Grain free flours

[mytwomonkeys]

My husband and I are doing a 40 day grain free challenge (and no refined sugar either). In looking at the grain free flours, I'm not sure which ones I need and why? I normally make our own bread and pizza dough - are there grain free flours that work best for these? What about baking? I'm just confused as to which flours serve which purpose -- or is it just preference? I have enjoyed looking through the recipes at a blog called wellness mama. I would love other recommendations for free recipe websites too. Thanks for any help! :)

[shukriyya]

Almond flour is your friend

Coconut flour works too but I prefer almond flour

Hazelnut flour but it's $$

[mytwomonkeys]

Do I use the almond flour as a stand alone, or should I mix it with flax meal like I do with whole wheat flour? Or will that ruin it?

 

 

I'm sorry to sound so ignorant, but I really have no idea. Does it rise like normal flour?

 

I appreciate it very much! :)

[dbmamaz]

You can not substitute non-wheat flours in your regular recipes.  It will not work.  Gluten free/grain free baking is COMPLETELY different.  Go to a good grain free website (like paleomg?) and find recipes and start there.  Most almond and coconut flour recipes use a LOT of eggs - i mean a LOT of eggs.  

 

Once you really learn how to bake without gluten, you can start to experiment, but its completely different chemistry.  

[dbmamaz]

and making yeast bread is the hardest thing to do gluten free, I dont know that i've ever seen a paleo yeast bread.  

[mytwomonkeys]

You can not substitute non-wheat flours in your regular recipes. It will not work. Gluten free/grain free baking is COMPLETELY different. Go to a good grain free website (like paleomg?) and find recipes and start there. Most almond and coconut flour recipes use a LOT of eggs - i mean a LOT of eggs.

 

Once you really learn how to bake without gluten, you can start to experiment, but its completely different chemistry.

Yes. I do realize I can't substitute. I'm just trying to figure out which flours work best for what type of recipes. For example, all purpose flour is much light than whole wheat flour. They will make very different types of bread and depending on what I'm making will depend on the flour I choose. I just didn't know if grain free flours were the same & each had a better result for specific type cooking (I.e dough, baking, etc). In looking at this website: http://www.nuts.com/cookingbaking/flours/

 

It seems there are a ton of flours to choose from. I can't afford them all & just want to get some staple things -- I was hoping to figure which flours are your "must haves" for grain free. Does that make sense? Wellness mama blog seems to use blanched almond flour a lot - so that is on my list for sure. :)

[mytwomonkeys]

and making yeast bread is the hardest thing to do gluten free, I dont know that i've ever seen a paleo yeast bread.

Thank you! I didn't know this!

[kitten18]

You can not substitute non-wheat flours in your regular recipes. It will not work. Gluten free/grain free baking is COMPLETELY different. Go to a good grain free website (like paleomg?) and find recipes and start there. Most almond and coconut flour recipes use a LOT of eggs - i mean a LOT of eggs.

 

Once you really learn how to bake without gluten, you can start to experiment, but its completely different chemistry.

I agree.

 

I would suggest that you don't try to make substitutes for bread stuff for a few weeks.

If you go straight from wheat products to coconut/almond/flax flours I'm afraid you'll be pretty disappointed.

[kitten18]

Yes. I do realize I can't substitute. I'm just trying to figure out which flours work best for what type of recipes. For example, all purpose flour is much light than whole wheat flour. They will make very different types of bread and depending on what I'm making will depend on the flour I choose. I just didn't know if grain free flours were the same & each had a better result for specific type cooking (I.e dough, baking, etc). In looking at this website: http://www.nuts.com/cookingbaking/flours/

 

It seems there are a ton of flours to choose from. I can't afford them all & just want to get some staple things -- I was hoping to figure which flours are your "must haves" for grain free. Does that make sense? Wellness mama blog seems to use blanched almond flour a lot - so that is on my list for sure. :)

I use coconut flour, almond meal, and flax meal.

 

I have a cookbook for grain free muffins. I will find the amazon link and post it.

[kitten18]

Apparently I don't know how to post an amazon link from my phone.

 

The cookbook is:

Muffins to Slim By

The recipes are based on the "one minute muffin" recipes that you do in a mug in the microwave. I prefer to bake mine in a glass dish in the toaster oven.

[dbmamaz]

When I'd been trying to do gluten free baking and getting frustrated, I did an experiment - i mixed up eggs, milk and sugar like I was going to make a very small crepe recipe, and then I mixed a few tb of one flour in to it, cooked it, tasted it, and took notes - for all the kinds of flours I had.  This helped me have an understanding for the ways the different flours work.  But i use a lot of grains - corn flour and corn starch, millet flour.  I have food allergies to work around, but i'm not grain free.  

[mytwomonkeys]

I use coconut flour, almond meal, and flax meal.

