Substitutions

Many of the recipes on this website are amenable to substitutions. It really depends on the recipe. If you make a substitution and you like the results please leave a comment in the comment section so others can try it as well!

Psyllium husk powder or xanthan gum
I prefer to use psyllium husk powder instead of xanthan gum because not only does psyllium yield fantastic results, it is also a dietary fiber, making it a healthy addition to most people’s diets. Some folks are sensitive to gums so this is a good alternative and it may even be good for you! However, if you don’t have psyllium on hand, for most recipes you can substitute xanthan gum with a 1:1 ratio, or even use a little less xanthan gum than psyllium husk powder. Psyllium husk powder is available from many places — I buy mine online from Starwest Botanicals.

Flour Mix

This is the flour mix/blend I use unless otherwise specified. It’s a commonly used blend that results in a light baked good. Also, since two-thirds of the mix is whole grain brown rice flour, it is healthier than a lot of other blends. I recommend making a large batch since it will keep for quite a while.

Large Batch
9 cups (990g) brown rice flour (see note)
3 cups (438g) potato starch
1 1/2 cups 162g) tapioca starch


Medium Batch
4.5 cups (495g) brown rice flour (see note)
1.5 cups (219g) potato starch
3/4 cups (81g) tapioca starch


Small Batch
4 cups (396) brown rice flour (see note)
1 1/3 cups (219g) potato starch
2/3 cup, plus 2 tbsp (81g) tapioca starch

Note:
- Always stir or shake the flours together thoroughly so that they are blended together evenly.
- Tapioca starch and tapioca flour are the same thing.

These flours can be found at health food stores, such as Whole Foods, Sprouts, or New Seasons, or on Amazon.

I recommend using Authentic Foods superfine brown rice flour because it is super finely ground. This gives you a lighter and moister baked good. You can find it on Amazon or here: http://www.authenticfoods.com/products/item/35/Superfine-Brown-Rice-Flour

If you are in a hurry, you can buy regular brown rice flour. If it’s not finely ground, you may want to let your dough rest for a longer period of time before baking to help it hydrate (especially for cookies).

Salt

Bread: Note that bread recipes are very sensitive to the level/percent of salt. I bake with a fine salt which yields more per volume than a coarser salt. Ideally when baking, it is best to use a scale and measure in grams, that way you can get the most consistent results. However, you can certainly measure in volume and get great results as long as you measure consistently.