Gluten-Free Flour Blend Builder
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Recommended Blend for Sandwich Bread
Brands: Bob's Red Mill, Anthony's
Brands: Bob's Red Mill, Anthony's
Brands: Bob's Red Mill, Anthony's
Binding Agent (per 1 cup of blend)
1 tsp
2 tsp
Bread needs the most binder for rise and crumb structure.
Why This Blend?
Brown rice flour provides structure; tapioca starch adds chew; potato starch keeps the crumb light and moist.
Why blend multiple gluten-free flours?
Single gluten-free flours each have weaknesses. Rice flour alone can be gritty. Almond flour alone makes dense, moist baked goods that don’t hold together well. Tapioca starch alone produces chewy, gluey results. Sorghum flour alone has a noticeable earthy flavor.
Blending compensates for these weaknesses. A typical light all-purpose blend combines rice flour (structure, neutral flavor) with tapioca starch (lightness, chew) and potato starch (tenderness). Adding sorghum at 15–20% improves browning and nutritional value without dominating the flavor.
This is why branded gluten-free all-purpose blends work so well. They’ve already done the blending work. When you need to blend your own (for dietary restrictions, cost, or specific texture targets), the ratios matter.
Base flour (40–60%)
Provides structure and primary flavor. Rice flour, sorghum flour, oat flour, or cassava flour.
Starch (20–40%)
Lightens texture and aids browning. Tapioca starch, potato starch, or arrowroot.
Protein flour (10–20%)
Optional. Improves browning and nutrition. Chickpea flour, teff flour, or quinoa flour.
If you’d rather use a ready-made blend, browse our Flour Database to compare branded blends by protein, density, and best-for applications. For converting a specific recipe, use the Flour Converter.
Gluten-Free Flour Blending Questions
Is making my own blend better than buying a branded one?
Not necessarily better, just different. Branded blends are optimized for versatility and convenience, and they're already properly proportioned. Making your own blend makes sense when you have a dietary restriction that branded blends don't accommodate (nut-free, corn-free), when you need a specific texture for a particular application (high-protein bread blend, ultra-light cake blend), or when the cost of buying a specialty blend regularly is significant.
Can I use a different starch than the one the tool recommends?
Usually yes. Tapioca starch, potato starch, and arrowroot starch are largely interchangeable as blend components in equal amounts. The main differences: tapioca starch produces a slightly chewier result and helps with browning; potato starch produces a lighter, more tender crumb; arrowroot starch is the mildest flavor. For bread, tapioca starch often performs better than arrowroot.
Do I need to add xanthan gum to a homemade blend?
Yes. Unlike branded blends (which almost always contain xanthan gum or guar gum), homemade blends require you to add binding agent separately. The amount depends on your recipe type: typically 1/4 tsp per cup of flour for cookies/cakes, 1/2 tsp per cup for quick breads, and 3/4 tsp per cup for yeast breads. The Flour Converter will calculate the exact amount for your specific flour combination.
Why does the same blend work for cookies but not for bread?
Cookies and bread have very different structural requirements. Cookies need a blend that produces spread and crunch (high starch, lower protein). Bread needs a blend that holds gas and rises (higher protein, less starch). The same light all-purpose blend that makes excellent cookies may produce a bread with no structure. Use the blend builder to select 'bread' as the baked good type to get bread-specific proportions.
See how blend ratios are determined. To convert a recipe using your custom blend, use the Flour Converter.