Rice flour

[peterb]

I have been asked to provide parts of a meal for someone with gluten intolerance.

I've done a bit of googling and rice flour seems to be an alternative to wheat flour for baking and pudding dishes, as well as a thickening agent.

Does anyone use it, and how does it compare with corn flour - also gluten free?

[Biscuit]

My mother fairly recently went gluten free. My dad and i have the running joke that she went 'flavour free'. The biggest thing that suffers is the bread, im yet to taste any gluten free bread that isnt utterly pants however with most other stuff, in fairness, the gluten free alternative has been alright.
My girlfriend made some Gluten free buns not so long ago, not sure if it was rice flour she used but they came out very sticky and strange.

I'm away from home at the moment but i will make sure to ask some questions when i get back tonight.

[peterb]

It is a one off - I have found some gluten free recipes, some using rice flour - which I have never used before!

[Infinite]

I've never used it as an alternative but it is quite prevalent in Chinese cooking..

My mother and I have been using sacks of the stuff this past week to make Lor Bak Go which we give to friends and family for Chinese New Year.

Check the rice flour you buy though as there is two different types: Rice Flour and Glutinous Rice Flour, pretty sure you don't want the Glutinous one

[peterb]

I've never used it as an alternative but it is quite prevalent in Chinese cooking..

My mother and I have been using sacks of the stuff this past week to make Lor Bak Go which we give to friends and family for Chinese New Year.

Check the rice flour you buy though as there is two different types: Rice Flour and Glutinous Rice Flour, pretty sure you don't want the Glutinous one

Ah did some research - glutinous rice flour doesn't contain gluten It is 'sticky rice' when it is cooked, but the difference is in the preparation - it seems!

The stuff I bought was this

http://www.dovesfarm.co.uk/biscuits-...e-flour-x-1kg/

which I got from Sainsburys (£1.70)

http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/grocerie...=1391099765983

[scaryjim]

tbh I'd look to cook something that naturally doesn't need gluten, rather than trying to replace real flour with anything else (which simply won't work as well). There's a reason wheat is the staple grain for most of the world Based on your selection I assume you're providing pudding?

[peterb]

tbh I'd look to cook something that naturally doesn't need gluten, rather than trying to replace real flour with anything else (which simply won't work as well). There's a reason wheat is the staple grain for most of the world Based on your selection I assume you're providing pudding?

I am providing pudding - the flour is for a biscuit type base - I could have used gluten free digestive biscuits, but the base recipe I have specifies rice flour. I guess the recipe's authors may have done the substitution for wheat flour - but it will be interesting to see how it turns out!

I use corn flour for thickening some sauces anyway, so i guess rice flour acts in a smiler way. I don't think I'd risk bread making with it - most of the bread recipes I stumbled across had xanthan gum added to it to "stabilise the crumb" which is what gluten does - naturally!

I'll let you know how it turns out!

[scaryjim]

... the flour is for a biscuit type base ...

Fair enough - something that's meant to be crumbly should be OK with a gluten-free flour, it's nice flexible/workable doughs that are difficult.

... I don't think I'd risk bread making with it ...

AFAIK bread is the one thing it's impossible to make "right" without gluten. If you need something bread-like and can't use gluten, make something different You can get away with all sorts of savoury cakes and pancakes in place of actual bread if you need to

I'll let you know how it turns out!

Cool, be good to know - I keep thinking I should cut down my wheat/gluten consumption anyway. Hope it turns out well

[peterb]

The base is from this recipe:

http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipe...esecake-recipe

(GF digestive biscuits would have been less expensive - I am NOT repeat NOT using "dairy-free spread"

The filling will be something else - also "dairy-free spread" free! Double cream features though....

[scaryjim]

Actually, Pure is quite nice for a dairy-free marge, and Vitalite is also incidentally dairy free. Neither is any worse than any other margarine in baking, and both make a decent buttercream icing I doubt butter will improve the recipe that much either - you'd risk it being too rich if you have a butter base as well as a dairy-rich filling...

Looks tasty enough if you have to go gluten free!

[peterb]

Yes, I use Stork for cakes, but butter for the icing! Anyway, the base is done...



Just need to let it cool and put the topping in later tonight to chill overnight (or first thing tomorrow - it isn't complicated - just needs time to chill out

The base is quite sweet (well all that sugar) but the finely chopped seeds give it a good texture and 'nutty' flavour - should complement the lemon flavoured topping quite well.

(In Masterchef terms, should I be adding an 'extra dimension' or 'height' ? I think not! - no tuiles or sugar baskets for me, and not a hint of a coulis!)

[Funkstar]

...and not a hint of a coulis!

Oh go on, you could even do little swooshes across the plate