<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
A Big Thank You for all the supportive responses about the sandy/gritty
texture of rice flour. All of you agreed that yes, it is sandy. Most
everyone combines rice flour with other flours before baking even if the
recipe calls for rice flour only. Many suggestions were to purchase the much
finer rice flour at an oriental market. Below are a few of the wonderful and
helpful baking hints and suggestions I've summarized from some of you using
rice flour blends:)
1 ~ Yes, rice flour does have a grittiness to it. I've found that the rice
flour from an Asian market is much finer and gives a better product. The
other "trick" is to combine flours, making a mixture of rice flour, potato
starch, tapioca flour, cornstarch, bean flour, etc. You'll also get better
results if you include fruit in your recipes whenever possible. I've made
chocolate zucchini cake, date, banana, carrot, applesauce and pumpkin breads,
kiwi muffins and they've all turned out just like the "real thing"......
~ from Gayle in Boise
2 ~ Try using a blend of flours. If I am not using the GF Gourmet Blend (as
in B. Hagman's books or sold by Ener-G Foods), I use rice flour with some
tapioca flour. For example, I make a "Cottage Pudding Cake" (adapted from F.
Farmer) where I use 1 c. white rice flour and 1/2 c. tapioca flour for the 1
and 1/2 c flour needed. I play around and adjust as necessary. The GF blend
is the best for cup for cup substitution (in my opinion). Also, adding a
small amount of xanthan gum helps counteract the crumbliness of rice flour
(use less in cake that you would in bread).
~ from Jane in Va.
3 ~ I found when baking a cake or cookies, I use Bette Hagman's Flour mix
which you can make yourself. Use this in place of just rice flour. The
combination of flours I use are: 6 cups white rice flour, 2 cups potato
starch flour (not potato flour - this is different in texture) and 1 cup
tapioca flour. Take these 9 cups of flour and blend together in a large air-
tight bowl (like Tupperware) and use as if you were using for any cake mix.
For instance if the recipe calls for 1 and 1/2 cups of rice flour, use 1 and
1/2 cups of this flour mixture....... ~ from Cindy in Southern NJ
4 ~ To improve the white rice texture mix all of your ingredients except the
baking powder the night before and let them sit overnight in the refrigerator.
If the recipe calls for baking powder or baking soda add that the next day
when you form the cookies and then bake. Cookies with a "hearty" flavor,
chocolate, molasses or something else with a distinct taste turn out
better.......... ~ from Nancy K
5 ~ If you use a mixture of flours such as B. Hagman does in her three
cookbooks, your cookies will be much improved.......... If you replace a
small amount of her mix with soy flour, many times this will improve the
texture expecially in darker cookies such as chocolate or those with brown
sugar. I make my chocolate drop cookies with this formula and the taste
identical to the wheat ones. I also make my favorite orange cookies this way.
I also add a small amt of xanthan gum to eliminate crumbling. ~ Barb from NE
Ohio
6 ~ .......Rice flours cannot be used alone, by themselves for baking, or you
get a gritty result. Rice flours must be combines with other flours to work
best. Bette Hagman's cookbooks are good starting places for baking. I have
found a simple solution for most baking.
*3 parts white rice flour + 1 part tapioca flour makes great cakes, muffins
and quick breads.
*3 parts white rice flour + 1 part sweet rice flour makes great cookies.
.........Never use rice flour alone, no matter what the recipe says.
from Ellen in Eugene, Oregon
7 ~ I mix 2 cups white rice flour with 1/2 cup Tapioca flour and 1/2 cup
Potato Starch Flour. Stir it with a whisk and measure out your recipe amount.
(I usually make a pretty good size batch of the flour mix and use it basically
for everything; especially good for bread.) Another member in our group adds
about 1/8 cup of Sweet Rice flour for each cup of white rice flour............
from Joanne, East Aurora, NY
8 ~ The finest milled rice flour I've found is from the Oriental market. They
have 2 kinds, one says "glutenous" but it just means it's stickier - not that
it has gluten in it............. ~ from Cindy in Texas
9 ~ The rice flour I have bought at health food stores is often 'sandy' or
coarsely ground. What I buy at oriental stores is as powdery and finely
ground as regular white wheat flour. I suggest you look at alternative
sources for rice flour. What's left in the bag you can use in recipes that
are naturally rough textures, like cornbread muffins. ~ from Carol in
St. Louis, MO
10 ~ I use sweet rice flour for all of my cookie baking. Sweet rice flour has
a more "gluten" like texture so I don't need to add xanthan gum to it. The
cookies don't crumble either. You can also mix it half and half with other
rice flour. I have had really good luck with sweet rice flour in all kinds of
cookies, but it is not good for cakes. ~ from Thea
11 ~ Regarding rice flour, yes, it will be grainy if used alone. The secret
to baking with gluten-free flours is to combine different kinds. Here is what
has worked best for me:
1. Combine different kinds of flours: for each cup of wheat flour, use:
1/2 cup rice flour, 1/4 cup potato flour, 1/4 cup tapioca flour.
2. For each cup of flour, add 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum (a powder
available at health food stores-it binds baked goods together so
they don't fall apart.
3. SIFT! Because the different flours have different textures, it is
vital to sift the flours together before adding to creamed or
moist ingredients.
4. Slightly increase the amt. of baking powder or baking soda used.
Wheat-alternative flours are heavier than wheat flour, so extra
leavening is needed.
5. Slightly increase the amount of liquid called for in a recipe.
Wheat alternative flours are more dense than wheat flour and need slightly
more liquid. Hope these suggestions are of some help to you. Happy Baking!
from Connie
Author of "Gluten-Free Desserts"
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