Can I Use Your Gluten
In some cases yes when it comes to making choux pastry, cookies, sponge cakes, cookies or biscuits, pancakes or fried chicken batter, this blend is a 1:1 replacement. However, you will likely need to add a little xanthan gum for binding in most cases too.
But when it comes to gluten-free bread or shortcrust pastry, swapping wheat flour for gluten-free flour blend simply doesnt cut it it will not work. These recipes rely more on gluten to work, hence why gluten-free flour isnt enough.
In these cases, to use this blend for gluten-free bread or pastry, youll need a special, 100% gluten-free-focussed recipe for these things, such as the ones in my book.
How To Make Gluten
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Gluten-Free Self-Rising Flour is a key ingredient in biscuits, quick breads and pancakes. It’s a must-have to making some of your favorite Southern-staples gluten-free, but it’s not so easy to find in stores. So, I make my own. You can too – it’s pretty easy.
First, you have to know what you’re going for. “Normal” self-rising flour is made from “soft” all-purpose flour – which means it’s lower in protein. Then it has baking powder and salt in prescribed amounts added in and blended. To get a similar affect in my gluten-free self-rising flour, I use a blend with less binding agent and little more baking powder than the “normal” version uses. That avoids the wonky texture you can get from binding agents and gives a similar rise as conventional flour blends do.
Can I Substitute Certain Flours And Starches For Other Gluten
You can, but I cant guarantee the results. Theres no end to the different types of gluten-free flour blends out there and if you swap out specific starches for other starches, its no longer the blend I intended.
For example, youd think that swapping rice flour for brown rice flour would be a straightforward swap, right? But in reality, brown rice flour is heavier than regular rice flour and will definitely imbalance the results of my blend to an unknown extent.
It may still work just fine, but the more the blend is altered, the less I can guarantee your results. Ive tested the blend in this post a million times, but if you swap things out, I have absolutely zero idea how that would affect things thats because Ive never used it, so how would I know?
From that point on, youre basically conducting the trial and error tribulations that comes with creating your own custom flour blend. If you want to save yourself the science experiment just use mine Ive already done all the testing for you!
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Gluten Free Self Rising Flour Recipe
March 18, 2021 by burntapple
Simple and easy recipe for gluten free self rising or self raising flour. Is it self raising? Or self rising? I’m always confused. Whatever you end up calling it we’ve got several different ways you can make gluten free self rising flour!
When Not To Use Self Rising Flour
- Do not use self rising flour with yeast-raised breads or sourdough.
- As a general rule, you probably do not want to use self rising flour if there is another leavening agent called for in the recipe, such as yeast or baking soda. The leavening in the self rising flour should be enough.
- Do not substitute self rising flour in your recipes without paying close attention to the rest of the recipe. Typically you will want to use the ingredients listed in the recipe or follow careful instructions when substituting an ingredient as important as flour.
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Why Opt For A Commercial Gluten
Using a commercial blend of gluten-free flour is the ultimate in convenience. Just grab a bag of gluten-free flour from the shelves of your supermarkets free from aisle and get baking thats exactly how easy baking should always be!
But what if you live somewhere where supermarket flour blends are vastly different to ours here in the UK? For example, in the UK, Doves Farms FREEE gluten-free plain flour contains rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, corn starch and buckwheat flour.
However, in the US, Bobs Red Mills all-purpose gluten-free flour contains chickpea flour, potato flour, tapioca flour, sorghum flour and fava bean flour. Both contain drastically different ingredients and will likely yield wildly different results, yet both are considered all-purpose.
And what about if you live somewhere where commercial gluten-free blends are basically non-existent? By using a commercial gluten-free flour blend in my recipes, things can quickly go from convenient to headache for all the reasons above.
Why Opt For A Custom Gluten
So thats why custom four blends exist. Instead of telling you guys to use gluten-free plain flour, I could instead tell you to use specific amount of rice flour, tapioca starch etc. for every single recipe in my book and on my blog.
And in a sense, this would be far more universally applicable, meaning everyone would achieve identical results no matter where you live in the world or what your supermarkets gluten-free flour blends were like. Problem solved, right?
However, hopping online to source 5 different flours and mixing up your own custom flour blend seems like a lot of effort for a simple sponge cake, doesnt it? Plus, it would make creating your own gluten-free flour blend a prerequisite for every single recipe I ever created.
The combination of these two things, in my opinion, makes gluten-free baking seem more time consuming and overly complicated than it really needs to be.
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How To Make Gluten Free Self Raising Flour
Place a sieve over a bowl and add 250 grams of Gluten Free 1-to-1 flour.
