SOURTASTIC BONUS – Comparison of Various Types of Flour

Flours naturally containing gluten are not used in gluten-free baking especially when it comes to patients with celiac disease. 

• Wheat flour (all types, also semolina, graham, durum etc.)
• Spelt flour 
• Einkorn flour 
• Emmer flour
• Kamut/khorasan flour
• Barley flour
• Rye flour
• Triticale flour

Flours that naturally don’t contain gluten but can be cross-contaminated if not labeled gluten-free.

• Buckwheat flour
  There are two types of buckwheat flour. The dark buckwheat flour is made from thermal processed buckwheat milled together with husks. This one is darker in color. I tried milling such thermal processed buckwheat grains (dark in color) at home, but the bread made out of it wasn’t the best. This dark flour ferments slower, if at all.
  The other type is light buckwheat flour made with cold hulled buckwheat (or groats), the flour is lighter in color, and is great for baking bread, also 100% buckwheat bread. You can use it on its own. Find the recipe for buckwheat bread HERE. This flour ferments faster.

FERMENTED NOTE: The recipes in this masterclass are written for light buckwheat flour (raw). So make sure your flour wasn’t thermally processed.

• Millet flour
  This one is great for bread baking, giving a lovely open crumb. I buy hulled organic millet seeds (golden millet) and mill them in my stone mill. For more information about the mill, see THIS VIDEO.
  
  Different types of millet behave differently. Some can be bitter too, however fermenting with sourdough can alleviate this bitterness. This flour can be used on its own.
• Corn flour
  A bit heavier flour and the bread crumb is more closed/denser. Can be used on its own or mixed with other types of lighter flours. Find the recipe for the cornbread HERE.
• Rice flour
  When using dehulled rice one can achieve a nice open crumb and soft bread, the same goes for black rice flour. With brown rice (whole grain rice) the crumb will be more closed. Rice flour can be used on its own or mixed with other heavier types of flours. 
• Teff flour
  Teff has its origin in Ethiopia, it’s similar to millet. Ethiopians make their traditional injera – fermented pancakes with it. Can be used on its own.
• Oat flour
  Not recommended for celiac patients as oat contains avenin, a protein that can trigger a similar reaction as gluten. Cross-contamination can also occur when growing oats due to the rotation of crops and while processing oats. Can be used on its own or mixed with lighter flours (millet for example).
• Amaranth flour
  Use it in combination with other types of lighter flours. On its own, it has a really strong, unusual flavor. I tested it myself with 100% amaranth pancakes. They were fine with jam, on their own not so much. But give it a try and see for yourself.
• Quinoa flour
  Use it in combination with other lighter types of flours. But also on its own. It contains a lot of proteins. 
• Sorghum flour
  Sorghum is similar to millet. You can buy grains that haven’t been dehusked or that have husked (lighter, softer bread) or flour. 
• Chickpea flour
  Can be used with other lighter types of flours for bread. On its own it has quite a strong flavor. It’s mostly not as finely milled. If you have a mill, mill it again to obtain finer flour. Pancakes can be made only with chickpea flour. 
• Lentils flour
  It has a strong lentil flavor. Can be used on its own or mixed with other lighter types of flours. You can buy seeds and mill at home.
• Bean flour
  Mix it with other types of lighter flours (millet, buckwheat etc.). You can mill it at home too. I tried mung beans and mixed the flour with millet flour.  

FERMENTED NOTE #1: No matter what flour you use, make sure it’s super finely milled, like powder. So your baked goods will have a better, more open crumb.

FERMENTED NOTE #2: In the case of celiac disease, use labeled gluten-free ingredients and be mindful of cross-contamination with foods, and ingredients containing gluten.

*No part of this course may be reproduced, copied, or redistributed in any other way, or be made available for public use, or forwarded to anyone who has not purchased the course.

@The creator of this course is Anita Šumer, drožomanija/sourdoughmania, 2024. All rights reserved.