[GARD] All Purpose Flour Mix

[RobinN]

I think it would be nice to share some basic All Purpose Flour Mixes.

One I have found on the web is called the Betty Hagman Mix.
2 parts white rice flour
2/3 part potato starch flour
1/3 part tapioca starch.
With a teaspoon of xanthan gum per cup of flour mix, it can be used as a direct substitute for white flour in many recipes. You should keep some of this mixture on hand, as it works with nearly any recipe calling for white flour. It is easy to mix up yourself, and store in the refrigerator.

Potato Starch Flour is available in health food stores and in the Kosher section of most supermarkets. Do not confuse Potato starch flour with Potato flour. The latter has a heavy flavor and the two cannot be used interchangeably in recipes. Tapioca starch is also widely available, and has a texture similar to cornstarch. In fact, if your child is sensitive to corn, tapioca starch makes a good substitute. Arrowroot is a starch with similar properties, and I have yet to hear of a child who cannot tolerate it. This starch makes an excellent addition to waffle and pancake recipes—giving the finished product an excellent texture, soft inside yet crispy on the outside.

Often an increase in leavening is required when a recipe is modified for GF flours. An extra ½ tsp. of baking powder or baking soda may be sufficient, but to be sure you will need to experiment a bit. Another way to improve the results of baked goods using these flours, is to make smaller loaves or cakes. You can divide a quick bread batter between two min-loaf pans, or you could make rolls instead of a loaf. Larger baked products certainly can be made, but the smaller ones are often more like the “real” thing in texture.

Because different flours absorb different amounts of liquid, you may have to use more or less liquid in a recipe, depending on your choice of flour. The consistency of your dough or batter is what counts; try to achieve the consistency described in a recipe by adding more or less liquid. In general, use only part of the liquid called for, adding the full amount if needed. If the mixture is still too dry or too heavy, add more than the recipe called for, a few tablespoons at a time.