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 have 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 breads 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. In order 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 breads. 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 a 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.
Here are just a few recipes that you can make with this flour blend:
- Gluten Free Sourdough Soft Pretzels
- Best Ever Gluten Free Sourdough Bread
- How to Make Gluten Free Pita Bread (Easy and Delicious)
- The BEST Gluten Free Yeasted Naan
- Gluten Free German Stollen
- Ultimate Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls
- Fabulous Gluten Free Italian Bread
- Soft and Buttery Gluten Free Brioche
- New & Improved Gluten Free Croissants
- Gluten Free English Muffins
- Amazing Gluten Free Pizza Crust
- Homemade Gluten Free Pasta
Kim's Gluten Free Bread Flour Blend
Equipment
Ingredients
For 700g (approx 5 cups)
- 285 grams Potato Starch
- 250 grams Superfine White Rice Flour
- 75 grams Tapioca Starch
- 75 grams Whey Protein Isolate
- 15 grams Xanthan Gum
Instructions
- PLEASE READ THROUGH THE RECIPE POST FOR SUBSTITUTION SUGGESTIONS!
- Combine all flour blend ingredients in a large container that has a tightly sealing lid. Replace the lid and shake the contents vigorously several times, in all directions.
- Remove the lid and use a whisk to finish combining the ingredients.
- To make larger amounts, simply move the servings slider to the right until you reach your desired amount (I always make 2.8kg (20 cups)).
- Flour blend can be stored in a cool, dark area (such as a pantry or closet) up to three months. For longer storage, freeze for up to one year.
Debbie
My son in law is gluten intolerant and allergic to rice can I substitute another flour instead of rice flour. Thanks
Julia
Have you ever tried using liquid whey obtained from making cheese instead of the processed stuff? Thanks!
Kim
I haven't, but I plan to within a few of my recipes (although I would still use WPI within my flour blend as it is a concentrated amount of protein that I would never get from a liquid whey).
Julie
I made these with King Arthur gluten free bread flour and they came out great but I am skeptical because it has gluten free wheat starch in it I am celiac so I wanted to use your bread flour blend I followed direction exactly made the bread flour exact but the dough was very soft hard to roll I did do it but it was a very sticky dough
Any thought on that maybe to much liquid is there any thing I can do to make less sticky
Kim
What did you make? You posted this on the bread flour blend page, so I don't know what it is that you made.
Questions: did you use a rice flour that I recommended? Or something like Bob's Red Mill? That will totally alter the consistency of the dough. Did you refrigerate the dough for the time recommended? Depending on what recipe you are following, this will also affect the dough's consistency. Without knowing what you made, I can't help any further.
Marlene
Hi Kim, thank you for sharing such great recipes and knowledge. As a person who has never rolled out flour but really wants to try your bread/buns/etc. recipes could you explain why you add quite a bit of flour after you remove the dough from the mixer. Could I just add the extra flour, a little at a time, while the dough is still in the mixer and let the dough hook do the work to make it smooth and less sticky? thank you, Marlene
Tina R
I’m so disappointed. 😢 Why did you remove the chart you had before so we can make different amounts? I make your blend in bulk and before it gave me all the info, but now I need to somehow try to calculate what it was before. 😭 Please add the chart back!!!
Kim
Tina, please read the instructions and you'll see that all you need to do is use the servings slider to the right to reach your desired amount 😊
Gina
Just tap on the number 5 on the serving slider and slide your finger and there you get amounts and then scroll down,my love and magic it's really cool
Karen Fassel
I haven't tried your recipes yet but they look wonderful. I own a small cafe and I'm always looking for ways to provide palatable breads and baked goods for my customers, especially if they are gluten-free or choose to be vegan. Sometimes both... Do you know if vegan egg substitute will work in your recipes? Would rather hear from an expert than try and fail with pricy ingredients.
Thanks!
Tina R
We have successfully made many recipes of hers using Aquafaba (water from a can of chickpeas lightly whisked - 2.5 TBSP per egg, but no more than 3 eggs in a recipe). They’ve been great!
