Gluten Free Flour Substitutes

The range of gluten-free flours that are available to us now in Australia, is wonderful. Gone are the days that the only gf flours on the market were highly refined, bleached rice and corn flour. Here is a list of some of the newer flours and some suggested uses. Be prepared to experiment and expand your recipes. Have fun with your baking!

Teff flour – brown & Ivory: traditionally used in pancakes and waffles. Lots of recipes at  www.outbackharvest.com.au  Try the banana bread for morning tea or school lunch boxes. The seeds are grown in the Riverina region of New South Wales.

Flaxseed flour -a rich, nutty flavour.  Use it in bread or muffins: substitute 15% of regular flour with flax for extra fibre and omega 3,6 &9 fatty acids. The flaxseeds are grown in the Western region of Victoria around Hamilton.

Green Banana baking flour from Queensland – by adding it to your bread, cakes or biscuits, it provides resistant starch, making it great for people with blood sugar regulation issues. A healthy choice for people who are pre-diabetic who need to minimise their carbohydrate intake.

Tigernut flour – Tigernuts are not actually nuts but small tubers that grow beneath the earth. They are a traditional food from Africa (like Teff). As a flour it can be used in any baking from muffins to pizza dough. It also provides fibre and prebiotic resistant starch. Sunnybrook Health Store stocks both the Power Super Foods and Ceres Organic brands. Give it a try!

Hemp flour – try to source the Australian grown product and replace up to half of the regular flour in a recipe with Hemp flour for extra fibre. Hempfoods.com.au has a free recipe book that you can scan from the back of the pack.

Grain free flour blend (The Gluten free food co.) – this is the best quality gluten free flour blend available – this blend includes green banana flour, coconut, buckwheat and flaxseed flour and is grain free, so great for people following a paleo or keto diet. All of the ingredients are organic and they use as much Australian grown ingredient as possible. Great for muffins, cakes & pastry.

Buying Australian grown foods is an important way to support Australian agriculture and reduce food miles. As Australian farmers diversify their crops, beyond the standard wheat crops, choosing to cultivate teff seeds, legumes or hemp, for instance: our purchases support them and the future expansion of this trend.

As you learn more about these alternative grains, you’ll discover the added benefits that these grains or seeds have, over traditional starchy grains. Teff and Tigernut flours contain prebiotic qualities that contribute to the health of our gut microbiome. Alongside other fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kefir yoghurt and kombucha, they are a valuable addition to the daily diet, to support our long term health.

To make a plain flour into a self-raising flour, simply sift it with one teaspoon of baking powder per cup of flour. Green Banana flour requires 2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup. As you begin to experiment, make small batches until you perfect the result so as not to waste any of these wonderful ingredients. Happy baking!

Leanne Marshall