A REVIEW OF ALL-PURPOSE GLUTEN-FREE FLOURS
CANADIAN-SPECIFIC REVIEW
It can be daunting to baking gluten-free for the first time. Or the second. Or third. trying to find the right flour can be a very tricky game, and a very expensive one. After several years of experiments, both remarkably good and remarkably horrible, I have racked up some experience. That is why I have put together this list of all-purpose gluten-free flours, complete with my reviews.
A remark about working or kneading gluten-free flours: while some of these flours can indeed be used in this way, it is not recommended any be worked as much as a gluten-containing flour. The gums present in the gluten-free flours, combined with the starches, make the flours quick to become sticky. If you must work the dough, it is recommended not to do it by hand. Just add a little extra xanthan gum to your flour mix; this will give it extra body and help it retain a more gluten-like texture.
I am sorry but as of now this list is very specific to Canada (and the United States to some extent). If there is a flour blend you would like reviewed from wherever you live, please leave a comment below!
GLUTEN-FREE FLOURS REVIEWED IN THIS POST:
- Cloud 9
- Pamela’s
- President’s Choice
- Robin Hood
- Bake My Day
CLOUD 9
Cloud 9 Bakery is one of the more local options on this list, as the Cloud 9 Bakery is located in New Westminster, BC. Their flours, mixes, and some of their baked goods are distributed, however, by some locations of Costco and Save-On-Foods. They are also available online via Amazon (when not completely sold out).
The ingredients list for this flour is actually fairly short and simple, but stands out for its inclusion of buckwheat flour. This gives it a slightly more gritty texture and stronger nutty flavour. This makes it very well suited to making dense pie crusts and savoury scones, or recipes where you may have used whole wheat flour in the past. This is one of the only flours I would recommend to be used in a recipe to be kneaded, as it does not get gummy as fast as most others.
The gum used in this mix: Xanthan Gum.
PAMELA’S
Pamela’s Gluten-Free mixes are a staple on grocery shelves pretty well everywhere across Canada and the United States. They are also very widely available online, through the Pamela’s website or Amazon. As with most gluten-free products, however, Amazon is often sold out.
This flour blend mixes of a lot of starches and lighter flours, such as potato starch, arrowroot starch, and sweet rice flour. The thing that gives the mix the most body or grit is the inclusion of rice bran, which also gives it added fibre. This blend is great for all-purpose baking – muffins or cookies. However, if you have to work the dough when using this flour, it will get gummy fast.
The gum used in this mix: Guar Gum.
PRESIDENT’S CHOICE
Available only from stores which sell President’s Choice brand products.
This is the only mix to use modified cellulose. Modified cellulose is plant fibre, which the company has “modified” to make it more easily digestible in the human gut. There is some controversy over seeing the word “modified” on food labels, but this ingredient is safe and actually just these to make the flour thicker and add fibre. This flour is a very light blend, and at times you will need to add a little extra to your mix to get the desired consistency.
The gum used in this mix: Xanthan Gum.
ROBIN HOOD
Robin Hood is one of the top flour producers out there, and as such is one of the most readily available gluten-free mixes. It is available in grocery stores across Canada, and online on Amazon and on the Robin Hood website.
I have read a lot of reviews giving this a big thumbs up. I did not like working with this flour one bit, however. I’m not sure if it was because the pea fibre gave it an unusual flavour and a gritty texture, or just that it was fairly difficult to work with. This flour becomes sticky quickly while working due to its highly starchy nature, so it is not well suited to being worked at all. It could be used in a highly flavoured muffin, if it is the only flour available to you. Also note that this flour has a heavier consistency, and you may need to add less of it to a recipe than is called for.
The gum used in this mix: Xanthan Gum
BAKE MY DAY
Bake My Day Gluten-free Bakery is located just 90 minutes north of me, in beautiful Duncan, BC. It is only available to purchase locally, or they ship to anywhere in BC and some locales in Alberta.
I have used this flour for many baking purposes, and have found it to be a great all-rounder. This flour makes a great pastry flour, which makes sense, since the makers of the flour also market a wide range of frozen pastry. The texture is very light and airy, with no unusual grit. It makes a great shortbread flour as well, with the addition of extra xanthan gum.
The gum used in this mix: Xanthan Gum
IN CONCLUSION
To summarize, the flours here have many of the same ingredients, but end up with drastically different results. While most have opted to use Xanthan Gum as the main binder, Pamela’s went a different route and chose Guar Gum. Guar gum does not mimic gluten as well as xanthan gum, so be careful in your usage of this flour – pastry, for instance, is not necessarily the best option. Some have added unusual flours to their mixes to stand out, and this has mixed results. Buckwheat flour in Cloud 9 works for them, as it gives it a nutty flavour to work with some recipes. Robin Hood adding pea fibre, however, was just off-putting.
My Top Pick: Bake My Day flour is by far the most versatile. Unfortunately it is not available to a broad audience. If you live in British Columbia, however, try to get this one.
My Second Pick: Pamela’s All-Purpose flour. I would recommend this flour as the pantry staple to anyone bakes for Celiacs.
My Least Favourite: Robin Hood. I think it’s obvious, but I am not a fan of both the texture and flavour of this blend.