Can anyone tell me the tips and tricks of substituting rice flour for all purpose, for baking?

Most recipies that I find with rice flour also call for cornstarch.

Mixing flours works really well. I do not like rice flour all by  it self.

Combinations of oat, rice, millet, teff, flaxmeal.

What are you trying to make and for what purpose?

try the recipes here above!
great many ideas and tips to follow!

Hi lddowler and welcome  

When I searched "brown rice flour" on the recipe file...I got these recipes.
http://www.dadamo.com/typebase.....er=abc&header=on

I like to mix rice flour with flax meal.  I've had good success with mixing it up to half-and-half.  If you can use eggs it really helps, but even if you can't, you can still make some nice breads.

If you go to the Recipe base and type in Ribbit, you'll get a list of my recipes.  Most of my breads/cakes/biscuits are gluten-free and egg-free.

I'd just like a good substitute for regular flour! I don't think I should be eating the other wheat relatives, it just doesn't seem right to me, so using spelt or rye instead isn't for me. However, I LOVE the idea of using ground flax with rice flour.

I find rice flour fine for cooking, but it would be nice to whip up some cookies and other goodies from time to time that the whole family can enjoy without consequence!

I'm an O, my brother is vegan, the rest of my family big on processed foods. I had become quite good at tweaking recipies that all of could enjoy, but they all contained wheat or corn. I often use flax as an egg replacer, so knowing that I can grind it to use (partially) as a flour too is a huge help for me. Thanks!

It would be really great if there was a food list for celiacs of each blood type too...

Just tweak the diet to your needs. You know what you need best.

A few to get you salivating:

http://www.dadamo.com/typebase4/recipedepictor7x.cgi?770

http://www.dadamo.com/typebase4/recipedepictor7x.cgi?1092

http://www.dadamo.com/typebase4/recipedepictor7x.cgi?817

http://www.dadamo.com/typebase4/recipedepictor7x.cgi?1102

Quoted Text

I often use flax as an egg replacer, so knowing that I can grind it to use (partially) as a flour too is a huge help for me.

you might enjoy this one
focaccia
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/breads/r/flaxbasicfoc.htm

Here's my "all purpose gluten free flour mix":

3/4 cup rice flour (brown or white)
1/4 cup starch (corn starch, potato starch, or arrowroot)
1 tsp xanthan gum (or any other kind of gum.)

The above works well in breads or in cakes and cookies and stuff, but the following proportions work even better in cakes and cookies:

1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup starch
1/4 tsp gum

You can mix up a big batch of flour mixture and measure it out, cup for cup, in recipes as needed. Or you can mix up what you need for each recipe.

For making rice flour breads, I've sucessfully cut out the extra starch, but it just does NOT hold together without the gum. OTOH, for cakes or cookies, you can use the starch and skip the gum- they will be more crumbly without the gum, but if you use enough starch, it still works.

Potato starch can be subbed for corn starch. They're both Type O avoids, but corn is a "bigger avoid". I personally avoid corn even in trace amounts, but will occasionally have a bite of something made with potato starch. Arrowroot starch (which is the exact same thing as arrowroot flour) subs equally well and is perfectly fine for Os, although 3-4X the price (which is why I still use some potato starch in my house, for things that I dont' plan to eat, or only plan to have a tiny portion of.)

Hello Iddowler, nice to meet you

I use rice flour in my cookie and quickbread recipes. I prefer brown rice flour but have successfully used white rice flour. It's especially good in combination with ground flaxseed and other gluten-free flours like oat, millet, etc.

The one drawback I've found is that rice flour can be rather gritty or sandy. You can get around this by letting it soak in the liquid ingredients in your recipe. For example, if I'm making walnut-chocolate chip cookies, I'll cream the ghee or oil and sugar as the recipe indicates, add in the eggs and vanilla, and then add the rice flour (and ground flaxseed if I'm using it). The baking soda or powder goes in after the batter sits for a few minutes, then I add the walnuts and chocolate chips and proceed as usual.

You can do this with quickbreads like muffins and tea loaves also. Add  the rice flour to the liquid ingredients and let it soak while you're measuring out the other ingredients. Add the leavening--the baking soda or powder--at the very last so your bread or muffins will rise.

Hope this is helpful to you. Welcome to the board, I look forward to your posts

Quoted from Brighid45

.... if I'm making walnut-chocolate chip cookies,

recipe please  

This is a great thread, thank you for starting it Iddowler!

Quoted from Pat58

This is a great thread, thank you for starting it Iddowler!

I stickied it so it won't go away. This is always a question it seems. Rice flour is harder to bake with it seems, so now we'll always have the answers.   I'm hoping we get lots more cause I'm one of the ones 'not in the know'.  

Oooh, those are some yummy recipes!

I'll have to try to get my hands on some gum... perhaps that will solve my problem. I tried to make a cake today with a mix of rice and spelt, but it turned out AWFUL!

I fell off the wagon and had a 2 inch square of my signature spice chiffon cake with cream cheese icing- now I'd like to crawl into a hole and die.  I can get vegan cream cheese, that's no issue. Eggs are no issue, but I NEED to find a flour substitute that will work well in fine baking. Maybe I'll try to order some gum online- suggestions?

vegan cream cheese sounds nasty!
got all ingredients listed by any chance?

If you use a recipe that calls for just rice flour, substitute in a little bit of sweet rice flour, it makes for much smoother results.

Use half sweet rice flour and half amaranth flour for cookies.  That combo works well for dumplings as well (if you can have eggs, I haven't found a way to make them good without eggs)

Different combinations work well for different items, so unfortunately I haven't found a blend that works well in everything.

Teff flour works well in cakes and similar sweet dark things, as it has a sweet flavor.  Quinoa flour works well in savory things, kind of substitutes for corn, flavor-wise.  Amaranth has nice flavor when blended with other flours, and a nice texture for cookies.  Sweet rice flour also makes good gravy and similar roux based sauces.  Bean flours also work well in certain things, like flatbreads, pizza crust and breading... always with a blend of ingredients, never just one flour.

The one I can't do without is sweet rice flour...if only I could find some brown sweet rice flour or figure out a way to grind it fine enough!

If you can eat spelt, all your problems are over.  You can substitute spelt in any whole wheat recipe.

Quinoa muffins:

http://www.dadamo.com/typebase4/recipedepictor7x.cgi?753

These are very earth-tasting, but I love them warm with ghee and coffee.  Er, uh....green tea.

Millet and flax mix nicely too:

http://www.dadamo.com/typebase4/recipedepictor7x.cgi?1048

Can one substitute teff for amaranth 1:1 for baking and it do ok? like for compliant brownies?

I use this recipe for brownies:

http://www.dadamo.com/typebase4/recipedepictor7x.cgi?1163

In fact, I made it for Julia's birthday cake tonight.

Hi There

Yes this seems to be a problem to all the beginners.  Can anybody please tell em what Meal I can use in the place of Flax meal as I just cannot get my hands on any. I have been to several stores without success. I would really like to bake the Cinnamon Flax Muffins. I have bought the rice flour and other ingredients, but no Flax seed meal available.  Thank you

I grind flaxseeds to a meal in an electric coffee grinder with blades. I know there are different types of coffee grinders and all are not suitable.

You can also use a blender or a bullet (as Karen says for the coffee grinder the one with the blades that stick up) to grind your whole flaxseed.  Just don't put too much in at a time.  I put in about half a cup and that grinds really nice.  Too much and you will have whole seeds left.   I try not to ever buy flaxseed that is already ground as it can be bitter (rancid) if not kept refridgerated.  It smells and tastes so much better if you grind it as you need it.  I really love the focaccia bread that Lola posted.  It is awesome and so versatile.   My favorite added ingredients are grated zucchini, sundried tomatoes and basil. And GARLIC...ooooooops....forgot that...how could I? Yummilicious.   I have one in the oven as I type.   So easy and so fast.  

Awesome thread this one.  

Debra

Quoted from Debra+

You can also use a blender or a bullet (as Karen says for the coffee grinder the one with the blades that stick up) to grind your whole flaxseed.

I love my Bullet! I just bought another one with an extended warrantee on it!  It's great for kids to make their own smoothies. (I'd say age 8 and up) Right in the mug.
For anyone who is looking for a great site to buy flour...
http://www.nutsonline.com/cookingbaking/flours/

Skillie--if you can buy whole flaxseed, you can use them that way. If you cannot get flaxseed where you are, I'm not sure what would be a good substitute. (Adding extra egg whites might help, but I haven't tried that myself so cannot say for sure it will work.) You can omit the flaxseed meal from recipes; it will mean your quickbreads, cakes etc will be more crumbly, but they'll still taste good

IB, I just use the Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe. I've made those cookies so many times over the years the recipe is engraved in my brain! Just substitute rice flour/flaxseed or your favorite GF flour blend for the all-purpose flour and use demerara or maple sugar for the brown sugar, and omit the white sugar.

If you decide to use ghee in place of butter, it's better to use the pan cookie or slice and bake variations, as the dough will be softer and more likely to spread and possibly burn when made in the 'rounded tablespoon' way. I prefer the slice and bake method, it works out pretty well.

You could probably substitute flaxseed for the eggs if necessary. I haven't done it so cannot vouch for results, but it's worth a try if eggs are an avoid for you.

I use Ghirardelli 60% cacao chocolate chips (or chopped-up organic fair-trade dark chocolate bars) and organic walnuts. Sometimes I add some hulled pumpkin seeds for extra protein and tastiness. Dried cranberries are yummy too.

Here's the recipe, done BTD style.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/4 cups gluten-free flour
(you can use your favorite mild-tasting GF blend)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup ghee
3/4 cup demarara, maple or organic dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (opt)
2 large eggs
2 cups Ghirardelli 60% cacao chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate bars
1 cup chopped nuts
(you may use walnuts, pecans, slivered almonds, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, raisins, or a mix of whatever's compliant)

Preheat oven to 375F.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat ghee, sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chips and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. (I line mine with parchment paper.)

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Pan cookies: Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.

Slice and bake cookies:
Prepare dough as above. Divide in half; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape each half into 15-inch log; wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.* Preheat oven to 375F. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

* May be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 8 weeks.

For HIGH ALTITUDE baking(5,200 feet): Increase flour to 2 1/2 cups. Add 2 teaspoons water with flour and reduce brown sugar to 2/3 cup. Bake drop cookies for 8 to 10 minutes and pan cookies for 17 to 19 minutes.

Last weekend we did a road trip and I had made some flaxseed bread.  (Just the plain) I split it through the middle to make two thin pieces of bread and spread ghee and almond butter and closed it up.   Mind you...I had a cooler to keep it cool, but it was really good.  Portable, not messy and yes, of course...yummilicious.

Debra

My chocolate chip cookie recipe:

http://www.dadamo.com/typebase4/recipedepictor7x.cgi?770

If you can find them, golden flax seeds are better than the brown ones.  When ground, they bake beautifully.  

Hallo Everyone, Thank you for the advise I will try and grind the flaxseed that I have and see what the result is.

Brighid45, these cookies are very tempting I will be making some of those too this week-end.

I just discovered a great place to get different flours and so much more.
I don't know how to do direct link.  The site is http://www.barryfarm.com.  I'm just about to put in a large order.  The prices seemed pretty good.  They even have sweet potato flour!

I'd like to replace tapioca flour with rice. One of the rice flour is said to be the lightest. Does anyone know which one it is?   thanks debbie

When I was back with my parents last summer, I would bake rice brownies & cookies (since my parents/siblings are all crack wheat addicts).  They relentlessly criticized the texture, etc. but never hesitated to polish off the latest batch.  I guess I've gotten to used to baking with rice that my expectations for baked goods have changed

iddowler
you can sub arrowroot for the cornstarch equal parts it would seem

There are different rice flours.  There's rice ground into flour, which is a little finer than corn meal.  The rice flour that you would get at an Asian store (I think it's called sweet rice flour) is more the consistency of corn starch or arrowroot.

I have experimented with brown rice flour and found that by adding some amaranth flour to it, you can achieve a good balance in moisture.

Quoted from Eric

When I was back with my parents last summer, I would bake rice brownies & cookies (since my parents/siblings are all crack wheat addicts).  They relentlessly criticized the texture, etc. but never hesitated to polish off the latest batch.  I guess I've gotten to used to baking with rice that my expectations for baked goods have changed

I remember the first time I ground my own rice for shortbread & my new bro in laws called my attempt "gravel cakes"... I quite liked the slightly crunchy texture, but then I have weird taste

If you double the amount of oil it calls for you'll have a perfect muffin, cake or pancake.  I use to use xanthan gum but noticed that it made our stomachs bubble.  

Eric, so appreciated your "crack" comment, like others here.

I think it hit my funny bone precisely because even those of my family/friends who see the benefit of my diet for me still give me a hard time over the rice flour vs wheat flour goodies. My husband who willingly cooks rice flour stuff for me and who never eats wheat at home always eats as many wheat treats as he can get when visiting his daughter (who is, like he is, a superb cook and very good baker--with wheat of course). She will provide alternative for me-- but also continues to do all kinds of avoids for herself and dad!). Since we are currently visiting her, it was especially appropriate to the moment.

And my dad!!! loves to bake, does not understand why I can't eat my great grandmother's Danish rye (which is mostly "graham" --read wheat-- flour).

some people you just can t tell!!!

specially the bread bakers and the pastry chefs!
I salute your hubby for trying and creating rice goodies for you!

Hahah thanks Bekki   That's why I love the forum.. we totally understand eachother!

I laughed at that too, Eric.  So true.  Ahhhhh.......Opiates.  

I have recently discovered "Authentic Foods" brown rice flour, superfine. It is not the least bit gritty.

Quoted from ruthiegirl

Here's my "all purpose gluten free flour mix":

3/4 cup rice flour (brown or white)
1/4 cup starch (corn starch, potato starch, or arrowroot)
1 tsp xanthan gum (or any other kind of gum.)

The above works well in breads or in cakes and cookies and stuff, but the following proportions work even better in cakes and cookies:

1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup starch
1/4 tsp gum

You can mix up a big batch of flour mixture and measure it out, cup for cup, in recipes as needed. Or you can mix up what you need for each recipe.

For making rice flour breads, I've sucessfully cut out the extra starch, but it just does NOT hold together without the gum. OTOH, for cakes or cookies, you can use the starch and skip the gum- they will be more crumbly without the gum, but if you use enough starch, it still works.

Potato starch can be subbed for corn starch. They're both Type O avoids, but corn is a "bigger avoid". I personally avoid corn even in trace amounts, but will occasionally have a bite of something made with potato starch. Arrowroot starch (which is the exact same thing as arrowroot flour) subs equally well and is perfectly fine for Os, although 3-4X the price (which is why I still use some potato starch in my house, for things that I dont' plan to eat, or only plan to have a tiny portion of.)

RuthieGirl (or any Type Os out there) - I'm about to tackle some serious O-friendly baking, and I was wondering about the potato starch. I haven't had a white potato since I started this eating plan in January, and I don't want to start slipping and sliding off track.  Do you think the use of potato starch as part of the gluten-free flour mixture is a big deviation for a Type O, or not signficant?  I hadn't read about arrowroot, so I'll do some research on that to see if I might go that route instead.

Great Question Landie,

I am also waiting on the answer to this. This summer will be the real test of my type O LR4YT lifestyle. Usually during the summer I bake and cook a LOT (all of our children are usually here then- 9 of the 10). My job will be to prepare baked goodies and meals that are compliant across the board. My garden will be ready, but as far as baking, I have some work to do. Learning all I can.

I hear you Bobbier! Hopefully someone will get back to us!

depending on the grade of compliance you wish, depending on your health issues

this plan is as individualized as you wish to take it

Landie and Bobbier if you both are following LRFYT, potato is but a tiers II avoid

unless you were to find out both you were non secretors, the tiers system would not apply for you

Quoted Text

all of our children are usually here then- 9 of the 10).

amazing!!
are they all 2 years apart?
or are there a couple of twins thrown in between?
how old is the youngest?

Quoted Text

Potato starch can be subbed for corn starch. They're both Type O avoids, but corn is a "bigger avoid". I personally avoid corn even in trace amounts, but will occasionally have a bite of something made with potato starch. Arrowroot starch (which is the exact same thing as arrowroot flour) subs equally well and is perfectly fine for Os, although 3-4X the price (which is why I still use some potato starch in my house, for things that I dont' plan to eat, or only plan to have a tiny portion of.)

Above is Ruthie's advice on arrowroot earlier in this post. She said it subs equally well! Thanks, Ruthiegirl! You are a wealth of knowledge.

no potato starch for type O ...deffo not. Why eat what is not for your group? there is no point in changing your diet so radically & then use something because it makes life appear easy!
I make lovely sponge & fruit cakes without using any other flour than rice, & without butter, gums, sugar etc. Just rice flour, agave syrup, olive oil, eggs & whatever fruit/flavouring etc. There is a book I was given by a french friend, when I go home I will get the name & post it here for all, its a great book & real easy to understand. The main thing I have learn't is do not try to bake what wheat bakes but learn to bake what Rice bakes.

For bread I use: brown rice flour (along with white or by itself) plus tapioca flour (it's a neutral), plus oat flour (if I have any, don't always use it), plus a tiny bit of xantham gum (I know, I know). I also add ghee and 1 or 2 eggs, plus honey. If you warm up the flours (I keep mine in the freezer) when adding the yeast water/almond milk to it, it helps the bread rice quicker (also, add the salt at the very end).

Quoted from Landie

RuthieGirl (or any Type Os out there) - I'm about to tackle some serious O-friendly baking, and I was wondering about the potato starch. I haven't had a white potato since I started this eating plan in January, and I don't want to start slipping and sliding off track.  Do you think the use of potato starch as part of the gluten-free flour mixture is a big deviation for a Type O, or not signficant?  I hadn't read about arrowroot, so I'll do some research on that to see if I might go that route instead.

I've grown quite a  bit in terms of nutritional knowledge since I shared that gluten-free flour mixture on this thread nearly 2 years ago. I no longer eat potato starch at all, as I've found that it leads to carby cravings. I've also learned that none of the gums (such as xanthan gum) are BTD compliant either. Gums were a big part of the texture of gluten-free baked goods, especially breads and cakes. The gums substitute for the gluten in terms of holding the dough together, but they're also hard on the gut lining (just as gluten is.)

I now mostly bake with plain rice flour, rather than any complicated flour mixtures. For cookies and pizza dough, this works just fine. For cakes, I find that I need extra oil and/or eggs in the recipe, so the moisture holds the dough together rather than gluten or  gums. The result is more crumbly than "traditional" cakes, but still quite yummy. Sometimes I'll use a mixture of rice flour and arrowroot in a cake, but it's easier just to use the rice flour by itself. I don't attempt to bake rice flour based sandwich breads at all.

Most of the baking I do for my kids (and for guests) is with spelt flour. I buy both white spelt and whole grain spelt flours, and use them just like I used to use all-purpose and whole wheat flours. Whole grain makes yummy pizza dough or pitas, white (with a bit of whole) makes good challah, whole (with a bit of white) makes good sandwich bread, and the white makes great pie crusts, cookies, and cakes. I now only bake gluten-free goodies if I plan to personally eat some of it (as I don't tolerate spelt well.) Spelt is easier to work with than rice flour, and produces results indistinguishable from wheat products (according to many wheat-eating guests.)

Spelt is neutral for O secretors, but an avoid for O non-secretors and a black dot on my personal SWAMI (meaning it's something I should only have a few times a year.) It's also not appropriate for somebody with Celiac Disease. So not all Os can use spelt, and the information on baking with rice flour is still important.

Quoted from 13708

The main thing I have learn't is do not try to bake what wheat bakes but learn to bake what Rice bakes.

That's great advice!

It really applies to more than just baking- it applies to all kinds of cooking and meal planning.

I made brown rice starter flour with kefir milk whey. I started the starter with brown rice flour and water and sealed up the mason jar! Big mistake because the starter flour could not "breathe".

The kefir whey (added about 1/8 cup or slightly more) made my dough rise like crazy. I went into the kitchen yesterday and found the dough trying to flow out of the jar (I had covered the jar with a coffee filter so it could breathe).

I took some of the dough and fried it up in my cast iron skillet without mixing anything. It was chewy, fluffy, and crispy.

I am looking forward to making actual sourdough pancakes, sourdough bread, and other things. The starter flour is used in place of baker's yeast. After my little experiment, I don't think I will miss any sort of commercial yeast, ever!

The mason jar just sits outside on my counter and I just "feed" the starter flour 2-3 times a day. I just make sure not to give it too much brown rice flour or I will end up with too much dough.

One thing I learned using kefir whey in the starter flour mix is that I should stir the starter flour mixture well before pouring it into the skillet... Some parts of my "pancake" tasted sour like kefir while the other parts did not. Otherwise, it tasted really good.

Quoted from passionprincess

I went into the kitchen yesterday and found the dough trying to flow out of the jar (I had covered the jar with a coffee filter so it could breathe).

   Sounds like it is alive eh? Which I guess it is  

Uhmmmm very much so! It is almost too active! My milk kefir grains practically doubled within a week so I can make 2 quart bottles daily - which is great since I drink almost a quart a day (yeah, I am a kefir hog; The liquidy kefir makes it much easier to drink on a whim than solid Greek yogurt.).

Quoted from Possum

   Sounds like it is alive eh? Which I guess it is  

Sounds inspiring Must check out what the kefir starter in my fridge is doing... I am told it is impossible to kill them I am also getting inspired to make bread from rice flour, so appreciate your tips re kefir

I did not know they were that hardy.

Dom (kefir site guy) writes that you can also eat the grains. If you have a lot, maybe you can try that and incorporate it into your cooking.

Please post your rice flour recipes once you get your breads started. Would love to try them! Thanks!!!

Quoted from Possum

Sounds inspiring Must check out what the kefir starter in my fridge is doing... I am told it is impossible to kill them I am also getting inspired to make bread from rice flour, so appreciate your tips re kefir

As a gluten free pastry chef, I can tell you that you'll need a combination of a few different flours to mimic all purpose flour. I use a combination of white and brown rice flours, arrowroot and tapioca flour. This combination has allowed me to transfer all of my traditional recipes to gluten free without a loss of flavor, texture or tradition. For every cup of all purpose flour, it is recommended that you use 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum. Now, with all of this said, I'm in the process of researching my recipes to that of the type A diet. I hope I can help anyone who is considering a Gf way of eating.

Quoted from 15581

As a gluten free pastry chef, I can tell you that you'll need a combination of a few different flours to mimic all purpose flour. I use a combination of white and brown rice flours, arrowroot and tapioca flour. This combination has allowed me to transfer all of my traditional recipes to gluten free without a loss of flavor, texture or tradition. For every cup of all purpose flour, it is recommended that you use 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum. Now, with all of this said, I'm in the process of researching my recipes to that of the type A diet. I hope I can help anyone who is considering a Gf way of eating.

Would you please post your all purpose GF flour mix?  I have used some combinations from online and book recipes but just haven't found the right mix yet.  

I am a flop at making good gf bread. I don't know if it is possible to not get a really dense bread baking gluten free.  I really miss rye bread and the occasional graham cracker.  I can't handle flax seed right now so I don't bake with that at all.

gfpastrychef -

Would greatly appreciated your gf flour mix.
I tried to make cinnamon buns a few weeks ago from an internet recipe, not very palatable!

Thanks a bunch!

Quoted from 15581

As a gluten free pastry chef, I can tell you that you'll need a combination of a few different flours to mimic all purpose flour. I use a combination of white and brown rice flours, arrowroot and tapioca flour. This combination has allowed me to transfer all of my traditional recipes to gluten free without a loss of flavor, texture or tradition. For every cup of all purpose flour, it is recommended that you use 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum. Now, with all of this said, I'm in the process of researching my recipes to that of the type A diet. I hope I can help anyone who is considering a Gf way of eating.

I used to use a mixture of white or brown rice flour, potato or corn starch, and xanthan gum. When I started BTD, I switched to using arrowroot flour in place of the corn or potato starch,  and omitted the xanthan gum (since it's corn-based and an avoid for Os and Bs.)  I quickly realized that plain old rice flour worked fine in many recipes (such as pancakes, pizza dough, and muffins) and there was no need for a complicated mixture of flours.

It's hard to get the  texture quite the same without the xanthan gum, but the whole point of changing the flours is to improve health, and xanthan gum isn't something that's health-promoting.

I also use a lot of white spelt flour in my baking. It's not gluten-free, but it's appropriate for all Bs and for O secretors.

GFPastryChef,

I am willing to accept any help that you can offer regarding gf baking. Thanks. Looking everyday to see if you are still posting.

Another trick I learned is to use dry pectin in your rice based yeast breads to help give it stretch. I make a yeast batter bread that will actually hold together long enough to toast. It is still a little soft for spreading stuff on it so I also would be interested in more bread recipies.

What is dry pectin please?

I do the same as Ruthie, brown rice flour and sometimes spelt, depending. Cookies are too soft with just spelt so I use 1/2 and 1/2. Breads too but haven't made a sandwhich type bread yet, just pumpkin, banana, etc. All tastes great

Quoted from Possum

What is dry pectin please?

Pectin occurs naturally in some fruits and vegetables. It is used to thicken jams, jellies and preserves.

You can buy both dry and liquid forms at grocery stores.

Kraft Foods makes the most common brand of dry pectin: Sure-Jell.

http://www.kraftbrands.com/surejell/products.aspx

Chemically it is a mixture of polymers of D-galacturonic acid.

Thanks for that I was having a mental blank when I asked,(& knew I had used it before) but of course it's the good old jam setter...

I just bought white rice flour yesterday to try and make baked goods and to use as a substitute for flour, sine that is not allowed. I will try out some recipes, and will buy arrowroot flour as well. i have xantham gum, but will try not to use it much. Thanks to all who contributed

I found this recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies using almond meal (flour) and although they don't rise very high, they are super tasty.  One time I did add a little rice flour and that seemed to make them stand up a little better (depends on the style of cookies you like).

http://meaningfuleats.blogspot.com/2012/11/almond-flour-chocolate-chip-cookies.html

mtmom3,thanks for sharing!

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I use Bob's Red Mill brown rice flour and find if there is at least one egg per 2 cups of flour or less it holds together well in any recipe I've tried.  I bake biscuits, cookies, cakes, brownies, pie crust, pizza crust, and pancakes this way and don't have to deal with all the odd ingredients in pre-made baked goods from the store.  

I LOVE brown rice pancakes with a little lemon juice and powdered sugar on top or a smidge of maple syrup. I'm making myself hungry here.

I make a thick batter type biscuit with no oil/fat that I bake on a cookie sheet and slice in half for sandwiches.  Nothing fancy but does the trick.

  

Kitari,
I use Bob's brown rice flour, too! I love the taste! No need for gums or mixing with other flours...I use it to make everything...just as I would/used to with wheat flour.