Your Guide to the Strange World of Alternative Flour
Flour is not only made from wheat. There are not only “alternative” grain flours, some of them are made from nuts, legumes, and even chicken legs. They may seem like reserved for a gluten-free, health-conscious kit, but when used correctly, wheat-free flours can be terrific. We’ve put together some interesting ways to use them.
Go Nuts with Almond and Hazelnut Flour
If you crave a little nutty flavor, try almond or hazelnut flour. They are all highly regarded as healthy nuts for their fiber content and low glycemic index, but my biggest concern is all the delicious treats that can be made with nut flour. They can introduce textures and flavors that cannot be obtained with a versatile material.
For everyday baking, almond flour imparts a sweet, nutty flavor and creates a delicate crumb. It also contains healthy fiber and fat, which is nice because I need all the nutritional help I can get. If you prefer hazelnut flavor to almonds, rejoice, because everything I’m about to tell you about almond flour and meal also applies to hazelnut flour and meal. Nut flour isn’t good for everything. You wouldn’t want to make a crunchy and airy baguette because the dense, buttery, gluten-free nature just won’t do it. Instead, choose baked goods that have a thicker, richer crumb, such as any of the following:
- Brownie: Nuts and chocolate go perfectly together . Hazelnut and almond flour not only enhance the flavor, but also add extra moisture and texture, which makes the chocolate cake fluffier and more delicious. For a recipe, try this one from King Arthur Flour .
- Breading : If you’re looking for a gluten-free way to brown chicken strips, or just want to give them a little extra flavor, quickly add almond or nut flour to them. The order of breading is the same as before; Simply dip the meat in an egg wash and then dip it in nut flour or flour. If you want extra flavor, add some cajun seasoning or garlic salt in there.
- Pasta: If you’re not doing anything with almond flour, you should make pasta. King Arthur Flour has an excellent, albeit slightly convoluted, recipe for a delicious little sandwich cookie . Aside from almond flour, the ingredients are fairly common (sugar, egg whites, tartar and salt), but you need to beat a lot, rest and fold carefully, so be sure to read the directions carefully.
- Quick bread and muffins: There is nothing sadder than banana bread or muffins, which is why adding nut flour to the dough is such a good idea. The extra fat and moisture makes the crumbs nice and tender, preventing quick cakes from drying out. Plus, banana bread with almonds and hazelnuts just sounds decadent. If you need inspiration, start with these Lemon Poppy Cupcakes from King Arthur Flour or these Mini Almond Pound Cakes from Bob’s Red Mill.
If you want to try your hand at adding nut flour to some of your favorite recipes, understand that they are gluten-free and non-oily, so you’ll have to make some minor adjustments. Bob’s Red Mill recommends replacing about 25-30% of your “regular” flour with peanut flour, and King Arthur Flour suggests replacing a glass of “regular” flour with ¼ cup almonds, and reducing the amount of oil in the recipe per tablespoon . Adding an extra egg also helps improve texture, so give it a try. Finally, make sure you store nut flours and meals in the fridge or freezer, as all of this tasty and healthy butter can go rancid if not stored properly.
Hearty with garbanzo flour
Chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) are a creamy, satisfying gift that never stops giving. I’m sure you’re all familiar with the miracle of hummus, but have you heard the good news about chickpea flour? You’ve probably come across this delicious ingredient in Middle Eastern and Indian cooking, also known as gram flour. This flour, which is relatively high in protein, has a slightly nutty flavor and becomes crispy when fried in a little oil. This means tortillas (as well as pizza crusts and crackers) are ideal candidates for this flour.
If you want to use your cast iron skillet (and why not?), Make a sokka , a large chickpea pancake that Mark Bittman describes as “completely reliable.” Check out the New York Times for the complete recipe , but it couldn’t be easier. Preheat a skillet in an oven preheated to 450 F. Combine a cup of chickpea flour with a cup of warm water. Add some salt, pepper and a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Remove the heated skillet and (carefully) add a little olive oil to it. Fry the onion and rosemary in a hot skillet and pour the dough straight over the top. Bake everything together until stiff and then broil for great crispy spots.
If you could only make sokka with chickpea flour, that would be enough, but she has more gifts. It can be used to thicken soups, sauces, and stews, as well as a binder for veggie burgers (a couple tablespoons will do), and even make a delicious decadent fondant (which you can learn to make). do by watching the video above).
Rice (flour) is good
Rice flour is simply shredded paddy rice that can be white or brown in color. If you’ve ever browsed the Asian market, you may have seen two types of rice flour: glutinous and non-glutinous. None of these are gluten-free ; “Sticky ” simply means that the substance is sticky. Perhaps the most interesting use of glutinous rice flour (also called “sweet rice flour”) is mochi .
Mochi is deceptively easy to make and only requires four ingredients: rice flour, water, sugar, and cornstarch. Simply combine the rice flour with water in a bowl and steam for twenty minutes. After that, add sugar over the fire, let it melt and dissolve completely. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet generously covered in cornstarch (cover your hands too), roll it out, cut into pieces, or wrap around ice cream and freeze. If you don’t have a steamer, you can also use a microwave as described in the video below.
Moving on to savory appliqués, rice flour makes great noodles. While this is a bit of a complicated process (you need two people to make the dough), the list of ingredients is fairly short (rice flour, water, oil, and tapioca starch). If you want to try your hand at this, check out his Vietnamese Homemade Cooking Recipe via Epicurious. Rice flour also makes a light crunchy dough, and this from ChefSteps is just unusual .
Soaked in carbon dioxide, this tempura-style dough produces the brightest, lightest and most crunchy coating you’ve ever tasted. You’ll need a siphon to whisk, but these perfect golden brown vegetables aren’t a bad payoff if you ask me.
Improve your bread with potato flour
Potatoes are a pretty ideal food, and potato flour continues the tradition of potato surprise by being very healthy in the kitchen. Made from dehydrated potatoes, this flour is especially good at attracting water, making it great for making delicate breads, waffles and pancakes. It tastes like potatoes, which is good.
To use potato flour to make delicate, tasty breads, follow these Barry Farm guidelines :
- For regular baked goods: Substitute up to 1/4 of any wheat flour in the recipe, or substitute 5/8 cup potato flour for 1 cup all-purpose flour.
- For yeast breads: Substitute up to 1/6 of the wheat flour in the bread recipe, or substitute 5/8 cups of potato flour for each cup of all-purpose flour.
For a super soft hamburger bun, try this recipe from King Arthur Flour , which uses ¼ cup potato flour for 3 universal cups. Potato flour makes the dough thicker and easier to work with, allowing you to make a bun that retains its shape. One tip: When adding potato flour to bread recipes, be sure to mix it with “regular” flour first; adding water directly to it turns everything into a rough, lumpy mess.
Potato flour is also an excellent thickener. To thicken soups (try potato soup for soup), stews, and sauces, simply add tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired viscosity.
So there you have it: a whole bunch of uses for some of the weirder flours. Use them correctly and you will get great results and they will be worth their (often higher) price tag. Experiment and enjoy amazing results.