In general, rice flour can be used as a healthier alternative to corn or white flour. While the price of flour isn’t too bad, learning how to make rice flour is actually much cheaper. You don’t have to use any special equipment, so there are no added expenses. Additionally, if you’re following a gluten-free diet, then having your own stockpile of freshly made rice flour can be a true lifesaver and a great way to enjoy some of your favorite recipes again.
How to make rice flour is simple. You can use a Magic Bullet, blender, food processor, or grain mill to prepare this type of flour. To make, all you have to do is pour the white or brown rice into the food processor, blender, or Magic Bullet, add the lid, and grind it on high until the rice has reached a powdery consistency. Make sure you only grind as much rice as you need per recipe. If you plan on freezing any leftover flour, do so in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
Back to the Grind
Making your own rice flour is actually pretty simple. If you want to use the freshest flour possible, then only prepare what you need for a specific meal. The process itself is pretty simple, especially if you have a blender. A blender is powerful enough to grind rice into a fine powder so it can be used for baking. The only real issue is that grinding the rice in a blender can wear the blender’s motor down faster. So, if you plan on regularly grinding your own flour then you may want to consider investing in a higher quality blender, such as the Magic Bullet.
Gluten Contamination
There have been many studies that have shown us the dangers of gluten and these same studies have clued us into what may be causing our digestive upset. But since the whole gluten trend reared its head, many people have found themselves unable to enjoy some of their favorite recipes such as fresh baked cookies, cakes, bread, and pastries. Making your own rice flour means that you can have a hand in controlling the entire cooking process. If you or a family member has a gluten intolerance or celiac disease, then you must be extra careful regarding what you eat. Even foods that are labeled as gluten-free can contain trace amounts of gluten since products that contain gluten are often produced in the same facility. But by making your own bread and other baked goods you can have total control, so you can prevent gluten contamination. Making your own flour is also much cheaper compared to buying it.
The Right Tool for the Job
If you want to make flour just on occasion, then a blender can be the perfect tool. Since the blender can’t handle as much rice as a grain mill can then you’ll need to make your flour in batches. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t use your blender for this job regularly since the grains can wear out the blades and motor over time.
A Magic Bullet or food processor will hold up longer than a traditional blender, but again, they can’t hold as much flour as a grain mill can. (You can compare the Magic Bullet and a larger version of the Ninja Blender here)
Getting Started
Making flour is pretty easy and can be done in a few shorts steps using a blender, food processor, or a grain mill.
To begin, first, measure the amount of rice you want to grind. Depending on the fineness of the grind you may need to use less or more rice to produce the amount of flour you need.
Once you’ve measured the right amount of rice, place it in your food processor, blender, or grain mill.
Allow the food processor or blender to fully process the rice. Keep the setting on high and allow the blades to spin until you see a fine powder.
Storing Flour
Rice contains natural oils that will start breaking down once you have ground it into flour. So, if you plan on grinding a large amount of flour to use regularly, you’ll need to store this type of flour differently than white flour.
The flour should be placed in a freezer-safe, large container with a lid. Freeze any flour that you don’t plan on using right away. The flour should only be removed to thaw out as much as you need for a specific recipe. Avoid continually refreezing and thawing the same flour.
Baking With Rice Flour
Baking with this type of flour can be a real challenge, depending on the recipe. However, it will give you a chance to try out a variety of gluten-free dishes. Since they don’t contain any gluten, this flour handles differently, so it’s definitely a process you’ll need to learn how to manage. Unfortunately, prepackaged gluten-free bread, pastries, and other types of baked goods are actually pretty expensive, so making these baked goods on your own can be a more affordable option.
You can use either white or brown rice flour. Both types vary widely in their nutritional value, taste, and how they bake. These differences will be what influences what type of flour will work the best for each particular recipe.
Brown
Brown rice flour is much heavier compared to other types of alternative flours such as coconut or almond. Its texture is why it’s commonly used in many recipes that call for all-purpose flour since it lends more body to a blend. This type of flour is made out of whole-grain rice so it will have a high fiber content, whereas white rice flour doesn’t contain fiber.
White
White rice flour is much lighter compared to brown. It also won’t have an impact on the flavor of your recipes, so you can bake with white rice flour alone. It also has a much longer shelf life compared to brown. Unfortunately, white rice doesn’t offer the same types of health benefits that brown does, but it does tend to bake better and has a more neutral flavor. To learn more about white rice and its nutritional value, read my article on is jasmine rice healthy?
Baking
When you cook with rice flour, the outcome can be unpredictable. This is a common problem when you switch to any type of gluten-free dish or baked good.
Most gluten-free bakers agree that you’ll get better results if you make small loaves of bread instead of regular-sized loaves. Brown rice flour’s weight is often the biggest drawback. However, you can add other flavors in order to improve its flavor.
When you bake any type of yeast bread, you’ll want to consider adding some ascorbic acid or gluten-free vinegar in order to help the bread rise better. Typically, you’ll need to add a teaspoon of vinegar for every four cups of rice flour you use.
When you bake with rice flour, the moisture content tends to vary. This can easily be compensated by adding liquids or eggs to your recipe. This also applies to stored baked goods that are made with this type of flour. Make sure you store your baked goods in airtight containers, in room temperature conditions.
Any type of dough you make using rice flour will be very sticky, which can make it difficult to handle. Instead of making it by hand, try using a bread machine or standard mixer, which will definitely make the entire process easier on you.
Related Questions
Can I Substitute Rice Flour for All-Purpose Flour?
Yes. However, you may need to use more or less rice flour than what the original recipe calls for. With brown rice flour, you will need to use slightly less, whereas, with white flour, you may need to use a little more. When you use rice flour as a substitute for all-purpose flour, you may need to do a little experimenting to get the desired results.
Can I Use a Rice Cooker to Make Bread Pudding?
This will depend on the type of rice cooker you use. The best Japanese rice cooker, such as the Cuckoo Multifunctional & Programmable electric pressure rice cooker is very versatile, so you can make bread pudding, oatmeal, steamed veggies, stews, and other types of dishes, aside from traditional steamed rice.
What Can I Use to Substitute Rice Flour?
If you’re on a gluten-free diet but you’d prefer not to use rice flour, you can also try using tapioca flour, almond flour, corn flour, or even almond flour.
Final Thoughts
Learning how to make rice flour will allow you to create and experiment with a variety of gluten-free recipes or you can change up your favorite recipes to make them gluten-free. Basically, you’ll now have the freedom to create the foods you love, without the fear of gluten contamination. Remember, both brown and white rice flour each come with their own unique pros and cons. The type of flour you use should be based on your nutritional needs, the type of food you’re preparing, and whether or not you want added nutritional value from the type of flour you use. While brown rice does contain vitamins, minerals, and fiber, it can be more difficult to cook with and does have an impact on flavor.
