These alternative flours to gluten free plain /self raising sometimes come in handy when you desire a certain consistency, texture or simply for a change in flours.

Types of flours

Many of these flours are widely available in supermarkets and online. So what to chose? Each flour has different benefits and qualities it adds to baking so they’re not the kind of ones you can guess with. When using them they have have certain combinations to make a delicious bake. They often have different densities, flavours and amount of starch and whole grains in. Don’t let that put you off though, trust me!

White rice flour-

It has a very neutral taste and goes well with delicate favours such as lemon and vanilla. I personally use this in pancakes, batters and madeira cake.

Teff flour-

This is high in carbohydrates and calcium. Ivory teff is slightly sweet tasting and brown teff is rich and malty. It pairs well with spices, honey and coffee.

Tapioca flour-

This is extracted from the cassava root and is good for batters, as a thickening agent or paired well with other flours. It isn’t any different to tapioca starch, it just gets called a different name by some. This can also often be substituted for cornflour.

Sweet rice flour-

It isn’t the same as white rice flour and is actually quite different. You can’t substitute white rice flour for sweet rice flour either as they have different roles. It has a high starch content and again can be used for moist cakes, pancakes and batters.

Nut and almond flours-

These add moisture to cakes and have quite a dense texture. Great in things like Bakewell cake, lemon drizzle and biscuits.

Coconut flour-

This is a rather dense flour and needs a lot of moisture in bakes so you need very little of it. As with most alternative flours you pair it with others such as tapioca or almond flour.

To sum up

So the main things to remember is they are often better paired with each other and that you have to look out for the different densities and textures complimenting each other, it’s a definetely a good idea to stick to a recipe as well!

Feel free to comment below! I will do my best to be of service if you have any questions!

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