We often get asked about the difference between our
Gluten Free All Purpose Flour and our
Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour so I decided to take a little dive into the similarities and differences between the two. In this post I’ll talk about the ingredients and their roles, how the two flours are best used in recipes, and some tips and tricks we’ve learned through experience.
Both the Gluten Free All Purpose Flour and Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour are great for baking and cooking and it might just boil down to your taste preference! Our Gluten Free All Purpose Flour was our original blend and a few years after hearing your feedback we also created our Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.
Both can be used as a cup for cup replacement for wheat flour, with a few stipulations. Let’s back up and first take a look at the ingredients.
Ingredient Differences
Both blends have tapioca flour and sorghum flour. You’ll notice that these two flours are common among most of our gluten free blends. The Tapioca Flour adds a light texture and Sorghum Flour is added for its mild flavor, smooth texture, and high protein content. These characteristics create a good base of neutral flavor for structure and texture to build upon.
In addition to to the Sorghum and Tapioca Flours, the Gluten Free All Purpose Flour has Garbanzo Bean Flour, Potato Flour, and Fava Bean Flour for protein and body. There is no Xanthan Gum in this mixture. For most recipes you’d need to add
Xanthan Gum to help bind together your batter/dough for the best texture. To know how much Xanthan Gum to add to your recipe, there’s a handy chart below and one listed on the bag.
Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour has a base of Sweet White Rice Flour, Brown Rice Flour, and Potato Starch. The mild rice flavor is a neutral and complementary base for most sweet recipes. It also has the Sorghum and Tapioca Flour added along with the addition of Xanthan Gum. With the Xanthan Gum already blended into this mixture, it can be a simple cup for cup replacement in most baking recipes.
Flavor Differences
The Gluten Free All Purpose Flour has both Garbanzo and Fava Bean flour, both of which are milled from raw, dried beans. Depending on your recipe, the bean flavor from the flour can compliment your recipe or detract from the other flavors. It works really well for savory breads, rich chocolatey brownies, thickening gravy, or breading meats. It may not work so well for a sweet crepe or shortbread cookie where the delicate flavors are easily overtaken. Also important to note, if you’re like me and have been known to sneak a taste of cookie dough or cake batter, you might find the bean flavor a bit strong - but know that the flavor dissipates and mellows during baking and your finished product will have a different flavor profile.
The Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, as mentioned above, has a base of Sweet White Rice and Brown Rice Flour, both of which have a neutral flavor base and work well in both savory and sweet recipes. This flour blend works well for recipes like quick breads, cakes, cookies, muffins, etc.
*Recipes listed below
Performance Differences
We’ve found that the Gluten Free All Purpose Flour works well with both yeasted recipes and those that use baking soda and baking powder as the leavening agent. Because of the higher protein and fiber content in the Gluten Free All Purpose Flour, it’s better suited for yeasted recipes than the Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. The higher protein content creates better structure for the carbon dioxide bubbles released from the yeast, giving you a better crumb and loftier yeasted loaves.
Our Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flours works perfect with recipes that use baking powder and/or baking soda as the leavening agent. Since it already has the
Xanthan Gum within the blend, you can substitute this in your recipes cup for cup - replace your flour, not your recipes!
Tips and Tricks
Gluten free baking can be a bit intimidating but with a little practice, you’ll be a pro! Here are some of my favorite tips:
- Gluten free doughs can be delicate in comparison to the wheat version - allow extra time for the flour to hydrate/rest and handle with care.
- Pizza and cookie dough will be sticky - wet your hands before patting dough into place or use a layer of parchment paper in between.
- Gluten free baked goods may not brown in the same manner as the wheat version - watch your bake times closely and adjust as needed.
- If your recipe calls for eggs, you can substitute a flax egg or chia egg depending on the recipe, but the final results may vary as eggs provide structure and lift to gluten free baked goods.
What should I make?
