How best to use gluten free all purpose flour?

Question

In the grocery store mixup, I got a bunch of gluten free flour. I don't have additives like xanthan gum but would like to bake bread and other recipes so I don't need to go to the store for a few weeks while all this plays out.

Should I try mixing this with regular all purpose flour that I already have? Or should I use it on it's own, or any other advice.

Thanks in advance for all thoughts!

Answer 1

You don't need xanthan gum or other thickeners; they are already in the mix you bought.

These mixes don't behave much like standard, gluten-containing flour. Don't bake bread with them on their own, the results are very disappointing. Also don't use it for standard cake recipes, or for most pastries or cookies

After all these don'ts, here are the things you can actually do with it.

• If you want to keep using your existing recipes without change, I suggest pancakes and crepes. There, gluten free mixes seem to perform as good as flour with gluten. There is a slight noticeable difference in texture, but it's not unpleasant.
• Update: after more use of decent quality gluten-free mixes, I can confirm that certain cakes tend to work quite well with these mixes. It is usually recipes that use simple mixing methods and are somewhat liquid before baking. Pound cake and derivatives, especially the ones where dairy or fruit puree is added, are good candidates. Muffins (not complicated-dough cupcakes) are also good.
• Use it in applications where the flour is not needed for the bulk of the texture. For example, if you use stew recipes which are thickened with a spoonful of flour before adding the liquid, it will work quite well there. Or use it for flouring pizza stones, cake tins, etc.
• Find recipes intended for gluten free mixes, especially from the brand you bought. They are specifically engineered to work.
• If you want to mix it with normal flour, that's also OK. But then mix it in cases where you want to lower the gluten content. So not in bread baking, more in places like cakes or pie crusts, especially if the recipe directs you to use pastry flour, or to mix flour and starch.

Answer 2

Gluten-free all-purpose flour is a great way to make tasty and nutritious recipes, whether you are gluten-free or not. It can be used to bake anything from sweet treats like cookies, cakes, and pies to savory dishes such as pizza dough, pancakes, and muffins. Here are some tips on how to use gluten-free all-purpose flour:

1. Use a ratio of one part all-purpose flour to two parts liquid. This will help create a texture similar to regular flour and give you the best results when cooking and baking with gluten-free all-purpose flour.
2. Add a binder like ground flaxseed, xanthan gum, or psyllium husk to help hold the ingredients together. This is especially important when making baked goods that need to have their shapes, such as cookies and cakes.
3. Use higher fat content ingredients like butter, coconut oil, or olive oil to help make the texture of gluten-free all-purpose flour more similar to regular flour.

Here are some of the Gluten-free recipes for you:

https://japanesericeflour.com/recipes/