Quick Answers
King Arthur gluten free flour can generally be substituted cup for cup for wheat flour in recipes, with a few adjustments needed. Gluten free flours don’t contain gluten, so they don’t have the same binding and elastic properties as wheat flour. Here are some quick tips for using King Arthur gluten free flour in place of wheat flour:
- Add an extra egg or two to help bind the batter
- Increase butter or oil to keep baked goods tender and moist
- Add a bit more leavening like baking powder or yeast
- Increase liquids slightly to account for the drier texture of gluten free flours
- Use gums like xanthan or guar gum to mimic the stretchy texture of gluten
- Mix batter well and allow it to rest before baking to hydrate the flours
- Expect a slightly different texture – denser, moister, more crumbly
About King Arthur Gluten Free Flour
King Arthur is a well-known brand of high-quality baking ingredients and mixes. Their gluten free flour blend is purposefully formulated to substitute 1:1 for wheat flour in recipes. It contains a blend of white rice flour, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch. Here are some key features of King Arthur gluten free flour:
- Made with whole grain flours like brown rice flour
- Does not contain corn, soy, or gums/additives
- Has neutral flavor profile good for baking
- Finely milled for smooth, even texture in baked goods
- Does not contain wheat, rye, barley or oats
The balanced starch and protein profile of King Arthur gluten free flour makes it a good multi-purpose flour. While no flour blend mimics the exact properties of wheat, King Arthur works well in a variety of baked goods from breads to cookies, pizza crusts, pancakes, muffins and more. It produces improved texture and rise compared to single ingredient flours.
Substituting Cup for Cup
The best way to substitute King Arthur gluten free flour is with a 1:1 cup for cup replacement for wheat flour. However, several adjustments may be needed to achieve the proper texture, moisture, and rise in recipes.
Start by replacing each cup of wheat flour with 1 cup of King Arthur gluten free flour blend. The amounts can be adjusted from there if needed. Be sure to thoroughly whisk the flour before measuring, as gluten free flours tend to compact and settle.
Here are some tips when substituting cup for cup:
- Liquids: You may need to increase liquids slightly, usually by 1-2 tablespoons per cup of flour. Gluten free flours absorb more moisture.
- Eggs: Adding an extra egg or two provides structure and binding. The lack of gluten means egg protein helps hold baked goods together.
- Fats: Increase butter, oils, or other fats slightly to keep gluten free baked goods tender rather than dry and crumbly.
- Leaveners: Use a bit more leavener like baking powder, baking soda, or yeast to get a good rise from gluten free flours.
- Mixing: Mix batters very thoroughly to fully hydrate the flour. Let batter rest before baking.
- Gums: Add about 1/2 tsp xanthan gum or guar gum per cup of flour to improve elasticity and texture.
- Flavorings: Increase flavors like cinnamon, vanilla, etc since gluten free flours can taste a bit plain on their own.
Expect gluten free baked goods to turn out a bit shorter, denser, and more crumbly than wheat versions. But with some adjustments, you can get pretty close texture-wise. Taste and flavor should be just as good!
Tips for Specific Recipes
Certain recipes require some extra tweaks when using gluten free flour instead of wheat flour. Here are some tips for specific recipes:
Cookies
- Add 1 extra egg for every 3 cups of King Arthur flour
- Increase butter by 2 tbsp per cup of flour
- Add 1/2 tsp xanthan gum per cup of flour
- Chill dough thoroughly before baking for easiest handling
- Bake cookies just until set; they get dry and crumbly if over-baked
Cakes
- Add 2 extra eggs for every 3 cups of flour
- Increase liquids by 3-4 tbsp per cup of flour
- Add 1/2 tsp xanthan gum per cup of flour
- Use cake flour instead of all-purpose wheat flour for a closer texture match
- Bake cakes 5-10 minutes less than recipe states
Quick Breads
- Add 1 extra egg for every 3 cups of flour
- Increase baking powder and soda by 1/2 tsp per cup of flour
- Add 1/4 cup additional liquid per cup of flour
- Reduce oven temperature 25 degrees to prevent over-browning
Yeast Breads
- Proof yeast separately to ensure it activates properly
- Let dough rise twice as long as recipe states
- Add 1 tsp xanthan or guar gum per cup of flour
- Add a bit more yeast than recipe calls for
- Bake at slightly lower temperature, 350 F instead of 375 F
Pizza Crust
- Proof yeast first before adding to dough
- Let dough rise at room temp up to 4 hours for best results
- Use equal parts brown rice flour and tapioca starch
- Add 2 tsp xanthan gum per cup of flour
- Brush crust with olive oil and pre-bake 5 minutes before topping
Example Recipes
Here are some example recipes using King Arthur gluten free flour successfully cup for cup in place of wheat flour:
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups King Arthur gluten free flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and eggs.
- Gradually stir in the flour mixture until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Scoop dough into 1 1/2 tablespoon balls and place on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake 8-10 minutes until lightly browned. Allow to cool on baking sheet 5 minutes before removing to rack. Enjoy!
Gluten Free Banana Bread
Ingredients:
- 2 cups King Arthur gluten free flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 overripe bananas, mashed
- 1/4 cup milk
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5” loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time.
- Add in mashed bananas and milk, stirring until combined.
- Gently fold in the flour mixture just until combined, do not overmix.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove to wire rack. Enjoy!
Gluten Free Pizza Crust
Ingredients:
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups King Arthur gluten free flour
- 1/2 cup tapioca starch
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions:
- In a small bowl, combine the warm water, sugar and yeast. Allow to proof for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, flour, tapioca starch, xanthan gum and salt.
- Add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir to combine into a shaggy dough.
- Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently 3-4 minutes until smooth.
- Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise at room temp 2-4 hours until doubled.
- Punch down dough and divide into two balls. Press each into a 12” round pizza crust.
- Top as desired and bake at 450F 10-12 minutes until crust is golden brown. Enjoy!
Buying and Storing King Arthur Gluten Free Flour
King Arthur gluten free flour can be found in the specialty baking section of many grocery stores. It’s also available online directly from the King Arthur website. Here are some tips for buying and storing it:
- Availability: Sold at well-stocked grocery stores, health food stores, specialty baking stores, and online.
- Packaging: Available in 5 lb bags or 32 oz resealable bags.
- Price: $10-12 per 5 lb bag. More expensive than wheat flour but less costly than many GF blends.
- Storage: Keep bags tightly sealed at room temperature up to 6 months, or freeze up to 1 year.
- Shelf life: Best within 6-8 months of purchase. Check ‘best by’ date on packaging.
- Buying tips: Make sure packaging is intact and not damaged. Check expiration date.
Be sure to closely follow «safe gluten free» practices when using gluten free flour to prevent cross-contamination. Wash all baking tools and equipment thoroughly before using.
Conclusion
King Arthur gluten free flour works quite well substituted cup for cup in place of wheat flour. Some adjustments may be needed to account for differences in texture, moisture and binding, but in general the flour blend performs well in an ample variety of recipes.
Add a bit more moisture, leavener, and binding ingredients like eggs when baking gluten free. Allow for rest time for doughs and batters to fully hydrate. And keep in mind that the end texture will be a bit different than wheat baked goods. With some tweaking and practice, you can use King Arthur flour successfully for gluten free cooking and baking.
