The question inevitably comes up if you are eating (or serving) gluten-free: what can I use to thicken gravy or sauce or stew…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most recipes call for flour as a thickening agent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But gluten-free flour does NOT always work well (in my experience)…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The reason it does not work well is because a) most gf flours are a mix of many grains..and b) because the taste will be off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gluten-free flours tend to be a mixture of several different grains – rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, millet flour, and more. In some cases, gluten-free flour mixes may contain xanthan gum…which has some properties that make it similar to gluten and help give more rise in baking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Together these different grain flours are combined to create a flavor profile that works for cookies, pancakes, or bread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But in order to get rise, loft, or thickening, most gluten-free recipes will call for you to use additional ingredients – like baking soda or eggs or cornstarch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The combined flours by themselves do not work very well for thickening though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My favorite of the thickening agents is to use corn starch. It’s easy to find and is gluten free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All it takes is about one teaspoon per cup of liquid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, always start with just a little. You can add more as you need it (just like if you were making gravy with regular flour). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Generally, the rule is that you need half as much cornstarch as regular flour. So if your recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of flour…then all you need is one tablespoon of corn starch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The reason cornstarch makes a good thickener is because it is starchy and has a very mild taste compared to the other starches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Corn starch will not begin to thicken until it reaches just over 200 degrees F.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n So be sure to get the roux or gravy or whatever you are making to that temperature…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once it gets over 200F, it will start to thicken quickly!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do not over mix…once the gravy thickens to the consistency you want, stop mixing it or it will begin to un-thicken \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use 1 (one ) Tablespoon of cornstarch per 1 (one) cup of liquid. If that seems like too much for what you are making, then start with less…you can add more later!<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you need to thicken icing or frosting, then mix cornstarch in with a little cold water and your other ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Besides cornstarch there are also some other good gluten-free flours to use as thickeners:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Technically, those listed above are gluten-free flours…but by themselves, they do not work well to make baked goods! That’s why most of the mainstream gluten free flours now are mixes – combinations of many gf flours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But individually they work for thickening a sauce!<\/p>\n\n\n\n And corn starch is ideal because it works well and is relatively mild in taste.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The question inevitably comes up if you are eating (or serving) gluten-free: what can I use to thicken gravy or sauce or stew… Most recipes call for flour as a thickening agent. But gluten-free flour does NOT always work well (in my experience)… The reason it does not work well is because a) most gf […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1129,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[44,41],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Other Gluten-Free Flours Can Be Used?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n