Monday, October 18, 2010

Baking wheat-free

wheatfree.org web site is a great resource to figure out what flour is wheat-free but not gluten-free, which flours you can use for your dietary needs...

Wheat flour contains gluten which is the protein that strengthens and binds dough in baking. Because of this, when baking with wheat free flours you may need to source alternative binding agents.

Wheat free recipes using flour substitutes usually have been carefully formulated to get the best possible result taking into account the problems associated with lack of wheat gluten, therefore substitution can be a risky experiment. If you try substitution, then be aware that you may get a failure, so don't do it for the first time if cooking for an important occasion.

Amaranth flour

Amaranth flour is made from the seed of the Amaranth plant, which is a leafy vegetable. Amaranth seeds are very high in protein, which makes a nutritious flour for baking. Alternative names: African spinach, Chinese spinach, Indian spinach, elephants ear.

yesWheat free yesGluten free

Arrowroot flour

Arrowroot flour is ground from the root of the plant, and is very useful for thickening recipes. It is tasteless, and the fine powder becomes clear when it is cooked, which makes it ideal for thickening clear sauces.

yesWheat free yesGluten free

Barley flour

Barley only contains a small amount of gluten, so is rarely used to make bread, with the exception of unleavened bread. It has a slightly nutty flavour, and can be used to thicken or flavour soups or stews. Blended with other alternative flours it is also fairly versatile for cakes, biscuits, pastry, dumplings etc.

yesWheat free noGluten free

Brown rice flour

Brown rice flour is heavier than its relative, white rice flour. It is milled from unpolished brown rice so it has a higher nutritional value than white, and as it contains the bran of the brown rice it has a higher fibre content. This also means that it has a noticeable texture, a bit grainy.

It does have a slight nutty taste, which will sometimes come out in recipes depending on the other ingredients, and the texture will also contribute to a heavier product than recipes made with white rice flour.

It is not often used completely on its own because of its heavier nature.

Bulk buying is not recommended as it is better used when fresh, store in an airtight container.

yes Wheat free yesGluten free

Buckwheat flour

Buckwheat flour is not, despite its name a form of wheat, buckwheat is actually related to rhubarb. The small seeds of the plant are ground to make flour.

It has a strong nutty taste so is not generally used on its own in a recipe, as the taste of the finished product can be very overpowering, and a little bitter. Alternative names: beech wheat, kasha, saracen corn.

yes Wheat free yesGluten free

Chick pea flour (also known as gram or garbanzo flour)

This is ground from chick peas and has a strong slightly nutty taste. It is not generally used on its own.

yesWheat free yesGluten free

Cornflour

Cornflour is milled from corn into a fine, white powder, and is used for thickening recipes and sauces. It has a bland taste, and therefore is used in conjunction with other ingredients that will impart flavour to the recipe.

It also works very well when mixed with other flours, for example when making fine batters for tempura.

Some types of cornflour are milled from wheat but are labelled wheaten cornflour.

Alternative name: cornstarch.

yesWheat free yesGluten free

Cornmeal

Ground from corn. Heavier than cornflour, not generally interchangeable in recipes.

yesWheat free yesGluten free

Maize flour

Ground from corn. Heavier than cornflour, not generally interchangeable in recipes.

Available in the UK in wholefood stores.

yesWheat free yesGluten free

Millet flour

Comes from the grass family, and is used as a cereal in many African and Asian countries. It can be used to thicken soups and make flat breads and griddle cakes. Because it lacks any form of gluten it's not suited to many types of baking. Available in the UK in wholefood stores.

yesWheat free yesGluten free

Potato flour

This flour should not be confused with potato starch flour. Potato flour has a strong potato flavour and is a heavy flour so a little goes a long way. Bulk buying is not recommended unless you are using it on a very regular basis for a variety of recipes as it does not have a very long shelf life.

yesWheat free yesGluten free

Potato starch flour

This is a fine white flour made from potatoes, and has a light potato flavour which is undetectable when used in recipes. It's one of the few alternative flours that keeps very well provided it is stored in an airtight jar, and somewhere cool and dark.

yesWheat free yesGluten free

Quinoa flour (pronounced 'keen wa')

Quinoa is related to the plant family of spinach and beets. It has been used for over 5,000 years as a cereal, and the Incas called it the mother seed. Quinoa provides a good source of vegetable protein and it is the seeds of the quinoa plant that are ground to make flour. It's a rarity to find quinoa flour in the UK, although quinoa itself is widely available.

yesWheat free yesGluten free

Rye flour

Rye flour is a strongly flavoured flour, dark in colour. Breads made with rye flour are denser than those made with wheat, for example pumpernickel which is virtually black. Rye flour has a low gluten content, but it can also be used for recipes such as pancakes and muffins.

yesWheat free noGluten free

Sorghum flour

This is a relatively new flour on the market, and not readily available in the UK. It is ground from sorghum grain, which is similar to millet. The flour is used to make porridge or flat unleavened breads. It is an important staple in Africa and India.

