Are you looking for a gluten free flour that produces the best baking goods? Do you want to avoid rice flour as well? Learn about a gluten free flour blend from Michigan that I think is the best.
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I love connecting people with food. Whether that is a new variety of apple I know they are going to love or their favorite cheese they haven't been able to find in years. It's one of the reasons this blog exists.
I enjoy sharing products that I may not need myself but I know other people are looking for them. Case in point, gluten free flour made without rice I know there is an audience out there that is looking for such a product. I would love to connect with you and help you find the flour you are looking for. Thanks for stopping by the blog.
Now for those that may not necessarily be looking for gluten free flour, I want take a moment to share with you what gluten free flour is about.
What is Gluten Free Flour?
Simply put, flour that does not contain gluten. This can be flour from a single source, like rice flour, or from a mix of different types of flour. Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, rye, and barley. Oats may or may not be gluten free Naturally they are, but often they are processed in the same place as wheat, rye, and/or barley. Contamination may occur.
Some people's bodies cannot break down gluten. Because of that they need to avoid consuming it.
What is in Gluten Free Flour?
As more people have begun avoiding gluten, the amount of gluten free flour on the market has increased. Below is a list of what you may found in a gluten free flour. Again these ingredients must be processed away from wheat, rye, and barley to be considered truly gluten free. That is not a complete list.
Garbanzo bean flour
Potato starch
Sorghum flour
Tapioca flour
Fava bean flour.
Rice flour
Teff flour
Oat flour
Xanthan gum
Guar gum
Coconut flour
Almmond flour
Amaranth flour
Buckwheat flour
Why You Would Want to Avoid Rice Flour?
A lot of gluten free flour mixes contain rice flour. Why is that an issue? Rice contains higher levels of arsenic than other foods. Arsenic is actually naturally occurring. We don't completely avoid it. The concern out there is that too much rice will increase the amount of arsenic you are exposed to and this may lead to a higher chance of developing cancer.
What I often see happen when someone is trying to avoid something (in this case, gluten) they end up eating more of something else, such as a rice. Just like people who stop eating meat, end up replacing the meat with soy products, thus consume more soy.
Am I saying we all need to completely avoid rice? Well no. We really aren't trying to do that in our family. We don't eat a ton of it either.
If avoiding or cutting down on rice is your conviction and you have done your research and you feel you need to avoid rice, then there is nothing wrong with that. I want to support that. I applaud you for following your conviction. This post is directed at those people that are looking for the alternative to rice flour in their gluten free flour mixes. I want to help point people towards a good option I have found.
Where Can You Get a Gluten Free, Rice Free Flour?
This recommendation comes from the heart. Not doing it because they gave me money or free products (ok the last one they did do, but I only recommend things I believe in myself). Jessica's Natural Foods makes an all-purpose flour blend that does not contain rice flour. Here is what is in it:
Whole grain teff flour, certified gluten-free oat flour, tapioca flour, ground flax seed, xanthan gum.
Notice the oat flour has been certified gluten free. Both teff flour and flax seed provide additional health benefits you don't get from rice flour. My opinion this gluten free mix is a healthier mix than some of the other ones out that that utilize rice flour.
My Experience Using This Flour
This was my first experience using an gluten free all-purpose flour. I decided to bake some sugar cookies. I used the recipe I always use. I did one batch as normal and I did one batch with the gluten free flour.
My wife and I tasted them side by side. Both were great cookies. The gluten free cookie was more tender, not as chewy as the one with wheat flour. The gluten free cookies spread more while baking than the wheat ones.
Overall I was pleased with how the gluten free flour performed in this recipe. I used it again when I was making Alton Brown's Gluten Free Sugar Cookies. I do like the fact there is more nutrition in the flour than the regular white flour. Makes me feel slightly better about eating a cookie!
I also made the most amazing gluten free Irish Soda Bread with Jessica's flour. It was by far the best soda bread I ever made for St. Patrick's Day.
Where to Buy
You can buy it online via Amazon (this is an affiliate link). Make sure to read the reviews to see what other people are saying. Jessica's has a store locator on their website showing where you can buy their products in person.
Have you tried Jessica's Gluten Free flour before? We would love to hear your thoughts about. Leave a comment below.
Veronica
Thank you SO much! I am allergic to wheat and rice and it's been so hard finding things I can eat. Will definitely be trying Jessica's (plus that brand makes great granola).
Eric Samuelson
Veronica, I am overjoyed that I got to share this flour with you. It's an amazing one.
Dianne
I am also allergic to wheat and rice, as well as potato it turns out! I will definitely look for this flour and Thank you for posting about this!
Eric Samuelson
You're welcome! Glad you found it.
Annie Milne
Avoiding gluten AND corn, and its derivatives is REALY hard.
Most gluten free foods contain xanthan gum, which is grown on corn substrate, or, cross contaminated during processing. Corn-sensitive people will react with varying levels of severity.
All those products claiming to be corn free need to be avoided by corn avoiders if they contain xanthan gum.
Eric Samuelson
You are right, that is tricky. I have a friend who has to avoid gluten and tapioca, which is often in gluten free recipes.
Kathy
I need help. I am allergic to Rice and Oats, so I can't use the Jessica flour blend you recommended. Do you know of a mix I could put together myself that I could use for an ALL purpose flour? Since finding out I can't have rice has really changed it for me. I haven't had any baked goods for months, had to quit using the pasta I was using(jovial), can't have the pizza crust I could have etc. etc. The list goes on and I'm so discouraged. I use to use Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 or Namaste all purpose flours. I'm allergic to gluten too. Thanks.
Eric Samuelson
I am sorry to hear about your frustration. I don't know anything off hand, but I will keep my eyes out for ideas.
If anyone else has some suggestions, please leave them in the comments for Kathy.
Simone Shaw
I’m intolerant to wheat and rice too! So good that someone is trying to do alternatives. There are very few products I can buy as they all see, to contain rice ! The only thing that concerns me is the added vitamins. Fortifying with synthetic vitamins causes imbalance in our bodies. Not ideal.
Julie
Has anyone had success with gluten free cinnamon rolls with this blend?
Eric Samuelson
I have not tried it yet myself but I definitely need to.