Nonwheat Flours Category

Nonwheat Flours
bajri flour, kurakkan
bajri flour
Poor farmers in India and Pakistan use this millet flour to make bread and griddle cakes. It's gluten-free. Look for it in India markets.
Learn more
barley flour
barley flour
other nonwheat flour Notes: To see how to substitute other flours for wheat flours when making yeast breads, see the listing under all-purpose flour.
Learn more
blue atole flour
blue atole flour
This is blue cornmeal that's been roasted. It's cooked and served for breakfast much like oatmeal.
Learn more
buckwheat flour
buckwheat flour
This is a low-gluten gray flour that's great in pancakes and pastas. To see how to substitute other flours for wheat flours when making yeast breads, see the listing under all-purpose flour
Learn more
cassava flour, casabe, farinha de mandioca, manioc flour
cassava flour
Brazilians use this as a thickener for stews. Look for it in Hispanic markets.
Learn more
chapati flour, atta, chapatti flour, chappati flour
chapati flour
This is a blend of wheat and malted barley flours used to make chapatis. Look for it in Indian markets.
Learn more
chickpea flour, besan, chana flour, cici flour, garbanzo bean flour, gram flour
chickpea flour
Look for this in Indian markets or health food stores.
Learn more
corn flour
corn flour
To see how to substitute other flours for wheat flours when making yeast breads, see the listing under all-purpose flour.
Learn more
cornmeal, blue cornmeal, mealie meal, stone-ground cornmeal
cornmeal
Cornmeal comes in different colors: white, yellow, and blue. Yellow cornmeal has more beta carotene than the others, while blue cornmeal has more protein and turns baked goods purple. Larger supermarkets also carry stone-ground cornmeal = water-ground cornmeal, which is more tasty and nutritious than regular cornmeal, but doesn't keep as long. See also self-rising cornmeal.
Learn more
dal flour, besan flour, legume flour, mung dal flour, urad dal flour
dal flour
This is flour ground from Indian legumes. Varieties include besan flour (made from channa dal), urad dal flour, and mung dal flour.
Learn more
dhokra flour, dhokla flour, dokla flour, dokra flour
dhokra flour
This Indian flour is made from a blend of rice, urad dal, and chickpeas. It's used to make cakes that look like squares of cornbread, which Indians steam and garnish with grated coconut, tamarind sauces, and other seasonings.
Learn more
gari
gari
This Nigerian flour is made from cassavas that have been fermented, roasted, and ground. Look for it in African markets.
Learn more
gluten-free flours
gluten-free flours
Gluten is what makes wheat-based bread dough so sticky and elastic. This helps the dough hold in the air bubbles created by the yeast so that it will rise and eventually bake into a fluffy, porous loaf. If you're gluten-intolerant, though, you'll need to use gluten-free flour, along with an arsenal of ingredients to make it behave like it has gluten.
Learn more
kamut flour
kamut flour
Kamut flour is tolerated by many people with wheat allergies and is a good substitute for wheat when making bread and pasta, especially if it's combined with other flours (e.g., spelt flour).
Learn more
masa harina
masa harina
This is flour made from hominy, and it's used to make corn tortillas and tamales. Look for it in large supermarkets or Hispanic markets. It's made with either yellow or white corn; harinilla is made with blue corn.
Learn more
millet flour
millet flour
To see how to substitute other flours for wheat flours when making yeast breads, see the listing under all-purpose flour.
Learn more
mung dal flour
mung dal flour
Indian cooks use this to make breads and dumplings.
Learn more
oat flour
oat flour
To see how to substitute other flours for wheat flours when making yeast breads, see the listing under all-purpose flour.
Learn more
plantain flour, fufu flour
plantain flour
Nigerians make fufu out of this.
Learn more
pumpernickel flour, dark rye meal flour
pumpernickel flour
This flour is made from the whole rye grain, including the bran.
Learn more
rice bran
rice bran
This is very rich in fiber.
Learn more
rice flour, brown rice flour, white rice flour
rice flour
To see how to substitute other flours for wheat flours, see the listing under all-purpose flour.
Learn more
rye flour, dark rye flour, light rye flour, medium rye flour
rye flour
includes medium rye flour and heartier dark rye flour. To see how to substitute other flours for wheat flours when making yeast breads, see the listing under all-purpose flour.
Learn more
sorghum flour, cholam flour, jowar flour, jowari flour, juwar flour
sorghum flour
This is widely used in India and Africa, especially by poor farmers who can't afford wheat flour. It's somewhat bland but very nutritious and gluten-free. You can sometimes find it in health foods stores, but you can get it for less in an Indian market.
Learn more
soy flour
soy flour
To see how to substitute other flours for wheat flours when making yeast breads, see the listing under all-purpose flour.
Learn more
soya flour, soya powder
soya flour
To see how to substitute other flours for wheat flours when making yeast breads, see the listing under all-purpose flour.
Learn more
spelt flour
spelt flour
Spelt flour contains gluten, but it's tolerated by many people with gluten allergies. If making bread with spelt flour, don't knead it for as long as you would a wheat bread--its gluten isn't as durable as that in wheat. Freeze any spelt flour that you're not planning to use right away.
Learn more
urad dal flour
This is made from urad dal, a type of Indian lentil. The flour is used to make pappadums and breads.
Learn more