Gluten free flour blends are, really, the most important resource on this entire recipe blog. A slightly more complex blend of flours (like my Better Than Cup4Cup Blend), including xanthan gum, is essential to success in most of my gluten free recipes.
But lately I find myself using a more basic, 3-ingredient flour blend without the benefit of xanthan gum in some recipes. It’s strangely liberating!
I still believe that xanthan gum is a critical component of most gluten free baking, but this basic gluten free flour blend is an important resource, too, in a certain type of more delicate recipe.
The infographic above makes short work of remembering how to make this simple flour blend. But let’s review all the wonderful recipes this blend has made possible so far. Who knows where we’ll go from here!
Gluten Free Crêpes: The ultimate in delicate, crêpe batter without xanthan gum swirls around that frying pan with ease.
Gluten Free Chocolate Pudding Pie: Most chocolate pudding is made with cornstarch, but cornstarch will cause pudding to leak liquid when it’s chilled. This pudding, made with my basic xanthan gum-free gluten free flour blend, is smooth as silk—hot or cold.
Gluten Free Cornmeal Pancakes: I have made these pancakes both with a more traditional gluten free flour blend and with my basic xanthan gum-free blend, and the xanthan gum-free variety has a much nicer bite.
Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes: Ah, the classic gluten free pancake. You can make it with a more traditional gluten free flour blend, one that contains xanthan gum, but you have to begin with a super hot skillet and work quick quick quick, as the batter will thicken as it stands.
This xanthan gum-free pancake batter pours with ease and makes for a tender pancake that tastes just like you remember.
Gluten Free Microwave Chocolate Mug Cake: Disappointed by every other gluten free microwave cake I had ever made, I finally got it! No xanthan gum in the flour (along with a few other secrets I spill in that post and recipe) makes for the perfect moist, tender cake for 1—even once it’s cool. Quick chocolate fix!
Jordana Erlich Levine says
Nicole, You are a Gd send to me! I love ALL of your recipes, and you have helped me to fill my house with delicious GF baked goods that taste as great as their gluten counter parts. Thank you!! My question is I use Better Batter Flour on your recommendation, but now see that you also use a blend that you make. Is there a reason that you have switched, or do you suggest using either one depending on the recipe? Thanks, and keep on blogging!!
Jordana
Swarna says
Nicole
Bought your Gluten free on a shoe string book . I want to make the white sandwich bread, which flour blend to use since recipe also mentions xanthum gum?
Thanks
Ariana says
I have made the white sandwich bread several times with Better Batter (BB) flour. It’s DELICIOUS. It’s so good I eat the ends. And I never eat the ends on sandwich bread. You just exclude the xanthan gum from the recipe when you use better batter since it’s already there. (Nicole also has a recipe for mock BB if you have the component flours sitting around. BB is cheaper but if you’re like me you ended up with a lot of GF flours on an impulse.
gfshoestring says
Thank you, Ariana!! (and funny about the ends of the bread :)
xoxo Nicole
Swarna says
Thanks Ariana! I have lot of GF base flours will try the mock BB.
Swarna says
Nice post…got ur book …nice collection…want to try your bred fist…and ahve a grilled chesse…been so long…thanks for all the awesome recipes
Marjan Crabtree says
I love the infographic but not sure what to do with the percentages…for my simple brain cups and tablespoons etc work so much better and quicker :-).
Is there an easy way to convert?
gfshoestring says
I’m afraid that these flour blends don’t correspond neatly to volume measurements. I explain how to use the infographics on my Gluten Free Flour Blends Page. It’s very simple. Promise!
Nicole
Ariana says
Marjan, if you have trouble just think in terms of grams out of 100 and multiply up to get batches. For example, it’s 66% white rice flour. That means for every 100 grams of the final product you use 66 grams of white rice flour. To extend the example, 100g of this flour would be 66 grams of white rice flour, 22g of potato starch, and 12g of tapioca starch. To make 200 g of the flour, double the above recipe — so 132 grams of white rice flour (66×2), 44g of potato starch (22 x 2) and 24g of tapioca starch (12 x2). If you don’t have a scale, get one — using a scale to measure flour is THE way to go. So much more predictable, consistent — so fewer baking flops and better results.
Lisa says
I’m a bit nervous about all the reports of arsenic in rice from leftover soil contamination…I think I will try this with sorghum! Thank you!! :-)
Charlotte Moore says
I can’t find the ingredients list for cake flour.
gfshoestring says
I discuss it in this post, Charlotte.
Donia Robinson says
That mix looks great! Was wondering if you’ve ever attempted a whole grain mix? Clearly 100% while grain would not work, but what if there parameters were, say, at least 50% whole grains? One wouldn’t use it for a cake (just like a person wouldn’t use all whole grain wheat flour for a cake) or other items, but I’d love one for a heartier bread and some other items.
gfshoestring says
50% whole grains would be like swapping out 50% of the all purpose flour in a conventional recipe for whole wheat flour, Donia. It would behave completely differently. There is no such thing as a whole grain all purpose blend, as whole grain is not good for all purposes. There are plenty of whole grain bread recipes in my next book, though!
xoxo Nicole
Stephanie Loomis says
thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nancy says
Your knowledge and willingness to share the gluten-free information and recipes is wonderful. At 75 years of age, and trying to become a gluten-free eater, I am in a whirl as to how to pull all of this together. Your information is so helpful.
gfshoestring says
I admire your willingness to learn, Nancy, and it’s my pleasure to help. Thank you for the kind words!
xoxo Nicole