“Swapping Foods: Wheat Part 2” Disclaimer: None of the information provided in these posts should be taken as medical advice. Please consult with your doctor before trying recommendations or if you have concern
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Welcome back! As I mentioned part 1 of Swapping Foods: Wheat, I’m going to share some brands I like for gluten free flours, pastas, and baked goods. There are also a couple of flour blend recipes. Let’s dig in.
Flour
There are a variety of gluten-free flours on the market today. The one I use most often is King Arthur™ Gluten-free Measure for Measure flour. It has the xanthum gum in it, and it works for everything from cakes to cookies to biscuits. I would argue it’s better than wheat flour for making a roux. I haven’t tried their Bread Flour, because it has pea protein, so I would love it if someone would try it out and let us know how it worked out for them.
If you want to make your own blend (or you need a rice-free blend), here is a recipe for the blend I created 15 years ago (and this went through a lot of trial and error).
Gluten-free All-purpose Flour Blend
Makes 8 cups (approximately 2 pounds)
- 1 cup each of:
- Amaranth flour
- Sorghum flour
- Millet flour
- Bean or Almond flour
- Tapioca starch/flour (same thing)
- Arrowroot or Corn starch
- 2 cup potato starch
- 4 teaspoons xantham gum
Blend together either by hand or with a stand mixer (my Kitchen-Aid® stand mixer makes this so much easier and quicker than by hand). Store in a container in the fridge for up to 90 days (can store for up to 6 months in the freezer.
There are other gluten-free flours available to add to mixes. Teff and buckwheat will add more fiber to a blend. Corn flour (not cornmeal; they are two different things) can also add a different texture and flavor to a flour blend, though I would stick to using it when making tortillas (corn flour) or cornbread (cornmeal). Here is the higher fiber blend recipe.
Gluten-free Higher Fiber Flour Blend
Makes 8 cups (approximately 2 pounds)
- 1 cup each of:
- Amaranth flour
- Sorghum flour
- Tapioca starch/flour (same thing)
- Arrowroot or Corn starch
- ½ cup each of:
- Millet flour
- Bean or Almond flour
- Teff flour
- Buckwheat flour
- 2 cup potato starch
- 4 teaspoons xantham gum
Blend together either by hand or with a stand mixer. Store in a container in the fridge for up to 90 days (can store for up to 6 months in the freezer.
Pasta
There are a lot of gluten-free pasta options on the market now (significantly more than back in 2009). Some have bean flours in them, while others have corn or quinoa. Some are strictly rice-based. All of them have different cooking times, though, so read the package instructions. And follow them! Gluten-free pasta has a very short window between al dente and mush, and that window changes depending on the brand.
Different brands that I have used include (but are not limited to):
- Barilla (watch the time on these)
- Trader Joe’s (don’t cook this too long, or it gets sticky)
- Simple Truth (Kroger)
- Tinkyada (their lasagna noodles are perfect!)
- Jovial (I discovered thanks to my family giving me 7 boxes of different pastas for Christmas a couple of years ago)
Baked goods
There are many more gluten-free breads out on the market now. I’m a personal fan of Canyon Bakehouse products, because their breads don’t dry out as much in the refrigerator as other brands. Their English muffins are fabulous!
Other brands that are available include (but not limited to):
- Udi’s
- Trader Joes (excellent muffins, especially the coffee cake ones)
- Aldi
- Simple Truth (Kroger)
- Schär
- Bfree
- Against the Grain
- Katz (their donuts are yummy, and they have toaster pastries!)
About Roux
A brief word on this style of sauce: gluten free flour (in my opinion) makes a better roux than wheat flour. It thickens better (probably because of the starches in the blends) and has a nice mouth-feel.
Krusteez and King Arthur™ seem to work best in roux. Make sure to cook the flour before adding liquid, just like you would with wheat flour.
That’s all for today. Let me know if you use any of these products and what you think of them. Next week, we’re going to talk about food allergy tips for Independence Day (in the US).
Be safe. Eat safe. And savor life!
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