Jalene
What would you sub for the whey protein? It doesn't sit well with my tummy. 🙁
Kim
I have not tried an egg substitute in my breads, but there are several of them that don't require eggs at all. My daughter is vegan and I have made my artisan bread vegan for her by subbing the whey protein with soy protein in the flour blend and it came out perfectly. My Italian bread also does not use eggs and can be made vegan, as well as my focaccia bread, English muffin bread and English muffins, and my white sandwich bread to name a few.
Ingrid Bradfield
Hi what do you mix the GF base with water, and how much a cup to make a dough?
Kim
You'll have to look at all of the recipes. There are different recipes for different breads, all of which have different ingredients added and amounts.
Matt
Can I use all tapioca starch instead potato starch and tapioca starch or is the potato starch a must?
Kim
The potato starch is what really makes the blend work perfectly, but you could attempt to try to sub with all tapioca starch. I don't know what kind of results you'll get.
Janine Marshall
Do you ever use modified tapioca starch or Caputo Florigut? If not, why?
Kim
I don't like the taste or smell of modified tapioca starch so I don't use it. As far as Caputo's, I've never tried it because when I developed my own blend and had such amazing results, I didn't need to try anything else. I also know that Caputo's has wheat starch in it and even though it's supposed to be safe for celiacs, I'm just a little leary about that.
Nikki
Do you know if using Whey Protein vs Whey Protein Isolate would make a difference?
Kim
The main reason I use whey protein isolate is because it's much more of a "pure" protein without other things added. I can't say whether whey protein concentrate would work the same or throw off all the other fats, etc in the recipe it's being used in.
Faye Barbetta
Do you have a recipe for sourdough bread,?
Kim
Yes I do! It should be right on the front page of my blog, but you can also find it in the bread section under recipes.
Janine Marshall
Whey protein isolate is a more processed/refined version of whey protein concentrate (therefore one tablespoon of isolate would contain more protein than one tablespoon of concentrate). However , some brands of whey protein concentrate have virtually the same protein per gram profile as whey protein isolate, therefore they would be interchangeable. The whole purpose of adding whey to gluten-free flour is to add protein, as gluten flour contains protein.
Tammy
Can I use a pea protein instead . I have an allergy to the whey protein
Heidi
The WPI that Kim uses also contains soy lecithin which improves texture and helps with the emulsification of the fats.
Amy
Kim,
Thank you so much for sharing all of your work. My 6 year old son has been recently diagnosed with celiacs. For our family I thought it was the best just to keep gluten out of the house. I want our home to be a safe place for everyone and the thought of cross contamination scares me. Your recipes have helped our family so much! Thank you for helping us navigate this new journey.
Kim
Awe, it is my pleasure!! I completely understand 🥰
Robert Reimer
Kim,
Your GF bread flour is spot-on. I have been doing GF baking for 8 years and your flour formulation allowed me to make a "great leap forward" in dough quality. especially for pizza. A 16" pizza baked at 525*F has the look and feel of a New York slice. Bravo, well done!
RA Reimer
Gales Ferry CT
Kim
Thank you so much, Robert! I'm so glad you're having great success!!!
Monica
Hi Kim,
I love all your recipes and can't wait to start making your flour blends! I have a quick question, when you make the 20 cups or 2.8kg does that much fit in your Cambridge 8qt container that's linked in the recipe? Or do I need a much bigger container?
Thanks for all the work and time you've put into making these blends and recipes available to us! I cannot wait to try the Super soft white bread that you say is better than Wonder bread! If that turns out for me, it'll be a dream come true!!😍 😋
Kristine
Would collagen powder work as a substitute for the whey protein? Has anyone tried it?
Carlos bras
Just ordered the ingredients and very eager to make your bread. I have been making regular bread for 30 years. Portuguese style homemade bread. Hand kneaded.
Baked in regular oven. My wife is gluten intolerant. The gluten free breads commercially available are horrible! Not clear as to amount of salt,yeast, honey, olive oil per grams of mixture.
Stephanie
Would love to know this as well!!
lisa
I was wondering the same...
