If you're anything like me, whole-wheat flour has been in your pantry for quite some time. But so often, baked goods made with the popular flour can be clunky and heavy -- begging for a different approach.
I buy most of my flour in bulk so I can experiment with different kinds, often creating my own blends or combinations. But there are three flours that I continue to reach for, over and over, because they turn out beautiful baked goods and are easy to substitute for other flours in most recipes. So today I'd like to introduce you to my three favorite whole-grain flours:
1) Barley Flour I'm very fond of barley flour. It's probably the flour I reach for the most, actually. It has a really wonderful soft texture and an almost creamy sense about it, making it perfect for morning pastries like scones, biscuits or muffins. It works best paired with another flour, so I'll often substitute half the amount of all-purpose or whole-wheat flour in a recipe for barley flour.
Try a Recipe: Buttermilk Barley Biscuits - Lottie and Doof
2) Spelt Flour Spelt flour is a wonderful, mild whole-grain flour; if you're interested in whole-grain baking, you need spelt flour around. Kim Boyce, author of the cookbook Good to the Grain, says of spelt flour: "If you were going to pick one whole-grain flour to start baking with, spelt flour, with its mild, sweet nature would be the one." Unlike some whole-grain flours, you can substitute it directly for whole-wheat or all-purpose flour in most recipes. Baked goods will have a subtle, soft crumb that you just couldn't achieve with whole-wheat flour.
Try a Recipe: Spelt and Carrot Ginger Cupcakes - Turntable Kitchen
4) Oat Flour Oat flour is delicate and light, but strong enough to hold up to fruits, chocolate and nut mix-ins. This is another flour where I substitute half of all-purpose or whole-wheat flour as oat flour really does need the strength of gluten from another flour to create baked goods that firmly hold together; it can become a bit mushy (and occasionally disastrous) when used on its own.
Try a Recipe: Multigrain Waffles - 101 Cookbooks
(Image: Emma Christensen)
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I would add Teff flour to this list. I made some teff baguettes at a workshop and they tasted even better than wheat flour baguettes.
I use spelt flour (the wholegrain and the white spelt varieties). They are a great substitute for wheat flour. Although it is from the same family of grains as wheat and has gluten it is a great alternative to wheat for anyone who can tolerate spelt. I like buckwheat as well but you need to mix it with other flours as it's flavour takes a bit of getting used to.
I love Spelt... acts very much like white flour but nuttier, yummier and way better for you. I make awesome crepes with it: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2010/02/crepe-escape.html
I replace half the flour in my waffle recipe with rolled oats (1.25 cups oats for 1 cup flour). The result is very light and not at all "whole grain" in the stereotype hearty/heavy sense.
I love different kinds of flours. I've got so many in my cupboard it's bursting at the seams. Semolina, barley, tapioca, chickpea, urad, masa harina...
I make flatbreads with toasted barley flour and sesame seeds - loosely based on a Tibetan recipe.
Oh, buckwheat as well, especially for crepes!
Spelt, in almost everything.
I use oat flour all the time in baked goods. I make it from rolled oats in my food processor. My kids love it! I agree with the statement that mixing it with ww flour or unbleached flour is best so there is some gluten present.
I love spelt flour too, but I haven't found a supplier for bulk quantities.
Spelt flour is the bomb! I love that stuff. Buckwheat is also wonderful, but you can't use it straight, you have to cut it with AP (or you can cut it with spelt, too). If you use a lot of buckwheat it just gets too bitter/strong-tasting.