There are countless gluten free flour blends out there. I have tried a ton of them and I have liked a lot of them for different recipes. I can’t keep tons of them stocked in my pantry all of the time though. So if I had to pick just two, it would be Pillsbury’s gluten free flour blend & Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1 to 1 Baking Flour. They are my favorites for easily substituting one for one with recipes calling for regular wheat flour. They both produce really tasty and good looking results. Both include xanthan gum, which is essential for gluten free baking. You can use this to replace wheat flour in any recipe and it will hold up really well.
A note about Bob’s Red Mill products. They also sell a Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour that is made with garbanzo bean flour. That is NOT the one I use in my recipes. It has a very distinctive flavor and I wouldn’t suggest using it for baking sweet items especially.
What they are good for:
These two brands of gf flour are great for cookies, brownies, cupcakes, quick breads, thickening sauces, coating fried food and anything else you can think of. However, if you want to bake gluten free bread, I would suggest only using the ingredients listed in the recipe you are using. Gluten free bread is tricky to say the least. I haven’t found a “one for one” gluten free flour exchange for any type of wheat bread recipe.
Things to keep in mind:
The rule with gluten free baking is to under bake by a few minutes. If you think it is “almost done” take it out right then. Leave it for a few more moments and it will be dry and crumbly. Always let your gluten free baked goods cool for about 10 minutes before eating or removing them from their baking pan or baking sheet. Remove them right away and you will have a crumbly mess on your hands!