Thomas Keller is a cookbook Author, chef, and owner of theworld renownedrestaurant, The French Laundry in Yountville, California, where you have to wait months for a reservation. One of his restaurant chefs, Lena Kwak, had created a gluten free cup for cup flour blend that she used in the restaurant. After one of their gluten free guests cried after tasting Lena’s brioche, and having not had bread for over 10 years, Lena knew that she had to share her talents with the world.
She asked Keller to help her improve upon the blend and they formed the company, C4C, selling their cup 4 cup flour atWilliam Sonoma a couple of summers ago. At that time it sold for $19.95 per 3 lbs., and gluten free bakers purchased it. They reviewed it as the best gluten free flour mix they have ever used.
C4C ingredients include cornstarch, white rice flour, brown rice flour, milk powder, tapioca flour, potato starch, xanthan gum.
When their cup for cup flour first came on the market, I experimented with different gluten free flour blends and found that cornstarch creates not only lighter baked goods, but more flavorful. Some of my readers are corn intolerant, and others avoid it because most cornstarch is GMO (genetically modified organisms), AKA GE, (genetically engineered). If you are not corn intolerant, you’ll be happy to know that Bob’s Red Mill brand of cornstarch, as well as their other flours and products are non-GMO. However, because so many of you are allergic to corn, I used potato starch in this recipe. Feel free to substitute the potato starch with cornstarch, if desired. Cornstarch also is best to use when making a crispy recipe as it contains slightly higher crisping qualities than potato starch.
I have also discovered that adding dry non-fat milk to gluten free recipes provides a creaminess and a similar texture to gluten flour. This flour blend turns out lighter baked goods (cakes, cookies, muffins, etc. – not yeast recipes). I ended up leaving out the dairy (instant dry milk) and created this Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Blend Recipe. Recently, I did a bit more experimenting and came up with this new cup for cup flour that I think you’ll enjoy. It contains instant, dry milk.
Meanwhile, I tested this flour blend in my Baked Gluten Free Donut Recipe and they turned out so light and tender you would think they were fried. They are the texture of gluten glazed donuts. I was amazed.
I will be trying this recipe soon using cornstarch in place of the tapioca as I am allergic to tapioca. I’m sure it will work fine as I use it as a substitute in my all-purpose flour blend.
Without further ado, find my copy cat cup for cup gluten free flour recipe below.
UPDATE: I’ve learned that using superfine rice flour in this blend makes a true cup-for-cup flour blend.
Carla’s Gluten Free Cup for Cup Flour Blend Recipe
5
Yield: Makes over 4 1/8 cups.
A gluten free cup for cup flour where you can adjust the gum to suit your recipe needs. Use this recipe to make your baked goods lighter.
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups superfine white or brown rice flour
- 1 cup potato starch
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 3/8 cup (6 Tablespoons) non-fat instant milk, ground*
- 1 Tablespoon xanthan gum
Instructions:
- Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl, whisk thoroughly. There is no need to sift the ingredients. However, if you do not have a whisk, then sift them. Sifting lightens flour, which in turn, lightens your gluten free baked goods.
- Store the cup for cup flour in an air-tight container.
Tips
Using 1 tablespoon of xanthan gum works well in light-weight dishes, however, if you desire a heavy cake donut, you'll want to use more. A pizza crust would also need more. If you desire a chewy crust, use about 4 1/2 teaspoons instead of 1 tablespoon. For lighter items such as pancakes, cakes, and the like, use 1 tablespoon.
*To grind the non-fat dry milk, use a coffee grinder, mortar and pestle, or the back of a spoon.
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FAQs
Cup4Cup™ gluten free flours allow you to replace traditional flour in your favorite recipes, literally “cup-for-cup,” to seamlessly make your favorite recipes, including cookies, biscuits, cakes, quick breads and pasta delivering exceptional taste, texture and performance.
How do you use cup for cup gluten free flour? ›
You may use it cup-for-cup for regular flour in any recipe. However, due to the high fiber content, recipes may need to be adjusted slightly by adding a bit more liquid or fat, just like you would adjust recipes made with whole wheat flour.
What are the ingredients in Cup4Cup flour? ›
Made from a blend of the highest quality whole oats, millet and cassava flours, Cup4Cup Ancient Grains Flour delivers 18 grams of whole grains per serving!