This flour stores well under normal temperatures.

yesWheat free yesGluten free

Soya flour

Soya flour is a high protein flour with a nutty taste. It is not generally used on it's own in recipes, but when combined with other flours is very successful as an alternative flour. Can be used to thicken recipes or added as a flavour enhancer.

It needs to be carefully stored as it is a high fat flour and can go rancid if not stored properly. A cool, dark environment is recommended and can even be stored in the refrigerator.

yesWheat free yesGluten free

Stamp Collection all purpose flour

This flour, produced by The Stamp Collection, is 100% organic and wheat free. It is a blend of barley, rice, millet and maize flours. This flour works well in a wide variety of recipes, from soufflés to biscuits, and pancakes to pastry. It can't however be used to produce bread, although bread type products can be made from it. The all purpose flour absorbs liquid slower than wheat flour, and so additional time allowance needs to be made when using in recipes to allow liquid to absorb fully.

yesWheat free noGluten free

Tapioca flour

Tapioca flour is made from the root of the cassava plant, once ground it takes the form of a light, soft, fine white flour. Tapioca flour adds chewiness to baking and is a good thickener. Although difficult to source in the UK tapioca flour is an excellent addition to any wheat free kitchen. It's a fairly resilient flour, so storing at room temperature is no problem.

yesWheat free yesGluten free

Teff flour

Teff comes from the grass family, and is a tiny cereal grain native to northern Africa. It is ground into flour and used to prepare injera, which is a spongy, slightly sour flat bread. It is now finding a niche in the health food market because it is very nutritious, although currently it's a rarity to find in the UK.

yesWheat free yesGluten free

White rice flour

This flour is milled from polished white rice so it is very bland in taste, and not particularly nutritious. White rice flour is ideal for recipes that require a light texture, for example our herby dumplings. It can be used on its own for a variety of recipes and has a reasonable shelf life, as long as it is stored in an airtight container to avoid it absorbing moisture from the air.

yesWheat free yesGluten free

There are many varieties of wheat and it is the staple food of many countries. A grain of wheat consists of an outer coating (bran), the embryo (wheat germ) and the endosperm (floury part).

During milling the endosperm is ground into varying sized particles producing flour and semolina. Some people with wheat allergy or intolerance have been able to tolerate semolina in small amounts, however all parts of the wheat grain should be avoided to be on the safe side.

Bulgar flour

This is made from wheat and should be avoided for wheat free cooking.

noWheat free noGluten free

Brown flour

This flour contains the wheat germ and a small amount of bran and should be avoided for wheat free cooking.

noWheat free noGluten free

Cake flour

Soft flour made from grinding soft wheat. Should be avoided for wheat free cooking.

noWheat free noGluten free

Durum flour

This is made from wheat and should be avoided for wheat free cooking.

noWheat free noGluten free

Granary flour

A mixture of wholemeal, white and rye flours with malted grains. Should be avoided for wheat free cooking.

noWheat free noGluten free

Graham flour

This flour is like wholemeal flour but has had the wheat germ removed and flakes of bran added. Should be avoided for wheat free cooking.

noWheat free noGluten free

Kamut flour

This is made from wheat and should be avoided for wheat free cooking.

noWheat free noGluten free

Plain flour

Multi-purpose wheat flour. Should be avoided for wheat free cooking.

noWheat free noGluten free

Sauce flour

Special flour used for making sauces, common to restaurants using flour based sauces and should be avoided for wheat free cooking.

noWheat free noGluten free

Self-raising flour

Made from wheat and should be avoided for wheat free cooking.

noWheat free noGluten free

Semolina flour

This is ground from durum wheat and should be avoided for wheat free cooking. The very fine version is known as semola di grano, and will be found in pastas and breads.

noWheat free noGluten free

Spelt flour

Despite what many flour and product manufacturers will tell you, spelt is an ancient form of wheat and should be avoided for wheat free cooking.

noWheat free noGluten free

Strong flour

This flour is made from hard wheat with high gluten content. Should be avoided for wheat free cooking.

noWheat free noGluten free

Triticale flour

Triticale is another name for wheat. It is an ancient hybrid of rye and wheat and so should be avoided for wheat free cooking. The term triticale is often used in many product ingredient lists, especially beauty products, which can cause confusion and not necessarily be identified as the cause of a bad reaction.

noWheat free noGluten free

Wheat flour

Produced from grinding wheat which produces different qualities/types of flour. All flours produced from wheat must be avoided for wheat free cooking.

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Wheaten cornflour

Ground from wheat and therefore not to be confused with cornflour which is ground from corn. Must be avoided for wheat free cooking.

noWheat free noGluten free

Wholemeal flour

Also known as wholewheat or wheatmeal flour and is made from the whole wheat grain. Should be avoided for wheat free cooking.

noWheat free noGluten free

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