Remember, with both our
Gluten Free All Purpose and
Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, you can use your existing recipes with just a few changes! If you use the Gluten Free All Purpose, you’ll need to add Xanthan Gum to your flour before mixing but if you use our Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour you can just sub it in, cup for cup!
Here are some of our favorite recipes (pictured above) using both flour blends to help get your creativity going.
What’s your favorite thing to make with these flours? Do you have any tips to share with our readers? Let us know in the comments below and make sure to tag #bobsredmill when you show off your delicious photos.
In addition to to the Sorghum and Tapioca Flours, the Gluten Free All Purpose Flour has Garbanzo Bean Flour, Potato Flour, and Fava Bean Flour for protein and body. There is no Xanthan Gum in this mixture. For most recipes you’d need to add Xanthan Gum to help bind together your batter/dough for the best texture. To know how much Xanthan Gum to add to your recipe, there’s a handy chart below and one listed on the bag.
Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour has a base of Sweet White Rice Flour, Brown Rice Flour, and Potato Starch. The mild rice flavor is a neutral and complementary base for most sweet recipes. It also has the Sorghum and Tapioca Flour added along with the addition of Xanthan Gum. With the Xanthan Gum already blended into this mixture, it can be a simple cup for cup replacement in most baking recipes.
*Recipes listed below
However you also want the buns to be able to proof well with yeast(and in some recipes additional baking powder) so they don't collapse/wrinkle when steaming, and you've stated the all purpose would be better suited for that.
Do you have any suggestions for which flour may work better? Or should I try making the recipe with each one and see which works better(I already have both flours). Maybe try a combination? I know there's lots of experimentation in gluten free baking. I'm not yet a very experienced baker(gf or otherwise) and would appreciate some feed back.
Gluten Free Everyday Bread
Bob's Red Mill Recipe: Gluten Free Fruitcake
I used 1:1 flour tonight to make a pie crust. The crust turned out squeaky. How do I avoid this? Thanks!
When using a bread machine, keep in mind that gluten free breads don't need a second rise like wheat breads. If you're able to adjust the settings on your bread machine, you'll likely have better results. Some newer bread machines have a "gluten free bread" setting that employs only a single rise. Here's our favorite bread machine recipe that uses our Gluten Free All Purpose Flour.
Gluten Free French Bread Recipe
thanks
I've been on the lookout for an awesome tortilla recipe. Could ya help me out? The store GF tortillas are thin and tasteless. I would appreciate it. Thank you
Easy as Pie Crust (Gluten Free)
2 cups AP Flour (Red's 1-to-1)
2/3 cup Mazola oil
2 tbsp cold milk
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Sift dry ingredients into pie pan
Combine Mazola and milk, and whip with a fork
Pour entire mixture over dry ingredients and mix with a fork until all flour is damp
Starting in the center, press dough evenly to the edge
SIMPLE!!! Enjoy
Cinnamon Rolls made with Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix
Soft and Fluffy Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls
I am an experienced cook owning coffee shops in my working days.( 76now)
I read comments on your flour on face book and purchased some yesterday. Very excited to try today I made a simple all in together orange cake which I usually use GF Orgran S.R flour and it comes out beautifully. Sadly today with my first try it didn’t rise and was so dense it was unedible. Wanted to try some scones today but not game at this stage as I paid $12 bag and don’t want to waste. Have I done something wrong. Very anxious for a reply. She
Bob's Red Mill Recipe: Gluten Free Tortilla and Flatbreads
using 2- 9 inch pans
Preheat oven to 400 F
Put 1 tsp. or slightly more oil in each muffin tin cup.
Combine: 1 cup Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF baking flour with 1/2 tsp. salt. Add 4 eggs, and 1 cup milk. Whisk together well.
Fill muffin cups of hot muffin pan to the rim. Bake for 40 mins. Don't remove from the oven early, or they will collapse.
Excellent with roast beef and gravy, or served cold, filled with vanilla ice cream.
Hope this helps.
K
Gluten Free Brownies
Does Bob's Red Mill 1:1 have a "gritty" texture?