How to Bake With Rice Flour

Brown rice flour and sweet rice flour are used in baking as alternatives to wheat in a gluten-free diet. Brown rice flour is made from unpolished brown rice and is higher in nutrients than its processed cousin, white rice flour. Sweet rice flour is made from glutinous "sticky" rice and can be used to make pies and cakes. It has a less gritty flavor than brown rice and can also be used as a thickening agent. To use rice flour of any kind in baking, you'll need to make some adjustments; if you do a straight replacement for wheat flour, you are going to be disappointed with the grainy, crumbly results. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Instructions

1

Buy the right kind of flour for your baking requirement. Sweet or white rice flour (available at Asian grocery stores) can make delicious pie crusts that are fairly crumbly and are good alternatives for flour in cookies. Brown rice flour (available at health food stores) can be used in baking projects that can stand a little grittiness, such as cornbread and poundcakes.

2

Mix the rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour and xanthan gum together in a large bowl.

3

Cover the bowl and put the flour mixture in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least eight hours. This creates a smoother, more flavorful texture that works well for most baking projects, especially chocolate or molasses cookies and other flavorful treats.

4

Take the rice flour mixture and use in your recipes as a one-for-one substitute for regular flour. For example, if your recipe requires 2 cups flour, use 2 cups rice flour mixture.