Solving
the GF Flour Mix Mystery
PART
I
When
we first learn about the niche of baking without wheat,
one question typically comes to mind. “How can you
possibly bake bread without wheat?” The mere thought
of making bread without “flour” may initially
seem like trying to solve a mystery without clues or attempting
to play Scrabble® without vowels. But for most of us
self-proclaimed foodies armed with varying degrees of knowledge
in the area of traditional baking with wheat flour, the
scenario is rather similar when we first decide to become
a GF sleuth. Our first gluten-free (GF) baking adventure
is typically packed with intrigue and may seem daunting
at first, but with a bit of investigating, we quickly find
a trail of hot tips and leads that unfold before our eyes,
unraveling the mystery one GF flour at a time.
In
the beginning, we discover a new ingredient vernacular is
used and quickly our eyes, ears and palates transform into
sensitive antennae as we tune in closely to learn about
the world of alternative flours that do not contain gluten
(the gluey protein found in wheat, barley, and rye
that millions of Americans can not stomach, literally).
We discover that some of the most commonly used GF flours
include white rice flour, brown rice flour, potato starch
flour, and tapioca flour. We also learn about other GF flours
and grains that are not as commonly used but offer valuable
baking features and nutritional benefits such as soy flour,
Garfava flour, arrowroot flour, sorghum flour, amaranth,
quinoa, flax seed flour, buckwheat flour, chestnut flour,
corn flour and pinto bean flour. With this knowledge, many
of us eliminate some GF flours as options due to other food
sensitivities besides gluten. We are also introduced to
the peculiar ingredient called Xanthan Gum (pronounced Zan-thun),
a critical link in providing “stretch” to help
build structure and bind together a gluten-free bread.
As
the GF mystery further unfolds, we roll up our sleeves,
don our aprons and eagerly or cautiously, depending on our
baking personality, dive into the task of experimenting
with GF flours in our own kitchens. We even talk about GF
ingredients with our friends and family as if practicing
a brand new language, the gluten-free tongue or GF Speak
if you will. But when first starting out, we naturally draw
upon our knowledge of traditional methods of baking, but
soon learn and reluctantly admit that we should table much
of what we know about traditional baking and start fresh
with a new slate. We try recipes gathered from GF cookbooks,
publications, organization websites, friends and family.
Our first GF baking attempts yield results ranging from
“Hmmm…that’s not quite what I expected”
and “This tastes pretty good” to “Wow!
This is so delicious I can’t believe there’s
no wheat in it!” Thankfully, for most of us, our GF
baking and tasting experiences delightfully improve each
time as we try different recipes and learn from our not
so successful first attempts. After a few successful efforts
that we deem to be delicious by our epicurean standards,
our palate adopts a strong appreciation for the new gluten-free
way as the fond memories of the tastes, smells and textures
of wheat baked goods fade away and we become more accustomed
to and satisfied with our own delicious GF creations.
And
so the initial mystery of baking with gluten-free flours
loses the ambiguity it once had as we increase our knowledge
of the art. But as we hone our GF baking skills further
in pursuit of ultimate satisfaction if not perfection, the
GF mystery presents itself yet again. For the gluten-free
epicure, the natural urge to understand the art and science
behind the GF Flour Mix in baking is like wanting to know
the different taste components of grapes in wine, the percentage
of cocoa content in fine dark chocolate, or the particular
qualities and growing regions of olives in 100% Extra Virgin
olive oil.
So
then, what constitutes an optimal GF Flour Mix you ask?
What flours work best together? Why are some flours more
appropriate than others? What are their key qualities that
help create a quality baked product? The art of gluten-free
baking has come a long way since the time when gluten-free
breads were widely known for their dry and crumbly texture,
brick-like weight and lack luster taste. But slowly and
surely, the mystery of baking without wheat began to unravel.
Today, we can enjoy GF breads and baked goods that rival
their wheat-based counterparts with tastes and textures
that amaze us. And for this we can be grateful to the pioneers
in the field of gluten-free baking who have spent years
of exhaustive research and experimentation in concocting
GF Flour Mixes that yield the ecstatic “I can’t
believe it’s not wheat” response. We can thank
leading GF experts such as Bette Hagman, Carol Fenster,
Beth Hillson, and Dana Korn. They have discovered many of
the secrets to gluten-free baking, helping to solve the
GF mystery for all of us to quickly benefit from.