Paulette
So I got all excited when I realized that I had everything on hand to make this recipe. I noticed that my whey protein had a vanilla smell (first time using it) and after I weighed and mixed all my ingredients I came back to read the comments. I almost cried when I saw the comment about not using the vanilla flavored whey. I don't want to throw my mix out so, Kim can I turn this into a cake mix or do you have a suggestion for a recipe to use it in? I just ordered unflavored whey protein because I'm so excited to try several of your recipes. Thanks in advance!
Lynne
Paulette, I haven’t tried this recipe yet (ordering my ingredients), but I’m great with subbing stuff. I’d use your mixture in any of her recipes that are sweet and call for Kim’s Bread Flour. Donuts are the first that came to mind…but that may be because I keep seeing the pic and am craving donuts now. 🤣🤣🤣
Teresa
Does anyone know if any other nondairy protein isolates or anything else that would work in this recipe?
Fred
The first sentence in the "substitutions" describes many other protein sources you could use.
Kim
Thank you, Fred! Apparently you are the only one who actually reads through my posts! I'm sure everyone else jump right to the recipe.
Roma
Kim, this is the best by far! Been using your bread flour for morethan 2 yrs now and every gluten sensitive person I made bread for raves about how good it is. I used your all Purpose flour blend for my Christmas cookies this year and they came out perfect! Thank you so much! Gob bless you and your kitchen!
Stephanie
I am wanting to make this flour for the sourdough bread. It’s for my gf sister! I’m wondering how many loaves you get out of this mix? I added everything to my Amazon cart and it’s over $100 - I’m worried I’ll get 2 loaves for $100
Kim
Please read through the actual recipe post. There are substitution suggestions within the post.
Keela Eldridge
Where did the table of flour mixes go? I make large amounts of all your flour blends and relied on them! Help! Holiday baking will be disastrous!
Kim
If you read through the recipe, you'll see that you can just use the servings slider to make your servings larger. Slide it to the right and you'll get to 10, 15, and 20 cups, just like what the table used to have.
Shan
Looking at all the whey proteins, should we be using unflavoured or vanilla flavoured? Does it matter?
Mia
You definitely need unflavored.
Pat
Hi Kim
I love this site
What happened to the large yields for your flour recipes?
Pat
Pat
I found the serving slider...
Kerry
Any options for a dairy free substitute for the whey protein?
Sara
Any recommendations for the best substitute for the whey protein isolate? Can't have dairy. TIA.
Kim
Please see the substitutions suggestions within the recipe post.
Ella
This is a great recipe and I have used it many times now with great success! But I will add that I have spent a small fortune on a variety of gluten free flours and starches and additions that I just could not add one more with the whey protein isolate- lol. So I subbed in powdered milk and I am happy to say it has worked great in this recipe!
Sara
Oh that's good to know. l too have wasted so much money and now was looking for a sub for the whey....I have some coconut milk powder and hoping it will do the same. Did you make any other modifications?
Sara
that's how I feel...have wasted so much money and now was looking for a sub for the whey...thanks for the info on the milk powder. I have some coconut milk powder and hoping it will do the same. Did you make any other modifications?
Rosanne Goodrich
Is there a replacement for the whey protein? We also have a dairy allergy
Linda
Which brand and type of Whey Powder Isolate do you recommend?
Ella
If you go to the recipe in her post, you can click on the whey protein (it's a link) and it will take you to the brand she uses. But here is the link as well...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013OWAB4?_encoding=UTF8&linkCode=sl1&tag=letthemeatgfc-20&linkId=7c97a4498483ae04cc2433265f86980a&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl&th=1
Linda
Hi Ella! Thank you very much! I did end up finding the link in her actual recipe at the same time you were commenting.
But, thank you very much for linking it! That was very kind if you!!
Chris
i have used this flour recipe for the cinnamon rolls and they turn out amazing. i did not use the whey protein as i could find it but the were still delicious. i de used to try to use the flour to make raviolis and it was so much better than any other gf flour i have tried. thank you so much for posting this recipe
Linda
Hi Kim,
I actually found the link to the whey protein isolate in the recipe. I was looking for a pink highlighted link in the text like the others.
Also just want to let you know that the link to the scale must have been changed by amazon…it now links to a type of flour.
I’m excited to try this recipe!
Dahee
Hi Kim! My husband cannot have dairy. Can I use this recipe without the whey protein?
