What types of flours do you use? Why?

Seraph

Mon, Oct 29 2012, 4:06 pm

Stam curious if people use standard white flour, whole wheat, spelt, or more alternative flours, like chickpea, teff, almond, etc...

So, what types of flours do you generally have in your house and cook with? Why?

If you use things other than white flour, is it because:
A) You're trying to go low carb
B) You have food sensitivities/allergies
C) You don't think gluten is healthy
D) You try to use whole wheat because its healthier
E) You try to mix and match and use all sorts of alternative grains so your diet is more varied nutritionally
F) You like foods from all different cultures/exotic foods, and use alternative flours for those types of things

Something else...

September June

Mon, Oct 29 2012, 4:10 pm

I sometimes mix in whole wheat because it's supposed to be healthier. Doesn't taste so good, so I don't do too often.
I grind rice into rice flour and mix it into ground meat. Does that count as an alternative flour?

Seraph

Mon, Oct 29 2012, 4:11 pm

As for my answer-

Because we're gluten free, I use:
White rice flour, brown rice flour, millet flour, teff flour, buckwheat flour, chickpea flour, and mung bean flour.

I also like cooking exotic dishes, and use these flours to make those.

Seraph

Mon, Oct 29 2012, 4:12 pm

September June wrote:

Guess so. Just curious- do you grind it fine, and if so, how? Grain grinder? Coffee grinder? Food processor?

mandksima

Mon, Oct 29 2012, 4:46 pm

For me - only almond, coconut and tapioca flour. I used other ground nuts and seeds as well, like flax and sunflower. I've used the other flours you mentioned but not now as I am grain free as well as gluten free for health reasons. I still have regular and whole wheat flour in the house for the rest of the family.

September June

Mon, Oct 29 2012, 4:53 pm

Seraph wrote:

September June wrote:

Guess so. Just curious- do you grind it fine, and if so, how? Grain grinder? Coffee grinder? Food processor?

I grind it fine with a coffee grinder. Food processor doesn't work.

etky

Mon, Oct 29 2012, 5:09 pm

I use lots of different flours though - I am slightly reluctant to admit - not at all for health reasons (other than the 70% WW flour).
I use all purpose for general baking, cake flour for some cakes, self-rising for those Israeli recipes that call for it, high gluten bread flour for most breads, 70% WW for some breads, semolina flour for pizza dough. Then of course there is cornmeal and cornstarch and almond meal for certain uses but I don't think they count as true flours.

5S5Sr7z3

Mon, Oct 29 2012, 6:10 pm

I generally use either white or whole wheat flour for cooking/baking, and I use rye flour for making my own bread.

piegirl

Mon, Oct 29 2012, 6:40 pm

September June wrote:

Seraph wrote:

September June wrote:

Guess so. Just curious- do you grind it fine, and if so, how? Grain grinder? Coffee grinder? Food processor?

I grind it fine with a coffee grinder. Food processor doesn't work.

you know you can buy rice flour in america, right?
I think goya makes. also, any sfardi store in brooklyn sells.

zaq

Mon, Oct 29 2012, 6:52 pm

Whole wheat for the superior nutrition. White whole wheat when I can get it so as not to give the game away to people who are unreasonably prejudiced against whole wheat.
Soy as an egg substitute for allergic/low cholesterol diets
High-gluten for challah (that's my ds, actually. I see no difference between hi-gluten challah and challah made from all-purpose flour.)
Unbleached all-purpose because whole wheat is so darned costly I'll go broke using whole wheat all the time.
I also add ground flaxseed to some things for the heart-health benefits. I buy whole flaxseed and grind a few ounces at a time in the blender. It keeps better when kept whole, which is why I don't buy it already ground.

StrongIma

Tue, Oct 30 2012, 3:44 am

E: I buy whole-rye flour instead of WW to make pancakes, homemade fish patties, etc. since it costs about the same and this way we have an alternative in our diet.

Last edited by StrongIma on Tue, Oct 30 2012, 4:01 am; edited 1 time in total

fiddle

Tue, Oct 30 2012, 3:55 am

I buy the rubinfeld 70% meshubach flour, pre sifted.

my son cant eat white flour, and our house is only whole grains, and this is the best flour ive used, works the best with every recipe and makes baking/cooking with whole wheat a blessing.

evie

Tue, Oct 30 2012, 4:22 am

We have a gluten free home. I don't use flour much at all, but I do use potato flour sometimes to make brownies. I'm searching for an *excellent* gluten free oat flour bread recipe for challah, but for now, we skip it.

chocolate moose

Tue, Oct 30 2012, 9:02 am

D and E

I keep white whole wheat in the house as well as spelt. We use mostly plain white, though.

de_goldy

Tue, Oct 30 2012, 1:20 pm

whole spelt.
I've tried whole wheat but I prefer the taste of spelt and we all feel better after spelt too.

Soul on fire

Tue, Oct 30 2012, 1:31 pm

to make challah I buy unbleached white...but I also have several other things in my pantry depending on the recipe. I have whole wheat pastry, oat and corn right now.

mummiedearest

Tue, Oct 30 2012, 2:35 pm

almond flour- I can't have grains for medical reasons. I make challah for everyone else in the house using wheat flour, preferably unbleached.