Homemade Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Recipe

This homemade gluten-free all-purpose flour is a four-ingredient blend that stands in for the regular wheat flour that conventional recipes call for. It combines four ingredients: rice flour (brown, white or a mixture of the two), sweet rice flour, potato starch and tapioca flour. The formula is given by volume and by weight, in grams with ounces, so it can be measured with cups or a scale.

The blend deliberately contains no guar gum or xanthan gum. How much binder is needed depends on the recipe being made, so the gum is mixed into the measured flour each time the blend is used rather than into the whole batch.

An optional last step is to run the mixed flour through a blender on high, a little at a time. The result is a finer grind, which can give baked goods a better texture. Keep the finished blend in an airtight container, in the refrigerator if preferred.

Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend

A four-ingredient gluten-free flour mix of rice flour, sweet rice flour, potato starch and tapioca flour, measured by volume or by weight. Makes about 9 cups; gum binders are added per recipe, not to the blend.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Servings: 9 cups

Course: Pantry Staple

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

By volume

• 5 1/2 cups brown or white rice flour or a combination of both
• 1/2 cup sweet rice flour
• 2 cups potato starch
• 1 cup tapioca flour

By weight

• 765 g (1 lb 11 oz) brown or white rice flour (or a combination of both)
• 85 g (3 oz) sweet rice flour
• 319 g (11 1/4 oz) potato starch
• 120 g (4 1/4 oz) tapioca flour

Method

 

1. Measure the rice flour, sweet rice flour, potato starch and tapioca flour into a large bowl, using either the cup measures (spooned into the cup and leveled) or the weights.
2. Mix with a whisk or spoon until the flours are thoroughly and evenly blended.
3. Optional: for a finer grind, process the blend in a blender on HIGH, working with small amounts at a time. Let the dust settle before lifting the lid.
4. Transfer to an airtight container for storage. The blend can be refrigerated if preferred. Whisk or shake it before each use, because the starches tend to settle.

Notes

The two ingredient lists are the same formula; use one or the other for the whole batch. They are close equivalents rather than exact conversions, because a cup of rice flour can weigh anywhere from about 125 to 160 g depending on the brand and how the cup is filled. Weighing gives the most consistent blend. One cup of the finished blend weighs about 140 g.

No guar gum or xanthan gum is included in the blend. When preparing a recipe, stir the gum into the quantity of flour that recipe calls for. As a guide, per cup of blend: 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum for cookies, 1/2 teaspoon for cakes, muffins and quick breads, and 1 teaspoon for yeast breads and pizza dough.

The optional blender step produces a more finely ground mix, which benefits the texture of baked goods.

Store the blend airtight at cool room temperature for up to 3 months. Brown rice flour turns stale sooner, so a blend made with it keeps better in the refrigerator or freezer; let chilled flour come to room temperature before baking.

For a strictly gluten-free kitchen, buy flours and starches labeled gluten-free, since some are milled on equipment shared with wheat. For a lighter three-ingredient mix, see this simple gluten-free flour blend.