If you're gluten-intolerant, gluten-free or anywhere along the spectrum, you know that baking with gluten-free flours is a true science. Many people mix their own with combinations of coconut flour, brown rice flour, tapioca flour and others to acquire the perfect taste and consistency. More and more companies are coming out with their own commercial blends, but now one of California's famed restaurants has their own version.
When customers started requesting gluten-free versions of Thomas Keller's specialties at his various restaurants, it was time to look towards a gluten-free flour that didn't compromise the quality, consistency, or taste. And so, Cup4Cup (C4C) was born: a blend of white and brown rice flour, tapioca flour and potatoes, with potato starch and a few other minor ingredients. Keller's looking to use it in his pastries and cakes and according to Florence Fabricant of The New York Times , pound cakes, pie crust, and chocolate cake's turned out beautifully.
• So if you're beginning to experiment with gluten-free flours but aren't quite ready to mix your own, this could be a good option. You can find it at Williams-Sonoma and at Bouchon later this month.
Do you have a favorite brand of gluten-free flour?
Related: Coconut Flour: Is This the Best Gluten-Free Flour?
(Image: David Silver via flickr and Dan Neville of The New York Times)
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Comments (11)
Can't wait to try this even though it's crazy expensive. I'm not a confident baker so having to combine flours, add xanthan gum, etc is not appealing. Would love to hear comments if anyone has tried this!
While I appreciate the attempt at a good gluten-free flour mix, the name is misleading. There is no such thing as a "cup for cup" equivalent in gluten-free baking. It might work for some recipes, but on the whole gluten-free flours just act differently. For cookies and muffins, it is entirely possible that this will work well, but don't bother trying a "cup for cup" equivalent when working with breads or any other yeasted recipes. On top of that, this stuff is ridiculously expensive!
I can't say I'll be running out to drop 20 bucks on a baggie of gluten free flour, but as soon as reviews started rolling in for this stuff I wholeheartedly recommended it to my gluten free friends.
Most I know are not avid bakers but still crave a cupcake or muffin now and then and would like it a little easier (and tastier) than the options available without extensive research.
Really?? $20 for three pounds of flour?? I know GF products are more expensive, but that's insane. I'll stick with Bob's Red Mill.
I thought I read that it has milk powder in it. So count those of us with a dairy intolerance out as well!
Agree with previous posters -- for something that doesn't even purport to be organic, it's awfully expensive. One can do much better following Shauna Ahern's advice for how to make your own blend, then hitting up the bulk bins at your local health food store.
the price is outrageous.
@Mssassybaskets - this flour doesn't work at all for bread or yeasted things. Flour is too fine to hold up. Thomas Keller's group is working on a Cup4Cup that is specifically for bread and pizza.
It's definitely finer than Bob's GF mix. Maybe all the rice flour?
Forget Shauna Ahern- if you want great recipes that work and tons of awesome gluten-free baking advice + speedy, knowledgeable responses to your gluten-free baking questions, try Elizabeth Barbone (http://www.seriouseats.com/user/profile/elizabeth.barbone). Her recipes are the most consistent and delicious, and she's definitely become my go-to person for gluten-free baking! I recommend her to everyone.
If I were gluten intolerant, it would be too expensive and I wouldn't mind buying and storing 4-5 things to make my own blend. But since I am not gluten intolerant, it makes perfect sense to me to buy a bag for when I entertain the one GF friend i know, or bake a batch of cookies for the husbands office where his boss is GF.
@Mssassybaskets It actually *does* work as a cup-for-cup swap-out. They tested and tested and tested, and the ratios of flours and other products do allow this to be a really great direct swap. I have been using it for a week now, and can't believe how great it is -- pie crust, bread, biscuits, fried chicken, and even pasta. I was really skeptical until I tried it. It's pretty f-ing amazing.