Gluten is one of the greatest things on the planet, I am in awe of its seemingly magic abilities in so many baked goods. The way it turns a lump of unassuming dough into a golden crusty loaf of bread is somewhat of a marvel to me. However, there are an unfortunate few among us who cannot physically tolerate it, and many more who have chosen to forsake gluten in pursuit of what they think is simply a healthier lifestyle. With modern farming practices the way they are, perhaps that’s true. Either way, I think we owe something to this new trend in our society. It has effectively forced us to get creative in the kitchen, to try things we may have never thought of. This experimentation has allowed us to discover new flavors and textures, to push the boundaries of our comfortable well-worn recipes and discover something new.

When looking for a wheat-free substitute to all-purpose flour, no single gluten free flour or starch will do, a blend is imperative. Store bought flour blends are often unreliable and always pricey. Buying the components in bulk and blending them yourself, dramatically lowers the price and allows you full control over what goes into them. This is important to those who would rather not ingest xanthan gum or any of the other binders you often find in pre-mixed blends. If you decide to take it a step further and grind your own flours, you can save that much more money and take your declaration of independence from the mass produced “convenience foods” one step further.

Gluten Free Flour Blend

Ingredients

215g (1¼ cups + 1 Tablespoon) Brown Rice Flour

215g (2⅓  cups) Oat Flour

115g  (¾ cup)  Potato Starch

45g (¼ cup)  Cornmeal

Instructions

-Depending on the recipe you’re making, cornmeal and its added texture might not be what you’re looking for, in that case, you can leave it out. Simply replace it by upping the oat flour and potato starch by 22g each.

–I highly recommend using a digital kitchen scale for this one. Although measuring out a cup of flour be it oat, rice, or other, seems pretty straightforward, the individual can diverge from the path in a thousand ways, rendering a different amount of flour by as much as several ounces. To ensure your gluten free flour blend works the way it should, weigh it.

Weigh out all ingredients and whisk them in a large bowl to combine.

Store in an airtight container or bag. (After a stovetop fiasco and a giant ziplock bag that was hemorrhaging my gluten free flour blend, I’ve started using a glass jar).

This blend keeps well for months at room temperature or indefinitely in the freezer.

Notes:

-This is not my original recipe but one shared with me by a friend, and I have been using it and loving it ever since! It has worked wonders for me in many simple recipes like muffins, cakes, quick breads, waffles, and crepes.

-Be sure you’re using potato starch and not potato flour. Potato starch will gelatinize in your gluten free baked goods and produce a light and tender crumb, potato flour will do the opposite.