Handpicked flours

There are many kinds of recipes that indicate to use gluten free flours. But which one? I have trialed many variations over the years but even now it can be quite overwhelming, not to mention remembering whether it is gluten free or not when I am staring aimlessly in the supermarket isle. Below I have compiled a list of gluten free flours that will hopefully help you decide the best one for you.

Gluten free flours

• Almond flour - great for cakes and biscuits
• Buckwheat flour: A common ingredient in pancake mixes, buckwheat flour is also used to make Japanese soba noodles. You can make your own buckwheat flour by processing whole white buckwheat groats in a blender or food processor.
• Corn flour: This is made from whole cornmeal. Not ideal for baking sweet cakes but great for breads
• Gluten-free flour mix: Most health-food stores and many supermarkets carry this. It can be substituted for 100% of the wheat flour in many recipes and is available in plain and self-raising
• Potato flour (potato starch): Steamed potatoes are dried and then ground to a powder to make this
• Rice flour - This very fine-textured flour is made from polished white rice
• Sorghum flour - I have only just discovered this myself. Sorghum flour works well in breads when combined with bean flours
• Tapioca flour: Milled from the dried starch of the cassava root, this flour thickens when heated with water and is often used to give body soups and casseroles. It can also be used in baking