Next add 12 grams of baking powder and 2 grams of salt.
Sift to fully combine the ingredients. You can double sift if you prefer.
And thats it! Quick and easy and I promise you that itll make the world of difference in your baked goods.
I Cant Tolerate Cornflour Can I Use Another Starch Instead
Following on from the question above the only time Id understand the need to switch up the flour blend is if you were intolerant to one of the flours/starches in the blend.
As cornflour is one of the most common offenders that people cant tolerate, Ive used that as an example in this case, if you cant tolerate corn, simply use more tapioca starch or potato starch instead.
However, as I keep repeating, I cannot guarantee the results of your final bake if omitting the cornflour, as I have not tested a blend that omits cornflour for more tapioca/potato starch. Though in theory, it should achieve similar results.
If you wish to remove rice flour, I unfortunately cannot advise a simple swap as, not only is it half the flour blend, but its also a very unique flour that cant be substituted so easily. In this case, youd need to seek out a rice-free flour blend that would likely look very different to the one you see here in this post.
If anyone would be interested in different flour blends, just ask! If enough people ask, Ill probably create it thats how my recipes go!
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So Whats The Secret Behind This Particular Blend
Self raising flour, also known as self rising, is a blend of flour that contains added baking powder and salt, which helps baked goods rise evenly. The baking powder is a leavening agent that helps ingredients rise when liquid is added to it. And when you factor in wanting to make a gluten free cake, you want to retain that lightness. It is similar to cake flour but with slighter higher protein content.
Often gluten free flours can create a more gummy and dense bake but with my recipe, your cakes will turn out gloriously light and fluffy. I also guarantee that your non-gluten-free friends will be hard pushed to tell the difference between gluten free and regular baked goods that use this blend.
Frequently Asked Questions About Gluten
What is the difference between self rising flour and all-purpose flour?
Self rising flour contains salt and leavening agents and is called for in specific recipes. All purpose flour is meant to be a universal ingredient used for most basic recipes. Gluten-free all purpose flours are usually labeled “one for one” or “cup for cup” meaning they can be used in place of all purpose flour.
What is self rising flour used for?
Self rising flour is often used for biscuits and cobblers, but can also be used for pizza crust, quick breads and other baked goods that need a bit of leavening. It can also be used to make pancakes.
Can you make self rising flour?
Yes. Self rising flour is made with all purpose flour, salt and baking powder, and it can be made at home. Gluten-free self rising flour should also contain a baking binder.
What is a gluten free substitute for self rising flour?
The best gluten-free substitute for self rising flour is to make your own using gluten-free flour blend, baking powder, salt and baking binder.
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What Is The Difference Between Regular Flour And Self Rising Flour
The only difference between the two flours is that one has added baking powder and salt in it. If you only had regular flour on hand, you need to add the rising agents to it. Luckily, if you come across a recipe calling for the self-rising flour, you can make it yourself quickly and easily.
Why this self rising flour recipe will be a pantry staple-
- Cheaper than store bought. Self rising flour is often more expensive than traditional all purpose flour.
- Takes 2 minutes to make. Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together and you are done!
- Small batch required. You can make as much or as little as you want.
How To Store Your Gluten
- Once created, store your gluten-free flour blend in any airtight container. I use large clip top glass jars as these are the easiest to store on a shelf as well as to decant from. But in reality, even plastic tupperware is fine as long as its airtight, its a-ok.
- I highly advise labelling your gluten-free flour blend in some way so that you can tell it apart from other flours. This especially applies if youre creating gluten-free plain and self-raising blends, which youll be storing together they look identical, so label them first!
- Store at room temperature in a dry, cool place.
- Both my gluten-free plain and self-raising flour blends will last for around 6-8 months, if stored correctly.
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Don’t Skimp On The Mixing Time For Gluten
The directions for this gluten-free self rising flour blend calls for 10 minutes in a food processor or mixer, and I suggest you do exactly that. If your processor is getting warm from running, give it a break for 2-3 minutes in the middle of the mixing cycle. The rising agents need to be 100% mixed throughout the flour blend for successful lift in your recipes.
If you’re blending your own gluten-free flour while making your self-rising mix, you can definitely do it all at once.
Where Do I Buy All Of These Gluten
Its very unlikely that youll be able to find all of these different flours and starches in supermarkets. So naturally, your best bet is to buy them online and get them delivered straight to your door.
If you live in the UK ??, , though of course, youre much better off just buying a gluten-free plain or self-raising flour blend from the supermarket. This blend is made to emulate those, so in reality, theres no need to make your own!
