My Whole Grain Gluten-Free Flour Blend Tutorial

I've had a few people ask, since my gluten free baking class in Utah, if I could please put up a single post with my whole grain gluten free flour recommendation and technique. If you missed it, I've included the full class notes and printables here. Whenever possible, I try to provide links to the bulk purchase of these grains and products that I think will be helpful. I use whole grain, higher protein grains. This seems to be one of the hardest things when converting to a gluten free diet and still avoiding a lot of simple starches. If you want more information, I highly recommend looking at the class notes. Again, here.

Tips and Techniques of Baking  with Gluten-Free Blends

Use a combination of flours. Usually not one single flour will do the trick for avoiding dense heavy results. Generally plan on no more than 30 % of each flour. Usually this means no more than 1 ½ cup of each flour for every 5 cups of blended flour. The exception: chickpea and millet. They have a strong flavor and will overpower the flavor of baked goods. For these you can use a lot less, about ¾ cup for every 4 to 5 cups of flour blend. I don't use the chickpea or millet in my blends because of that stronger flavor. Most especially I don't use the chickpea flour. It's a personal preference thing, but I don't like it at all. 

A good formula for healthy all purpose flour: 1½ cups nutrient- dense flour (amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa, sorghum)1 cup neutral flour (white/ brown rice flour, corn flour)1 cup starch (tapioca,corn, potato) ½ cup alternate starch

Store high-protein flours in airtight containers with a wide mouth so you can measure over the container.

Refrigerate all gluten-free flours. Allow refrigerated flours to return to room temperature before you use them, unless the recipe states otherwise. Use a wire whisk to get rid of flour clumps before you measure.

Chef Stephanie Petersen’s Gluten Free multi-grain flour

Chef Stephanie Petersen’s Gluten Free Fresh Milled multi-grain flour
24 oz sorghum
12 oz buckwheat
12 oz brown rice
12 oz amaranth
12 oz quinoa (pre-rinsed variety is best and will not impart a bitter flavor to flours)

Measure by weight. Mix the grain together. Mill on finest setting. If you are not generally gluten free and are milling flour for someone who is, you may need to find out how sensitive they are to gluten. Generally try to have one mill that is 100% gluten free. This will keep the flour from being contaminated. For those highly sensitive to gluten, this is very important.


Chef Tess All Purpose Super-Grain flour 


5 cups of Chef Tess multi grain flour (above)
2 cups tapioca starch OR potato starch
1 cup corn starch,
2T xanthum gum or guar gum
 1T seas salt.


 Use anywhere you would use all purpose flour. 

How to make my favorite fresh milled gluten free whole grain blend:

24 oz of sorghum. I love this whole grain and what it does for my gluten free baking. 

12 oz Buckwheat. Yes, it's gluten free!

Quinoa, ( boxed "pre-washed" variety if using for flour or get it in bulk unrinsed and rinse then dry 24 hours before milling to ensure it is very dry) If it is not rinsed, it will impart an bitter flavor to baked goods. This is due to the natural enzyme that covers unrinsed quinoa. 

  12 oz Brown rice, 

and 12 oz amaranth.

Combine all the grains, and place in your grain mill. Mill according to the manufacture's directions, I prefer the finest setting. 

Though the flour looks rather white, there is 100% whole grain there. 100% gluten free.

Combine:
5 cups of this whole grain flour
2 cups tapioca starch OR potato starch
1 cup corn starch,
2T xanthum gum or guar gum
 1T seas salt
Use anywhere you would use all purpose flour. Perfect for cakes, muffins, cookies, and lighter textured breads. If you want to have a chewy bread or pizza crust, you will need to add 1 tsp xanthum gum or guar gum per cup of flour. 

There you go! Use whole grain for your gluten free lifestyle. It will make a huge difference!
 For the printable version of this recipe alone go: Here.


Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess