Kim's Gluten Free Bread Flour Blend

 For all your gluten-free bread baking needs, trust that my Gluten Free Bread Flour Blend will make the best gluten-free bread you've ever had!

why I created my own bread flour blend

I've been gluten-free since 2012. At that time, when I got the news that I had celiac, I was devastated. I'm sure many of you can relate, right? That initial moment when you feel like your life as you know it is over is so incredibly shocking. But then you start trying to just go with the flow, first buying pre-made loaves of bread and then realizing they suck, so we try to make our own and that goes horribly wrong. Is this what we're supposed to accept as bread for the rest of our lives?

I couldn't do it. I could not, for the rest of my life, accept that this was the only type of bread I would have. Cardboard pizza crust? No, thank you. Spongy, weird loaves of bread? Nah ah! No pastries or, specifically, croissants ever again? No way! So I tried my hardest to make these things with every store-bought flour out there. And bombed horribly. That's when I finally decided to create my own blend. And Kim's gluten-free bread flour blend is the result. It is the BEST flour blend out there for baking bread the way it should be, with the proper texture and flavor, but without the wheat.

here's what you'll need

• Potato starch--the most crucial ingredient in this flour blend, potato starch is a texturizer that basically holds everything together. It particularly holds onto moisture, which makes gluten-free baked bread tender. Do not confuse potato starch with potato flour. They are not the same thing and will not work the same in this flour blend. I get mine from my local Restaurant Depot, but unless you have a food business you cannot shop there so I would recommend this potato starch.
• White rice flour--not just any white rice flour. For the mix not to be gritty, this flour needs to be superfine. This brand of ultrafine also works well.
• Tapioca starch/flour--tapioca starch (or flour, they are interchangeable) is necessary to provide the proper stretch and even bounce.
• Whey protein isolate--the missing link to all of those flour blends out there promising to deliver the best gluten-free known to man. Since gluten is a protein, it would only be logical to replace that protein with another protein. Whey protein isolate happens to work the best. However, check below for substitutions if you can't have dairy.
• Xanthan gum--xanthan gum is a well-known stabilizer and emulsifier in the food industry as a whole but is especially useful in gluten-free baking.

How to Make This Bread Flour Blend

Are y'all ready for this? Just as in my all-purpose flour blend, here's the lengthy process for making this bread flour blend: weigh everything into a container, put the lid on, and shake it up. A good whisk afterwards and you're done! It's that easy, y'all!!

why are the ingredients in grams and not cups?

I developed my blends in grams because it’s so much more precise AND unbelievably easy to weigh ingredients than to measure by volume. My blends don’t translate very well to cups. I sure don’t have an 18th of a cup measurement, do you? I strongly suggest you invest in a scale (they’re very cheap) and weigh your ingredients–you’d be surprised at how easy it is and you’ll most likely never switch back.

Substitutions

• For dairy-free protein, you can TRY soy protein, hemp protein, pea protein, egg white protein, pumpkin protein, vegan protein (all clickable links), or any other pure protein powder. Please note, however, that these are all simply suggestions. My bread flour blend works best if there are NO substitutions, but I do understand that some of you may have other allergies. I wish I was a guru of all other food aversions, but I admit I am very challenged when it comes to others. The only one I’m well versed in is gluten-free. I’ve heard from many readers who stated pea protein doesn’t work, while others have stated that it works fine. Some stated hemp protein worked beautifully (giving the finished bread a light green hue). One reader stated that a product that combines pea and quinoa protein worked beautifully for her. However, I DID try this product and did NOT get the usual rise and texture to my bread. In fact, they were very flat and inedible and not up to the standards that I’m used to in my recipes, so I won’t recommend that.
• For the potato starch, one reader stated she had great results with cassava flour instead of potato starch. I haven’t tried this, so I don’t know what the results are like.
• For the white rice flour, you may be able to substitute brown rice flour but try to get superfine brown rice flour. None of Bob’s Red Mill’s rice flours are fine enough and your dough consistency will be different.
• For the tapioca starch, you could try arrowroot powder or perhaps cornstarch. Note that these have not been tested by me.
• For the xanthan gum, this is a difficult one to substitute because it’s very unique in its qualities. However, you are welcome to try guar gum. I have never tried guar gum so I don’t know how it will react as a sub.

What Can I Make With This Flour Blend?

While I would not suggest trying to make a bread recipe made for gluten/wheat using this flour blend as a 1:1 substitute, it can be used in any of my gluten-free bread recipes and will most likely also work in gluten-free bread recipes from other bloggers. Just substitute either their flour blend or whatever store-bought flour blend they are using.