Chebe Flour Blend- My Two Cents

It's Almost Turkey Day!!

Okay, I know everyone has his or her own blend of flour. They all certainly have their merits. The goal with flour blends is to get the protein level, strength and flexibility of wheat flour. Each kind of flour has good qualities and not-so-good qualities.

Most of my cooking and baking is done for non-sillies. My household “critics” do not like the flavors and textures of most gluten free baked goods. The successes I have had have mostly been with this Chebe flour blend, and recipes that don’t rely on flour for the main structure: things like pumpkin muffins or banana bread.

I do like Better Batter (http://betterbatter.org/), but I typically use it with her recipes, all of which have worked out well for me.

I am a little on the lazy side, so complicated blends each time I bake doesn’t work for me. I also don’t like to run around town looking for different ingredients. This blend has worked well for me in most gluten free recipes I have tried it in—I haven’t done a lot of experimenting with non-GF recipes.

This works well because the Chebe contains the hard-to-find modified tapioca starch- brand name “Expandex” (http://expandexglutenfree.com/), as well as some leavening agents.

Chebe Flour Blend
Plain (not Italian or Cinnamon) Chebe Mix (1) package
Cornstarch 3 Cups
Sorghum, Millet or Teff Flour** 2 ½ Cups

Blend ingredients together, keep in a 1-gallon zip-top bag. I have used this blend in places where “all purpose” flour would typically be used- piecrusts, quick breads, and pancakes. For recipes that require more “gluten” I add Xanthan gum and Modified Corn Starch (Clear Jel), but that requires more liquid in the recipe. If I were using this flour in a gluten-containing recipe for the first time, I would add an egg or egg equivalent for structure.

Keep in mind- with any baking, gluten free or otherwise, the liquid content in a recipe is a guideline. I know that in the winter, the liquid in all my baking recipes goes up- the kitchen air is a lot dryer.

**You can sub any flour with about 4g protein content. Millet flour can have a strong flavor: I would recommend blending it with the sorghum (I use Bob’s Red Mill- I have heard some sorghum flours can be harsh tasting also.)

Happy Baking!