If
you are an artisan GF home baker in training, having an
all-purpose GF Flour Mix at the ready for a quality wheat
flour replacement which works well for virtually anything
you want to make that traditionally calls for wheat, is
a boon. As you search for a GF Flour Mix to make in a large
quantity, experimentation is always recommended. But before
we recommend a few GF Flour Mixes to try, the following
basic grassroots clues help shed light on the art of creating
a good quality all-purpose GF Flour Mix to replace the wheat
flour in your baking:
GF
FLOUR MIX MYSTERY CLUE #1: A Flour Combo Works Best
A combination of GF flours is important to making a transitional
GF Mix for breads and pastries. Rice flour is a cornerstone
ingredient for much of GF baking, but if you simply substitute
rice flour for wheat flour, you can create a gritty mess
that will produce a product resembling that of a brick.
For example, brown or white rice flour works well in combination
with potato flour and tapioca flour. The fine powdery quality
of potato starch flour makes the dough lighter helping to
balance and smooth out the “gritty” texture
of rice flour while tapioca flour helps prevent crumbling,
assists browning and provides a chewy quality to your bread.
GF
FLOUR MIX MYSTERY CLUE #2: The Flour Ratio Is Key
When combining GF flours for your mix, the ratios are also
important because each flour has a unique texture and quality
of absorption. For your GF Flour Mix, rice flour serves
as a good base flour to which you add potato flour starch
and “polish” with tapioca flour. Not all GF
flour blends have to be made with rice flour as the headlining
flour, but according to Carol Fenster of Savory Palate,
Inc., potato starch usually comprises no more than approximately
33% of the mix while tapioca flour typically accounts for
about 20% of your mix. While ratios of these flours can
vary depending on your recipes, when you are making a GF
Flour Mix in bulk for multi uses these proportions serve
as a general guideline.
GF FLOUR MIX MYSTERY CLUE #3: The
Flour Stretch Is Critical
Baking with gluten-free flours requires additional tender
loving care to make it work. Without gluten, you do not
have the key factor of pliability that helps you work the
dough and keep the bread together after it is baked. So,
you must add extendibility to your dough with xanthan gum,
the most widely used “protein” replacement.
Guar gum is an alternative to xanthan gum. But, once again,
the mystery ensues when you ponder how much xanthan gum
to add to your GF Flour Mix. Thankfully, Bette Hagman has
already cracked the “stretch factor” case and
recommends a specific formula for adding xanthan gum to
your GF Flour Mix. According to Hagman: add ¾ teaspoon
per cup of flour for breads; ½ teaspoon per cup of
flour for cakes; and ¼ to ½ teaspoon per cup
of flour for cookies. Because GF flours lack the stretchy
protein known as gluten, in addition to xanthan gum you
will need to add more leavening or protein to your recipe
such as egg whites, gelatin, or dry milk powder. (Source:
The Gluten-Free Gourmet Revised Edition by Bette Hagman,
page 39).
With
these clues in mind, the GF Flour Mix mystery comes out
of the dark and the following recipes for a GF Flour Mix
are a great place to start in your GF baking adventure.
As you uncover a variety of other GF Flour Mix options created
by experts, you’ll find very basic flour blends to
more complex ones. Discover which mix suits your tastes
best and enjoy branching out to experiment with other flour
combinations as you are guided by these basic principles.
Is there one GF Flour Mix above all others that is coined
the absolute ultimate? No. But, ultimately, the best GF
Flour Mix is the one that pleases your palate and baking
inclinations most while being suitable to any food sensitivities
you have.
SUGGESTED
WHEAT FLOUR REPLACEMENTS
Bette Hagman recommends the following two mixes in her book,
The Gluten-Free Gourmet Revised Edition:
Formula:
2 parts white rice flour
2/3 part potato starch flour
1/3 part tapioca flour |
For
9 Cups:
6 cups white rice flour
2 cups potato starch flour
1 cup tapioca flour |
| |
|
Formula:
2/3 part Garfava bean flour
1/3 part sorghum flour
1 part cornstarch
1 part tapioca flour |
For
9 Cups:
2 cups Garfava bean flour
1 cup sorghum flour
3 cups cornstarch
3 cups tapioca flour |
Source:
The Gluten-Free Gourmet Revised
Edition
by Bette Hagman, Henry Holt and Company, LLC.
Page 38
Carol Fenster recommends the following mix in her book,
Gluten-Free 101 – Easy, Basic
Dishes Without Wheat:
1
½ cups sorghum flour
1 ½ cups potato starch or cornstarch
1 cup tapioca flour
½ cup corn flour or almond flour or bean flour or
chestnut flour
Source:
Gluten-Free 101 – Easy, Basic
Dishes Without Wheat
by Carol Fenster, Savory Palate, Inc.
Page 41