 

I have a cookbook for grain free muffins. I will find the amazon link and post it.

Thank you. This is all I'm really asking. I'm not looking to substitute whole wheat flour. I'm really just wanting to know what grain free flours are your staples if you eat this way already. I am just trying to wrap my brain around which flours people use the most and what for. I already use flax meal daily. I really like buckwheat too, so I will buy that. It looks like almond & coconut are the two most used flours. I will buy those -- thank you!!! :)

[Tammi K]

Looka t this blog:  http://www.elanaspantry.com/   for a wealth of information about grain free baking. She also has a grain free cookbook that I just purchased and is filled with awesome info.  She speaks quite a bit about her choice in flours.

[kitten18]

I would search the web for recipes for those things using those flours. They do not operate like wheat flour AT ALL and you really need to do very different things with them.

 

There is an interesting recipe floating around on the web for cauliflower crust pizza. I've made it before and it isn't bad (but don't expect it to taste exactly the same as regular pizza).

 

I really like coconut flour. You really need recipes specific for it though because it is nothing like wheat flour. It requires more liquid than flour (usually in the form of eggs). Almond meal is good, but it's very dense.

I think the cauliflower crust is ok but not worth the hassle. Our staple now is a cheese crust. Using the toaster oven, I line the pan with non-stick foil (must use non-stick foil or parchment or silpat). I sprinkle on shredded mozzarella, sprinkle that with garlic salt then bake until melted. Take it out, top with sauce, toppings and more cheese and bake until melted.

You can kind of pick it up if you let it cool but it's probably best to eat it with a fork.

[fraidycat]

I have almond, coconut, and tapioca so far.

 

I highly recommend this pizza dough recipe:

 

http://www.feedtheclan.com/our-love-affair-with-pizza/

 

I tried to link my post here recommending this recipe from a couple days ago , but it seems to have disappeared. Weird.

 

These are good biscuits. When I made them they were like biscuits, when DH makes them, they are more like flatbread. They still taste good when flat, and make a good sandwich. :)

 

http://www.lifeasaplate.com/2010/08/19/grain-free-savory-country-biscuits/

[kitten18]

I make my one minute muffins in a muffin top pan. They come out a nice shape for using like pieces of bread.

I like to use the muffin top pan too. I think a flax/almond meal combo is good for making a "bun" in the muffin top pan.

[shukriyya]

Contrary to what everyone's posted here I often sub almond flour for regular flour with great results. The almond flour recipes I use don't require more eggs than usual which is why I like them. I don't like the overriding egg flavor you get with some of the coconut flour recipes which do require a lot of eggs.

[Susan C.]

I am having difficulty with "not eating grains" and then making pizza, bread, etc.

 

We don't eat a lot of grains. It really calls for a diet change. Meats, eggs, salads, vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, rice are typically what you eat on a grain free diet. Almond flour is more dense and calorie laden and quite expensive. Also, some grain free recipes I see call for cashew/almond butters, again, very dense (and very expensive). I'm guessing they are for a treat, not regular eating.

[mytwomonkeys]

I am having difficulty with "not eating grains" and then making pizza, bread, etc.

 

We don't eat a lot of grains. It really calls for a diet change. Meats, eggs, salads, vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, rice are typically what you eat on a grain free diet. Almond flour is more dense and calorie laden and quite expensive. Also, some grain free recipes I see call for cashew/almond butters, again, very dense (and very expensive). I'm guessing they are for a treat, not regular eating.

I make my own butter from raw milk and will use that. I'm not sure what's difficult about wanting a grain free pizza? We will absolutely eat meat. In fact we will be incorporating bone broth and even liver, etc. My neighbor sells organic grass fed beef.

[Susan C.]

I make my own butter from raw milk and will use that. I'm not sure what's difficult about wanting a grain free pizza? We will absolutely eat meat. In fact we will be incorporating bone broth and even liver, etc. My neighbor sells organic grass fed beef.

 

I've seen two pizza recipes for a non-grain crust, one uses an eggplant slice for the crust and the other, a butternut squash slice.

 

Best wishes!

 

[fraidycat]

I am having difficulty with "not eating grains" and then making pizza, bread, etc.

 

We don't eat a lot of grains. It really calls for a diet change. Meats, eggs, salads, vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, rice are typically what you eat on a grain free diet. Almond flour is more dense and calorie laden and quite expensive. Also, some grain free recipes I see call for cashew/almond butters, again, very dense (and very expensive). I'm guessing they are for a treat, not regular eating.

In short, I have kids. :) Sometimes it's nice to be able to say "yes" to a pizza, a sandwich, or French toast, etc. Instead of the "nos" that they've had to hear a lot since we've had to go gluten/grain free.

 

Rice is a grain.

 

We don't worry about calories, just macronutrients. Lots of fat, protein, little carbs.