The protein, gluten, found in wheat flour is responsible for the spongy texture in breads, cakes and muffins. There are alternatives to wheat flour, but no exact substitute – thus recipes using such alternatives, will not turn out identical as when wheat flour is used.
Many products containing wheat flour can contribute to weight, as they are so readily available, relatively cheap and addictive. However, in addition, gluten is often the cause of a food intolerance or type lll food sensitivity, commonly triggered or aggrevated by disorders of the intestinal barrier, and this can present with various health issues.
Here follow a list of alternatives to wheat flour, if one has to go wheat and gluten-free, but would still like to enjoy various baked products or use as a thickening agent.
- Almond flour – good for non-yeasted recipes (grind fresh nuts as flour goes rancid quickly)
- Maize meal – good for baking breads
Other wheat and gluten free flours are: coconut flour; chia flour, corn flour; hemp flour; potato flour; quinoa flour; teff flour; arrowroot flour; cashew flour; chick pea flour; polenta; flax flour; macadamia flour; millet flour, sorghum flour; tapioca flour; agar-agar; carob flour; guar seed flour; chestnut flour and white rice flour. Many of these flours are more ideal to be used as thickening agents or in combination with other flours for baking. Most nut and seed flours must be freshly ground as they tend to spoil quickly when exposed to air and light. However, they are generally a good source of essential fatty acids. For persons with a nut allergy, all nut flours must be avoided.
There are also a few wheat-free flours, but that do contain a small amount of gluten, such as:
- Barley flour – less dense that wheat flour; fibre rich
- Rye flour – highest level of gluten of the wheat-free flours; ideal for bread
- Spelt flour – good for baking breads; fibre-rich but lighter than whole- wheat flour
- Oat flour
Buckwheat flour (gluten free grain), despite its name, is not a form of wheat, but is related to rhubarb. The small seeds of the plant are ground to make flour, but the strong nutty taste can be overpowering in a recipe when used on its own.
There is much trial and error involved in trying out all these various substitutes or combinations of these different flours in recipes. For best results and advice on the use of wheat flour substitutes, try the recipe book “Cooking for an allergic-free lifestyle” by Cape Town based author, Tammi Forman.
HEALTH INSIGHT
MARCH 2017