Gluten Free 101: Rice Flour

I find that gluten free flours tend to be pretty intimidating to most people, myself included. So, last October I shared a post called The Beginner's Guide To Gluten Free Flours. I had no idea how popular that post would be or how many questions and comments would come from it. I still receive emails weekly asking questions about all of the various gluten free flours available on the market. So, I thought that it was time to delve deeper into the world of gluten free flours with all of you in a series I am calling Gluten Free 101.

Every post in this series will cover a different type of gluten free flour or starch, what it is, where it comes from, how to use it, and recipes to try. I am making these 101 posts a part of my resource series that shows up here every Monday on B&B so keep an eye out for them, read them, pin them for future reference, share them with your friends, cook from them and become a gluten free flour aficionado. 

I chose rice flour as my first Gluten Free 101 post because it is the most widely used type of gluten free flour available on the market by far, so it is probably one that you would come across first when beginning to transition to a gluten free diet. I find that most all-purpose gluten free flours available on the market include some type of rice flour in them as well so whether you know it or not, you are probably using it in your gluten free baking if you have opted to use an all-purpose gfree flour.

Brown rice flour is heavier and more nutritious than white rice flour. It has a very delicate, slightly nutty flavor and is best when blended with other gluten-free flours. Brown rice flour is a terrific source of fiber, as well as protein. There are a variety of uses for brown rice flour; it can be used as a straight flour replacement in things like a roux and other sauce thickeners, or add a bit of seasoning and it becomes a great dredging flour for fried foods. Brown rice flour can be combined with other flours for baking projects such as bread, cookies, or pastries. It does not behave exactly like wheat, so you should be prepared to experiment with proportions and to blend it with other flours and starches. When shopping for a brown rice flour I suggest purchasing one that has been ground on a very fine setting to prevent your baked goods from having a gritty texture, which is a common complaint with this type of flour. Like a lot of whole grain flours brown rice flour can go rancid very quickly due to the natural fats and oils in the grain. To avoid having bag full of expensive, rancid brown rice flour on your hands I suggest that you keep it in an air tight container in the fridge. This will keep odors out and lock freshness in.

Buckwheat Groats and Oats Waffles | Lexie's Kitchen

Herb Falafel and Tzatziki | Nutrition Stripped

Yeast-Free Cinnamon Rolls | Fork and Beans {pictured}

Almond & Carob Chip Biscotti | Beard and Bonnet {pictured}

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting | Deliciously Organic

Gluten Free Vegan Garlic Herb Breadsticks | Sarah Bakes Gluten Free Treats

 Maple Frosted Donuts | Fork and Beans {pictured}

Homemade Gluten Free Poptarts |Fork and Beans

Gluten Free Dinner Rolls | Sarah Bakes Gluten Free Treats

French Baguettes |  Art of Gluten Free Baking

Chai Latte Cupcakes |  Sarah Bakes Gluten Free Treats 

Rice Flour Crepes | Healthful Pursuit

Vegan Mini Lemon Blueberry Cakes | Sarah Bakes Gluten Free Treats 

Meyer Lemon and Almond Biscotti | Queen of Quinoa

Gluten Free Honey Oat Bread | Sarah Bakes Gluten Free Treats

Brownies |  Gluten Free Girl and The Chef

Gluten Free Brown Rice Flour Brownies | The Roasted Root

Mini Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins | Queen of Quinoa

Vegan Lemon Sugar Cookies | Fork and Beans {pictured}

Chocolate Peppermint Pizzelles with Quinoa | Queen of Quinoa

Gluten Free Vegan Cookie Crisp Cereal | Fork and Beans

Savory Corn Griddle Cakes | Beard and Bonnet

Homemade Moon Pies | Fork and Beans {pictured}

Citrus Loaf | Beard and Bonnet

Gluten Free Lime Shortbread Sandwiches |  Treats

Cinnamon ABC Crackers | Fork and Beans

Swiss Chard, Pear and Gruyère Tart | Cannelle et Vanille

Cinnamon Streusel Mini Coffee Cakes | Fork and Beans {pictured}

Carrot & Coconut Muffins | Beard and Bonnet 

When rice is harvested the grains of its outer husk, which is inedible, is stripped away leaving what we know as brown rice. If the farmer then goes a step farther and removes the germ and bran from the rice grain, you are left with white rice. White rice flour is ground from long- or medium-grain rice, the same kind of rice that most of us probably have in our pantries. White rice flour is rich in carbohydrates and low in fat. It tends to have a milder flavor than brown rice flour so some cooks prefer it over the other.White rice flour can be used to bake cakes, breads, cookies, dumplings, make a variety of Asian noodles, thicken sauces and to coat proteins for baking or frying. Again I recommend either storing your white rice flour in an airtight container in the fridge or purchasing small quantities so that you can use it up before it has a chance to go rancid.

