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A Montina (Indian Ricegrass Flour) Taste Test

A few weeks ago I asked the List for comment from anyone who's tried
Montina flour.  I only received three responses (the 3rd and latest is
posted below.)  But my primary question was whether Montina could improve
the taste of GF bread recipes.  None of these responses answered my
question.  The only way to decide this was to try it using my own regular
bread recipe with a Montina flour substitution.

Montina ( http://www.montina.com ) can be ordered in 12, 24 or 64 oz.
packages in a pure form or an all-purpose blend (50% potato flour (not
starch), 25% tapioca flour, and 25% Montina flour) for $5.99, $10.99,
$29.99 (Pure) and $3.99, $7.49, $19.99 (All-Purpose) plus shipping by
calling 1-877-278-6585.  You will probably talk to Penny Warren who
suggests Montina should be about 25% of your flour mix.

My usual flour mix for my GF bread is 1 cup potato starch, 1 cup tapioca
flour, 2/3 cup garbanzo bean flour and 1/3 cup soy flour.  In place of the
garbanzo and soy flours, I decided to use 1 cup of pure Montina flour.  I
prepared my test GF loaf of bread exactly the same as I normally do with
the only change being this flour substitution.

Montina flour is a lighter weight flour and has a greyish tan color, with
dark brown speckles throughout.  The bread dough was somewhat thinner than
my usual dough, and this suggests using slightly less water and, perhaps,
using more xanthan gum than my normal recipe.  Oddly enough, the raw dough
had a distinct banana muffin smell (even though bananas are not a part of
the recipe.)  The finished product was a rich deep brown loaf of bread
which gave off a very rye-bread-like odor while warm.  The cooled loaf
sagged in the middle more than my usual bread.

My taste test consisted of two 2-slice servings of my Montina bread.  One
serving toasted, and one serving, a few days later, untoasted.
Unfortunately, because I had an allergic reaction to the Montina bread
within 15 minutes after both taste tests that left me with a sore throat, I
will no longer be consuming or taste-testing Montina flour.  (I also react
to corn.  So Indian ricegrass now joins corn and gluten-grains on my
personal list of forbidden grains.)

As far as taste goes, the toasted Montina bread tasted very good, the
closest thing to the taste of real rye bread I have ever had since going
GF.  Unfortunately, the untoasted serving of Montina bread was dry,
crumbly, disappointing and had almost no rye flavor at all.  This suggests
that Montina baked goods are probably at their best only when served warm
so that the scent of rye is released.

Montina is not cheap.  But if you crave the test of warm toasted rye bread,
Montina flour can do it.  The allergic reaction I had with Montina,
however, means my cravings for rye bread will have to go unsatisfied.

-------
This was the last response to my earlier inquiry:

"Hi- I had some muffins that were made with Montina flour.  They were good,
but no different than any other muffin.  I don't know about bread.  It is
supposed to be nutritionally superior, but it's quite expensive.  Anyway,
it's nice to have another flour available to us."

* Please remember some posters may be WHEAT-FREE, but not GLUTEN-FREE *