How much xanthan gum do I use per cup of gluten free flour? ›
2) When adding xanthan gum to a recipe that doesn't already call for it (and baking with a gluten-free flour that doesn't include it), use about 1/4 teaspoon per cup of flour. Blend it evenly into your dry ingredients before mixing.
Can you substitute almond flour for regular flour cup for cup? ›
In most recipes, you cannot substitute almond flour for all-purpose flour (or other wheat flours) in a simple cup-for-cup replacement because of its lack of gluten and high-fat content. Gluten is an essential binder in wheat-based baked goods, and low-fat flour is key to avoiding greasy or dense results.
Can I use Bisquick instead of flour? ›
Yes, Bisquick can be used as a substitute for flour when making pie crusts, but it may not produce the same result as using all-purpose flour. Bisquick is a pre-mixed baking mix that contains flour, baking powder, salt, and often other ingredients like shortening or oil.
What is the trick to baking with gluten free flour? ›
2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of gluten-free flour is necessary to ensure proper leavening. Baking soda and buttermilk can be used to leaven instead of baking powder, but 1-1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar should be added for each 1/2 teaspoon baking soda used.
Do you have to do anything different when using gluten free flour? ›
Gluten-free flours often contain fine starches, so they absorb more liquid than conventional flour. To address this, gluten-free recipes usually call for more liquid and produce looser batters. They may also call for a larger quantity of leavening, like baking powder, to help add volume and lighten the texture.
What if my gluten-free cookies are too dry? ›
7- If your cookie dough is too dry and crumbly, just add back to the mixing bowl and stir in a couple tablespoons of your favorite milk or an egg. Add more if needed – the dough needs to hold together, but most cookie doughs shouldn't be sticky.
Who owns Cup4Cup? ›
With a passion for innovation and collaboration, Chef Thomas Keller, known best as owner and executive chef of The French Laundry, Per Se, Ad Hoc, Bouchon, and Bouchon Bakery, co-founded the Cup4Cup brand with his Research & Development Chef, Lena Kwak, in 2011.
Xanthan Gum adds thickness and viscosity to gluten-free breads and other baked goods. Without xanthan gum, your gluten-free baked goods would be dry, crumbly and flat. Because xanthan gum is gluten-free and vegan, it's the preferred thickener for those home bakers with food allergies.
What gluten free flour thickens best? ›
White rice flour: fine wheat substitute
It works very well as a thickening agent because it prevents liquid separation – it is particularly good for soups, gravies and sauces but can also work for cakes, cookies and crackers.
Which is better xanthan or guar gum? ›
In general, guar gum is good for cold foods such as ice cream or pastry fillings, while xanthan gum is better for baked goods. Xanthan gum is the right choice for yeasted breads. Foods with a high acid content (such as lemon juice) can cause guar gum to loose its thickening abilities.
What happens if you don t add xanthan gum to gluten-free flour? ›
Without gluten, many recipes (especially flour-based ones) have trouble holding their ingredients together. This results in dry, crumbly goods that don't hold their shape well. Using xanthan gum helps provide some of the stickiness that gluten free goods lack, replacing some elasticity.
What happens if you add too much xanthan gum to a recipe? ›
The more xanthan gum powder added, the thicker your sauce will be. Just be careful not to add too much. Xanthan gum in large amounts will negatively impact the texture of your good and may cause digestive upset.
What can you use to measure 1 cup of flour? ›
Measuring flour and other ingredients by volume requires using measuring cups—specifically dry measuring cups. Sets of metal or plastic nested measuring cups are designed for measuring dry ingredients like flour or sugar.
What can I use instead of 1 cup measuring cup? ›
If all you have is a set of measuring spoons, you can use conversions to get the right measurement for one cup. One cup equals forty-eight teaspoons or sixteen tablespoons.
How can I measure 1 cup of flour without a measuring cup? ›
Scoop up a mound of flour with a standard dinner spoon. Give the spoon a gentle shake, so the excess flour falls off the mound. Dinner spoons are also known as soup spoons. Measure out about 15.5 tbsp (121 g) of flour to get approximately 1 cup (120 g) of flour.
What is the equivalent of 1 cup of all-purpose flour? ›
For best results, we recommend weighing your ingredients with a digital scale. A cup of all-purpose flour weighs 4 1/4 ounces or 120 grams. This chart is a quick reference for volume, ounces, and grams equivalencies for common ingredients.