Michael Lynn
Following for the answer to this. I also bake dairy free.
Bettie Thomas
I read on here somewhere that someone (Kim?) said she used pea protein isolate for her daughter. I think I got that right.
Kim
See the substitutions list above the recipe in the blog post. It lists all substitution suggestions for the recipe.
Sunny Green
Is superfine rice flour the same as the glutinous rice flour you can find in asian stores?
Kim
No, it is a flour you can find on Amazon. The link is in the recipe.
Jennifer Nelson
THANK YOU!!! I am not celiac, but gluten intolerant and gluten has caused me all kinds of health issues! I have practiced on my own and could never master anything but biscuits. Your recipes have changed my life!!! Thank you!!!!
Kim
Awe, that is so sweet to say! I am humbled and I really appreciate your kind words 🥰
Betts
Hi could I substitute peanut protein for the whey protein isolate
Kim
Interesting. I didn't think about that, but I feel like it would just make the flour taste like peanut butter. Are you talking about peanut powder? I honestly don't think that would work.
Crystal
Hello,
Thanks for your recipes. I am about to get the stuff for your flour blend. I am from Canada though and we don't have the same products as you unfortunately. I know bobs mills has rice flour but I did see you said it doesn't work as well. I am just wondering if you or anyone else reading this can find a decent superfine rice flour in Canada? (British Columbia)
Monica
Hi Crystal,
I'm a neighbor in MI. My future DIL lives in Windsor CA 🍁🇨🇦 😊 so I've ordered from Amazon CA in the past during Covid to help with delivery times and shipping cost. I did it threw my app, but I just searched online on duck duck go for Amazon Canada & amazon.ca came up and there's a link to the website. Then if you search "ultrafine or superfine white rice flours" BOTH brands she recommends and has linked in her recipe DO actually come up as available. 👍😁 If you want the brands she recommends, the first link in the recipe is "Authentic Foods Superfine White Rice Flour" -3lb pkg. & the 2nd link is for "Viddie's Ultra fine White rice flour" - 3lb pkg. I just ordered & received all my ingredients to make my first batch and am super excited! But, I'm still waiting on my containers to mix it up in. Darn Amazon keeps delaying my deliveries! 😠 ~Good Luck with your search & Happy New Year! 😊
Megan
Hi, I’d really like to try your flour blend but I’m having a hard time converting grams to cups. Does your recipe convert to cups? Would you be willing to post it or make it possible to convert with the recipe online? I have tried online conversion tools but they all seem to be a bit different in results. Thank you
Kim
I'm sorry, it doesn't convert. After becoming celiac and having to make my own flour blend, I realized cups are not as accurate as we really need them to be. If you read through the actual recipe post, you'll find a paragraph that explains all of this and how to get a very cheap scale (I just saw one yesterday at my local Aldi for less than $10).
Mary
Hi Crystal
If you are anywhere in the lower mainland, try an Asian grocery story. Elsewhere in BC try Superstore (that's where I get mine in AB) or T&T (I think they are owned by Loblaws now as is Superstore. Good luck!
Mary
Crystal, you can buy superfine rice here in Canada and they ship it right to you.
https://nickelandore.ca/
Janette
Hi Kim, I don't eat pizza often but I do enjoy it periodically. Your GF recipe sound delightful, only I can't have any type of lecithin so I can't make your custome flour recipe. If I leave it out will your recipe be ruined? Thanks for sharing
Kim
The flour blend won't work quite the same. BUT, you could check on Caputo flour or King Arthur bread flour blend. If they don't contain lecithin, you could try one of those.
Marlene
Hi Crystal, regarding the rice flour...I have a mill (Wondermill) and grind all the rice - whether white, brown, or sweet rice I buy long grain white rice, (not basmati), brown rice, and sweet glutinous rice and use the finest setting. It comes out great. Also, it is much cheaper to buy the rice in bulk and grind it myself instead of buying small bags of rice flour. The next time I need oat flour I will buy oat groats or steel cut oats (certified gluten free) and grind them myself also.
Jenny Caller
I have been using your all purpose gf Flour blend for many months now and find it works very well with the recipes provided. Thank you Kim