Gluten In Flour: Everything you need to know.

This weeks question is from Jaqueline and she asks;

I’m having a dinner guest with a gluten allergy. I’d like to made a rustic pear tart for dessert. The recipe calls for AP flour. Can I substitute 1:1 with rice flour? Also, what is the difference between soft and hard flour, what applications are each used in? Thanks

OK, this post is all about flour and since you are about to gear up for your holiday baking, hopefully I can give you some pointers that will lead you to success.About wheat flours, Jaqueline is right. there are soft and hard flours as well as varying degrees in between. The “soft” or “hard” refers to the amount of protein in the grain – also known as gluten when it comes to flour. Hard flour is also sometimes called “strong.” Hard wheat is high in protein/gluten and soft wheat is low in protein/gluten.

Now – why does any of this matter? Well, the success of what you are baking will depend on the gluten content of the flour you are using.

HARD FLOUR:

The “hardest” or highest in gluten flours are bread flours. The structure of bread is created when the gas from the yeast is captured in the strong web like structure created by the strands of gluten. This is why kneading bread is important; kneading strengthens the proteins and turns them into stretchy strands that will expand like bubble gum as the gasses fill them up. These very thin, tough protein strands then set in their risen shape while the bread bakes. The gluten or protein is that stretchy quality in bread or pasta dough that you probably have noticed if you have ever made either.

This strength is great for pasta and bread. but lousy for cake or pastry. It will make them tough.

SOFT FLOUR:

Soft flours are used when you want a tender crust. They are also known as pastry or cake and pastry flour. The shorter gluten strands won’t hold up when making bread but are great when you want a flaky pie dough, shortbread or a finely textured cake.

SO WHAT ABOUT RICE FLOUR?

So, if the lower gluten content is great for pie dough, shouldn’t a flour like rice flour with no gluten be even better? Well no – it’s not.

The flakiness of pastry or pie dough comes about when the layers of dough (flour and liquid) are separated with cold fat. When the cold fat hits the hot oven, the fat melts into the dough leaving an air pocket. It’s the layer of dough over the air pocket that gives the dough a flaky or layered effect. The gluten in the dough gives the structure and strength that allows this to happen. Rice flour isn’t strong enough to hold the air layers open so they will just collapse in on themselves which will end up in a crumbly crust that falls apart. Same thing in cakes, some structure from the flour is desirable for lightness but too much structure will make it tough – so low gluten, soft flour is desirable but no gluten will result in collapse!

WHEN TO USE RICE FLOUR AND GLUTEN FREE ALTERNATIVES

Rice flour does give a very finely textured pastry so for a shortbread cookie, for instance, you will get a melt in your mouth, albeit crumbly, quality from the gluten free flour. If you want to use it to make pie dough, it’s possible by using xanthan gum. This is an additive derived from corn syrup that will give the dough the stretchy quality it need to stay together and not fall apart. You can find it at health food stores, baking supply stores or shop for it online. It’s used in this recipe for Gluten Free Butter Tart Bars.

If you are making a pie with a bottom crust, you can make a cookie crust from gluten free cookies like amaretti or any of your packaged gluten free favourites.

This Chocolate Espresso Torte is a spectacular dessert and is gluten free!

This link to Gluten Free Holiday Entertaining is a compilation of gluten free recipes.

ONE LAST THING… ALL PURPOSE FLOUR.

This is probably the flour you are all most used to using and now your scratching your head going well when the %&^#%# am I suppose to use this stuff?

All purpose flour was designed to be used, just as it is designated, for most purposes. It has some protein but not as much as bread flour and can be used with success in cakes, cookies and pastry. If you want a special refined product – stock more than one flour. If you are a general baker, all purpose will suit most of your needs.

If you are baking a lot over the holidays it might be worth it to pick up a bag of pastry flour, you will probably find that your baked goods have a lighter and finer texture. If you make bread often, I would stock bread flour – you will get a better crust and crumb.

That’s my final word on flour – I hope it clarified and not complicated further!

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