Mom's Favorite Gluten Free Flour Blend

    Before being told by my doctor that I should eat gluten free, I was a good baker.  Some would even say fantastic!  A maker of delicious pastries, breads, cinnamon rolls, cookies, cakes........I even made puff pastry and cream puffs.  Delicious!  I was rarely satisfied with just pulling a recipe out of a cook book.  For me that would just be a starting point.  Perfection was always the goal.  Soooo........back to that day with the doctor.  I was at a loss on where to start.  How on earth was I going to make all our favorite foods?!  I browsed through the skimpy assortment of gluten free options at the grocery stores closest to home.  Eh.  I didn't know what to think.  It was like looking at food in an alien grocery store.  (Pick up a package of flour) "What does this do? How does it taste?  How will it behave in cookies?"   Yes, I have a thing for cookies.
      I picked up a couple of kinds of pre-packaged flour blends.  They had bean flour in them, like fava and garbanzo.  BLECK!!!  I like beans, just not in my cookies or pancakes.  I went back to reading again. 

Bob's Red Mill Flours and Starches

     Most of the flour blend recipes that I read had multiple ingredients, including starches.  The wheat flour that I had been using before had a LOT of starch in it!!!  So starches had to be part of the party.  BUT, being the penny pincher that I am I had difficulty getting past the idea that I would have to buy so many ingredients just to make one item for my pantry.  A 5lb bag of regular all purpose wheat flour could be had for $2 bucks if I hit a sale, and then I would buy a couple of bags.  As I priced out the different ingredients for making a gluten free blend the least expensive was $4 for a 20 ounce bag of Bob's Red Mill Brown Rice Flour.   I finally had to get past the $$ issue and just go for it.  By the time I crossed that milestone it had been months and months.  I was dying for a good bread that didn't have the texture of syrofoam.
      There were so many options and questions.......and what ingredient would lend what attribute to the blend?  White Rice Flour, Brown Rice Flour, Sorghum Flour, Whole Grain Oat Flour, Almond Flour, Corn Flour, Coconut Flour.  I tried making a couple of blends that did not "Wow" me.   They just were not as absorbent as all purpose wheat flour.


Gluten Free Supplies Ready to be Weighed and Mixed.

     My intent with creating a gluten free flour blend was to have a product that I could use in baking, substituting cup for cup.  My aim was minimal tweaking to attain the highest percentage of success if I just switched out the wheat flour for my gluten free alternative.
     I had been avoiding buying the more expensive flours like coconut and almond.  I still have not purchased any almond flour.  But coconut has made itself invaluable to me.  Because of its incredible moisture absorbing capability I became intrigued with the possibility that it could fix all my problems with the blend that I had been using. 


     I looked over my recipe and reworked the numbers.  I liked it.  It just wasn't quite absorbent enough.  So I hoped that adding a small amount of the coconut flour would fix the problem.
      To get the same results every time I mix the recipe time and time again I use a digital kitchen scale.   If I used a measuring cup to measure the different types of flours and starches the results would never be consistent from batch to batch.  I originally used a little inexpensive digital kitchen scale.  BUT since I also use the scale for my soaping I needed to get one that plugs in.  I found this fantastic scale at www.oldwillknottscales.com   The KD 7000 is an awesome scale!  I love it already.  And the service from this company was super fast!  If I ever have to buy another scale or recommend somewhere to get one, that's where its at! 
     So, some things to think about and have ready if you are going to put together a recipe like this.

1. A container to store your mixed flour blend in. 
2. A bowl or container to weigh your flours and starches in.
3. A clean plate, large spoon and wide mouth funnel.
4. Containers to store small extra amounts of flours or starches (Don't forget to label the container).
5. A digital kitchen scale.
6. Scissors to open any new bags of flour and starch.
7. You may want to mix the weighed out flours and starches in a bowl with a whisk.

 

Old Mason Jars for storing extras.

Now for my favorite Recipe........  
Mom's Favorite Gluten Free Flour Blend
600 grams Brown Rice Flour
600 grams White Rice Flour
300 grams Tapioca Flour
200 grams Potato Starch
200 grams Corn Starch
100 grams Coconut Flour


Ingredients Layer into the Jar.

When weighing out your ingredients be sure to tare your scale so you do not include the weight of the container.  Weigh out each ingredient and pour into a very large bowl.  Whisk all the ingredients together to combine thoroughly. 




I sometimes layer the ingredients into my storage jar and shake the jar like crazy.  Not the most efficient way for sure.  A better way is to mix it all in a large bowl with a whisk. 

 I love storing this GF Flour Blend in this old glass jar.  I think it had pickles in it ages ago.  I just love the way it looks on the shelf, filled with a flour that will easily give us cookies, brownies, corn bread, sourdough bread..........................:) You get the idea.    Happy cooking and eating.  Be good to the ones you love, and the ones that love you.  Do something nice for them that they didn't ask you to do.  That is sure to make someone feel special.  Blessings