(vegan, gluten-free)
There is no shortage of recipes on the Interwebs and the TwitterToks for the “perfect” gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Some are vegan, some have milk powder, some are starch heavy, some are grain heavy, some add in binders such as xanthan gum, all have their own distinct personality. Here is mine. It’s personality is pretty basic, which is exactly what one needs for a truly “all-purpose” flour.
This recipe was adapted from America’s Test Kitchen’s “The How Can it be Gluten Free Cookbook”. My version uses slightly more brown rice flour and leaves out the nonfat dry milk powder. This way, I have a go-to flour recipe than can be adapted to vegan, nut-free, or soy-free diets, depending on the circumstances. Occasionally, I have experimented with adding in soy milk powder to replace the dry milk powder to good effect, but I have not yet done a side-by-side comparison. The advantage of this recipe is that it is cheaper than most commercial 1 to 1 gluten-free all-purpose blends, and it is very quick to make, especially if you have a dedicated plastic lidded container to mix and store the flour. My personal price per ounce analysis shows my blend to be cheaper than other commercial brands. I use iHerb for ordering my Bob’s Red Mill ingredients, which has so far worked well for me.
| GLUTEN-FREE ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR BLEND | PRICE PER OUNCE |
| Wolfsong Diner | $0.20 |
| King Arthur’s Baking Company | $0.23 |
| Bob’s Red Mill | $0.26 |
| Pillsbury | $0.27 |
| Cup4Cup | $0.38 |
This recipe is measured by weight, not by volume, but once you start making this, you will likely get it down to a science. I mix and store my flour in a large plastic sealable container. I weigh each ingredient separately, dump them into the container, SEAL THE CONTAINER, then mix the flour by rocking, shaking, swirling, and, if no one else is in the kitchen, dancing. The good news is that Bob’s Red Mill White Rice Flour already comes in a 24-ounce bag, so it doesn’t have to be weighed out, just dumped into the container. The double good news is that I think the action of making the flour burns off the calories from all the baked goods. Or so I tell myself.
One additional note: America’s Test Kitchen liked King Arthur’s flour, which also turns out to be one of the cheaper pre-made blends, so in a pinch, I would recommend using theirs if one can’t make the homemade blend.
INGREDIENTS
- 24 ounces white rice flour
- 8 ounces brown rice flour
- 7 ounces potato starch (NOT potato flour)
- 3 ounces tapioca starch
- 0.75 ounces of soy milk powder or nonfat dry milk powder (OPTIONAL)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Weigh each ingredient separately and add to a large sealable mixing container.
- Mix flour in SEALED container by rocking, shaking, and swirling.
NUTRITION
Per ounce: 104 cal, 0.1g fat, 0.1g fiber, 1.6g protein
Wolfsong Diner 