breads

White Rice Flour

It is made from polished white rice making it quite bland.

Uses:

1. Shortcrust
2. Recipes that require light texture
1. Pastry
2. Shortbread
3. Cakes

Brown Rice Flour

It is milled from unpolished brown rice containing the bran, giving it a high fiber content.

Uses:

1. Potato gnocchi 
2. Gives an earthy flavour

Tapioca Flour

Made from the root of the cassava plant. Adds a chewiness and is a good thickener.

Uses:

1. Casseroles
2. Bind Patties

Arrowroot Flour

Arrowroot is a fine powder which becomes clear when cooking and is tasteless. It can be an expensive ingredient but the substituent being less expensive is Tapioca Flour. 

Uses:

1. Thickener (Thickening clear sauces)

Potato Starch

Potato Starch is also known as potato flour. It has a light potato flavour, but in the finished product it is undetectable.

Uses:

1. Sponges
2. Shortbread
3. Casseroles 
4. Soups
5. Stews for thickening

Soya flour

A high protein flour with a nutty taste. It is a successful alternative when combined with other flours.

Uses:

1. Egg-free pastries
2. Cakes