When a recipe calls for flours like pastry flour, self rising flour or bread flour are there gluten free flours you can use Instead if you need to? Can you just use gluten free all purpose flour and not use the fancy flour the recipe calls for? We’re talking gluten free specialty and artisan baking flours today!
What Are Specialty or Artisan Baking Flours?
Specialty or artisan baking flours are used for different types of baking. For instance, cake flour is often used to make light and fluffy cakes by fine milling the flour which then produces a very nice fine and fluffy cake. Some other artisan and specialty flours you might find in recipes are:
- Cake Flour: Cake flour produces a light and fluffy texture with the addition of cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Uses: cakes, brownies, quick breads.
- Bread Flour: Bread flour produces a light and airy yet more dense product. Uses: yeasted breads.
- Pastry Flour: Pastry flour is also another light and fluffy texture flour. Uses: cookies, pie crusts, biscuits, cinnamon rolls, pancakes
- Self Rising Flour: Self rising flour contains baking powder and salt. Uses: muffins, quick bread, pizza dough.
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- Corn Flour: This flour contains corn which is useful for making a variety of foods from cakes to cornbread! What is the difference between corn flour and corn meal?
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Can't You Just Use Gluten Free All Purpose Flour in Recipes?
I'll be honest. When I started baking I had NO idea what all of the above fancy flour names meant. I just used all purpose flour in everything. It seemed to simplify things. But I found my creations were too dense, or didn't turn out right just by using all purpose flour. Using the right type of flour is important and just because you have food allergies doesn't mean they aren't available!
Gluten Free Specialty and Artisan Flour Mix Recipes
You can make a lot of your own specialty and artisan flour recipes gluten free at home. I just mix up the flour, label and store it for use later. You can use any type of gluten free all purpose flour mix as your base. Click on the link below for our article on the best food allergen friendly all purpose flour mixes.
WHAT ARE THE BEST GLUTEN FREE ALL PURPOSE FLOUR MIXES?
For recipes calling for cake flour, for every one cup of gluten free all purpose flour take out two tablespoons of flour. Add two tablespoons of cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Stir.
You can also purchase gluten free cake flour. 
A good gluten free bread flour mix needs some starch added to it. For a simple bread flour mix, stir together one cup potato starch (not flour!), one cup white or brown rice flour (or use half and half of each), ⅓ cup tapioca starch, ⅛ cup bean flour (chickpea, garbanzo or other bean flour), and one tablespoon xanthum gum. Substitute in recipes calling for bread flour. We've also found bread flour available commercially to purchase. 
Gluten free pastry flour can be made almost the same as cake flour. For every one cup of gluten free all purpose flour, omit two tablespoons than add two tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder back in. Gluten free pastry flour is also available to purchase. 
This is a simple and easy recipe to make! We have two different gluten free self rising flour recipes on our site:
* Gluten free self rising flour recipe
* Keto self rising flour recipe
Get Baking!
Here are some fun and easy recipes that use gluten free specialty and artisan flours.
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