Yes, rice flour is indeed used for baking.
Rice Flour in Baking: An Overview
Rice flour, which is finely milled rice, is a common ingredient in baking, especially when seeking gluten-free alternatives. Here’s a breakdown of how and why it’s used:
Applications
- Gluten-Free Baking: Rice flour is primarily used in gluten-free baking due to its lack of gluten, making it suitable for individuals with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities.
- Commercial Baking: It also serves as a dusting powder in large-scale commercial baking operations.
Properties and Challenges
- Starch Content: The high starch content in rice flour can be detrimental to its functionality in various food systems, including baking. It's important to understand this when using rice flour.
- Functionality in Baking: While useful, the high starch content means that rice flour doesn't always behave like wheat flour. Bakers often combine it with other flours and starches to get the desired texture in baked goods.
Practical Insights
- Texture: Rice flour can produce a slightly gritty texture in baked goods if used alone.
- Combinations: Bakers often combine it with flours like almond flour, tapioca starch, or potato starch to improve the texture and binding properties.
- Moisture: Because rice flour doesn’t absorb moisture as well as wheat flour, recipes may require additional moisture or binding agents to achieve the desired result.
Examples of Use
- Gluten-Free Cakes: Rice flour can be used in gluten-free cake recipes, often in combination with other gluten-free flours.
- Gluten-Free Breads: It is used to make various gluten-free breads, although it may require additional ingredients for binding.
- Cookies and Pastries: It can be an ingredient in gluten-free cookie and pastry recipes.
- Thickener: Rice flour can be used as a thickener in sauces and gravies, which is not exactly baking, but shows the versatility of this flour.
Key Takeaway
While it has limitations due to its high starch content, rice flour is an invaluable ingredient in gluten-free and commercial baking, and with the proper combinations and techniques, it can produce many desirable baked goods.
