Gluten-free products are all the rage these days, due to both the inability to tolerate gluten or the perceived health benefits. For several years, I have been experimenting with gluten-free baking for my dad, who cannot eat gluten. Many of my first attempts landed in the trash can. But after much trial and error, I have developed a flour blend that works in muffins, quick breads, cakes, etc. In a daring moment, I even made a batch of pizza dough and grilled it. In this case, there was a difference compared to the wheat flour version, but it really worked and was a treat to someone who typically has to pass on the pizza.
As someone who tries to limit her gluten intake but does eat some, I truly believe there are many delicious foods that are naturally gluten free. But, sometimes, you just want your favorite cookie or birthday cake! This blend makes it possible to enjoy old favorites, even if you are eating in a new way.
As a side note, a reader recently emailed me and said that her mother won a recipe contest using this gluten-free mix. Interestingly, she won in the regular baking category, not the gluten-free category. I thought that was pretty great! Perhaps I will make and share the prize-winning recipe soon. In the meantime, here is a link to my gluten-free father’s all-time favorite recipe using this mix…my grandmother’s apple cake!
All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Blend
Ingredients
- 3 cups rice flour (see notes)
- 1 1/2 cups tapioca flour
- 3/4 cup potato starch
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon xanthan gum
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients and store in a large zip-top bag.
- If you bake gluten free regularly, consider doubling the recipe. Use cup for cup as you would wheat flour. Most of the baked products I post are items that I have cooked both the traditional and gluten-free way with much success.
Notes
- I started out making this mix with all white rice flour. Now, I often use half white and half brown rice flour for the added whole grains. My favorite combination, however, in order to balance the benefit of whole grains with quality of the baked good, is a mix of two cups white rice flour and one cup brown rice flour.
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