Summer Berry Tarts | Pure Ella

 Quinoa Banana Bread | La Tartine Gourmande {pictured}

Lemon Iced Ginger Thins | Gluten Free Goddess {pictured}

White Chocolate Cherry Cookies | La Phemme Phoodie

Vegan and Gluten Free Twix Bars |  Healthful Pursuit

Coconut Lemon Cake |  Pure Ella {pictured}

Gluten Free Pie Crust |  Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls | Café Johnsonia {pictured}

Vegan Gluten Free Waffles With Raspberry Lemon Syrup | The Fitchen

Gluten-Free Nan 2.0 | Healthful Pursuit {pictured}

Strawberry and Wild Blueberry Galette |  Pure Ella

 I find that brown and white rice flour are a happy couple and like to sometimes be blended together. 

Gluten Free Zucchini Cake | Minimalist Baker  {pictured}

Gluten Free Sandwich Bread | Tasty Yummies

Chai Ginger Ice Cream Sandwiches | Minimalist Baker {pictured}

Buttermilk Waffles |  Beard and Bonnet {pictured}

One Bowl Gluten Free Banana Bread | Minimalist Baker

Gluten Free Puff Pastry | The Art of Gluten Free Baking

Blueberry Muffins | The Baking Beauties

Gluten Free Cheddar Cheese Bread | Gluten Is My Bitch

Light & Fluffy Gluten Free Biscuits |  Autumn Makes & Does

Gluten Free Jalapeno Pepper Jack Biscuits | Vegan Richa

Gluten Free English Muffins | Gluten Free Mom

Sweet rice flour, AKA glutinous rice flour , AKA sticky rice flour, is ground from short-grain glutinous rice, sometimes called "sticky rice". Although this flour is sometimes called "glutinous" it doesn't actually have any gluten in it. It does have a higher starch content than other kinds of rice flour though and is rich in carbohydrates and low in fat. Sweet rice flour isn't actually sweet either, instead it's flavor is very mild and sometimes noted as being 'milky'.  The unique, gelatinous characteristic of this rice flour helps to improve the texture of gluten free baked goods. It is an excellent choice of flour for baking gluten free muffins, breads, pastries and cakes. It is also well suited for thickening sauces and as a binder for foods like mochi. Sweet rice flour is also perfect for dusting pans when prepping for baking.

Chocolate Mochi Cakes | Kumquat

I love you cookies | Pure Ella

Quinoa Carrot & Parsnip Cakes | Beard and Bonnet

Soft Pretzel Bites | Tasty Yummies {pictured}

Sweet Potato Sformato |  The Kitchn

GF Lemon Poppy Seed Doughnuts | The Faux Martha

Gluten Free Flour Tortillas   | Gluten Free Girl & The Chef

Eggnog Pancakes |  Beard and Bonnet {pictured}

Strawberry Fairy Cakes With Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting   | Snixy Kitchen {pictured}

Boston Cream Doughnuts |  Foodie Crush

Gluten Free heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart | Tasty Yummies

Mini Strawberry Shortcakes with Whipped Cream |  Edible Perspective {pictured}

Sesame Peach Mochi Cookies | Snixy Kitchen

Gluten-Free Pea and Goat Cheese Tart with Fresh Herbs | Tasty Yummies

Korean Pumpkin Porridge with Rice Dumplings (Hobakjuk)  | The Kitchn {pictured}

Vegan + GF Maple Doughnuts With Salted Almond Butter Glaze |  The First Mess

Baklava Doughnuts | Naturally Ella

Sweet Potato Pecan Pie Doughnuts | How Sweet It Is

Gluten Free Lemon Poppy Seed Scones | Edible Perspective

Chinese Scallion Pancakes | Ricki Heller

Apricot Hamentashen | Chosen Bites

Triple Garlic Pizza | Minimally Invasive

Pear Pecorino & Chard Tartlets | So…Let’s Hang Out

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