If you live in the US ??, Bobs Red Mill fortunately manufacture Heres links to them specifically so you know what youre looking for, though you probably source them cheaper from the Bobs Red Mill website:
- Gluten-free baking powder for self-rising flour)
If you live in Australia ??, please be careful to ensure all flours and starches used arent cross-contaminated by manufacturing methods. This seems to be more common in the products Ive tried to link online and because if this, Id prefer if a knowledgeable Aussie native could recommend somewhere safe to purchase truly gluten-free flours and starches. Please leave a comment below this post if you know where to safely source these as it would really help myself and others!
If you live elsewhere in the world ?, your best bet is usually Amazon or a quick Google search. Just ensure that your flours and starches arent cross-contaminated by manufacturing methods as this can be more common depending where you live.
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So Whats Best For Gluten
My answer is: a bit of both ! My solution to the above conundrum is the following:
If you live in the UK, you can happily use the gluten-free plain and self-raising flours that are easily found on supermarket free from aisle shelves and totally ignore this post. Because thats exactly what I use in my recipes!
However, if you live outside of the UK, youve got a few options:
- Use a gluten-free flour blend thats readily available in your country , though results may vary and I cant guarantee results as all flour blends are different. You may need to reduce or increase the amount of flour used based on differences that are unavoidable across different flour blends.
- Source the gluten-free plain and self-raising flour blends that I use from the UK, if possible. This would be the easiest option, though as theyre produced in the UK, they may more more expensive and/or harder to find.
- Create the gluten-free flour blend outlined in this blog post as its designed using individual flours/starches as its designed to be as close as possible to the commercial blend I use here in the UK.
So there you go Ive finally sorted out the conundrum that is custom vs commercial gluten-free flour blends in recipes. Hopefully the entire world can work towards having a more homogenised flour blend in the future so were all on the same page!
But until then, youve always got this recipe in your back pocket that you can use for all of the recipes on my blog and in my book.
Custom Vs Commercial Gluten
When it comes to creating gluten-free recipes, Ive always been torn between two choices. Either I ask you guys to:
- Use a commercial blend of gluten-free flour blend from the supermarket.
- Or, create your own custom blend using individual measurements gluten-free starches and flours.
So which is better for gluten-free baking? Well, theres fors and againsts for both
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What Can I Use This Gluten
Ive used it to make shortcrust pastry, sponge cakes, cupcakes, cookies, bread, choux pastry and tons more. You can also use it as a simple thickener in sauces or as a coating for fried chicken just like you can with wheat flour.
However, no gluten-free flour blend can be a 1:1 substitution for wheat flour in all scenarios this blend is simply for you to use in my recipes whenever I call for gluten-free plain flour or gluten-free self-raising flour.
Is Bicarbonate Of Soda The Same As Baking Powder
If your recipe calls for bicarbonate of soda, it is simply referring to baking soda. Baking powder, on the other hand, is a blended mixture containing baking soda, acidic salts or dry acids, and often a starch such as corn starch. Baking powder typically contains tartaric acid, more commonly known as cream of tartar.
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Why These Gluten
Thats simple because thats what the commercial flour blend I use for my recipes contains. This blend is designed to be as close to the gluten-free flour blend I buy from supermarkets as possible.
That way, people who cant source the blend I use for all my recipes can simply create their own at home to use with my recipes.
The commercial blend that inspired this recipe is incredibly versatile, ready to use with cakes, bread, pastry, cookies you name it. So not surprisingly, so is mine!
Why Use A Self
Unless you live in the South, self-rising flour may not be a staple item in your kitchen. Or, maybe you ran out and need to make biscuits for dinner. No matter what, if your recipe calls for self-rising flour and you do not have it, then you need to use a self-rising flour substitute.
You may also need a self-rising flour substitute if you have an allergy to wheat, celiac disease, or gluten sensitivity and need to avoid wheat or gluten. Wheat-free or gluten-free self-rising flour substitutes may be your only option for making fluffy pancakes.
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What Is The Difference Between Self
Self-rising flour contains leavening agents like baking powder, it also contains salt and is used in specific recipes.
While all-purpose flour is used as a universal ingredient and it is used in basic recipes. However, you can modify and use all-purpose flour as self-rising flour by adding baking powder and salt to give it a leavening effect.
Note that If a recipe simply says use flour, you can be sure its asking for all-purpose flour.
All-purpose flour is used in just about everything from fluffy biscuits to chewy bread and flaky pie crusts.
You can also use it to coat meat and veggies. It also works well as a thickening agent in sauces, soups, and gravies.
Self-rising flour is only to be used in instances where self-rising flour is specifically called for in a recipe. It is NOT appropriate for use as a replacement for just flour.
