Are you switching to a gluten-free diet or trying to cook for a friend or family member who eats gluten-free? While it may feel like you have to toss out your entire recipe book and start from scratch, you can easily learn how to convert a recipe to gluten-free from your tried and true recipes. Convert holiday classics and favorite baked treats to gluten-free with this easy swap.
Gluten-free Flour Substitutes
One of the easiest swaps that I’m sure you’ve already read about is cup-for-cup or measure-for-measure flour. And like the name implies, you can substitute it in for all-purpose flour in just about any recipe to convert the recipe to gluten-free. There’s just one problem…it’s so very bland! Most cup-for-cup flours contain white rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, and other very bland flavored ingredients. While these gluten-free substitutes make the right texture, they fall short in the flavor department.
Why Buckwheat?
Despite its name, buckwheat does not contain any wheat or gluten. Similar to quinoa and amaranth, it is a pseudocereal with grain-like seeds that can be ground into a flour. Buckwheat also contains a high mineral and antioxidant content and is lower on the glycemic index which makes it healthier than consuming the straight starch of cup-for-cup flour. Buckwheat also is lower in phytic acid which means the minerals are absorbed by our bodies better. Nutrients aside, buckwheat also has a delicious flavor!
Hulled vs. Unhulled
Buckwheat groats come in two forms–hulled and unhulled. If you have had buckwheat pancakes before, then you are likely familiar with unhulled buckwheat. It’s a gray color (due to the black hulls), has a nutty flavor, and a slightly gritty texture. This flour is commonly found at grocery stores pre-ground, and will work in converting some recipes if you are unable to source hulled buckwheat groats. However, the best flour for stealthily converting your favorite recipes to gluten-free is hulled buckwheat flour.
Sadly, I have yet to find hulled buckwheat pre-ground in a store or online. But it can easily be ground at home to make a white fluffy flour that will add that “wheat” flavor back into your baked goods without the gluten. Hulled groats have the black outer shell of the buckwheat removed which lends itself to a softer flour. Hulled groats are readily available in bulk food bins at some grocery stores and even on Amazon!
Equipment
In order to grind your own hulled buckwheat at home you’ll need one of the following kitchen appliances. I bet you have at least one of them stashed away!
- Grain mill
- The ideal tool. Set to about medium-fine for an all-purpose flour texture
- Kitchenaid Grain Mill Attachment
- Follow instructions in the manual for medium-fine flour.
- High-powered blender (like a Vitamix or Blendtec)
- Take about 2 1/2 cups of whole grain and blend on high speed for 1 minute, using the tamper if necessary.
- (Clean) Coffee Grinder
- Will probably need to run through twice to get it fine enough.
- Food Processor
- Will probably need to run it through twice to get it fine enough.
About 1 cup of groats will turn into 1 ¼ cup freshly milled buckwheat flour. It’s light and fluffy when first milled. If left in a container for a while it will settle.
Gluten-Free Conversion Ingredients
- Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour –or–
- Cup4cup Gluten-free Flour –or–
- King Arthur Measure-for-Measure Gluten-free Flour –and–
- Hulled buckwheat groats ground into flour
Magic Gluten-Free Ratio
50:50 is the magic ratio of cup-for-cup flour to hulled buckwheat flour in all your baked good recipes! If your recipe calls for 1 cup of all-purpose flour? Replace it with ½ cup hulled buckwheat flour and ½ cup cup-4-cup flour. Then make the rest of the recipe like you always have. Easy peasy!
I have found that this 50:50 ratio works in all my favorite recipes for cookies, quick bread, pancakes, cake, and southern biscuits. Has even worked as breading for fried chicken! Craving pizza? Check out our thin and crispy gluten-free pizza crust recipe for your next pizza night. It’ll be on the table in less than 30 minutes!
Want to see how to convert a recipe to gluten-free in action? Check out this video:
