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Savory Tweaks: 5 BEST Rice Flour Substitutes in Banneton

Are you having difficulty finding the right ingredient for your bread dough?

Rice flour is a great option for banneton, but there are substitutes available.

In this article, you’ll learn about the five best substitutes for rice flour that work just as well – if not better.

Start perfecting your bread making today.

Why Use Rice Flour in Banneton?

If you are a home baker looking for interesting ideas on how to give that old fashioned twist to your freshly-crafted bread, then using rice flour in banneton is a great way to go.

Not only is this method perplexing and delightful, it also gives the bread an extra boost of taste and texture.

Rice flour provides a layer of crunchiness to the outer crust which makes it ideal for adding special character to your lovely baked goods.

Additionally, rice flour won’t stick as much as other flours when lining the banneton which makes for an easier clean up after baking.

This method can easily be incorporated into any home baking recipe and you will find yourself with an amazing slice of freshly baked goodness that you can enjoy just about any time.

5 Best Rice Flour Substitutes in Banneton

If you’re looking for alternatives to using rice flour in your banneton, there are many other flours that offer similar results.

Flour mixtures that work well with this technique include wheat bran, cornmeal, tapioca starch, wheat germ, etc.

As an added bonus, most of these substitutes are more affordable than rice flour.

Below are the five best substitutes for rice flour in a banneton:

1 – Coconut Flour

Coconut flour is a great substitution for rice flour in bannetons.

It’s made from ground and dried coconut pulp, which is an excellent source of dietary fiber and essential nutrients such as iron and calcium.

Coconut flour has a subtle sweet flavor to it, making it an ideal alternative to rice flour.

The absorbent properties of this ingredient make it an excellent choice for keeping dough hydrated while still allowing a crisp crust on the finished baked good.

When substituting coconut flour for rice flour, you may need to adjust the other ingredients accordingly as coconut absorbs more liquid than rice does.

Start by adding half of the required amount of liquids when using coconut flour, then increase if needed after baking a few test loaves.

2 – Almond Flour

Almond flour is another popular substitute as it is a great gluten-free option.

Almond flour has a dense and moist texture, with a slightly gritty texture, which makes it ideal for bannetons.

It also has some mild nutty flavor that adds to the complexity of the dough.

To use almond flour in place of the traditional rice flour, you will need to increase the amount of water used in your bread making process so that your dough remains workable and not too stiff.

Almond flour should be lightly dusted on the banneton before shaping your dough – just enough so that it forms a nice thin layer of flour on the surface which will help to keep your dough from sticking.

Also, this subtle nutty flavor from almond flour can intensify over time so don’t leave it in for too long as it can overpower your loaf.

3 – Tapioca Flour

Tapioca flour, also known as tapioca starch, is made from the roots of the cassava plant and can be used as a substitute for rice flour in banneton.

Tapioca flour absorbs and holds moisture better than rice flour and this means when using it to dust your bannetons prior to baking, you won’t need to re-dust them between loaves as often.

Additionally, it produces a more consistent crumb.

Due to its higher absorbency level, use less tapioca flour when dusting than you would rice flour and don’t leave any excess on the dough that could dampen and affect the bake.

Tapioca flour does not contain gluten so it cannot be used in bread recipes unless other types of flours are included to provide structure.

4 – Chickpea Flour

Chickpea flour, also commonly known as gram or besan flour—indeed, these may be used interchangeably—is a richly nutritious legume flour that is prepared from ground chickpeas.

It is an especially popular ingredient in many cuisines of Southern Europe and the Middle East.

In fact, the French use this flour for various dishes like pancakes, fritters, and even cake.

This type of flour offers good structure to support breads as the dough proofs in its form.

From a flavor perspective, chickpea flour adds nutty notes to the bread; once cooked, it adds golden hues that make one think of crusty but soft french countryside loaves—and it may be particularly ideal when making vegan-friendly doughs.

Its moisture absorption capabilities are moderate; this means that doughs made with chickpea flour alone may require additional runny mashed potatoes or water to achieve desired hydration levels.

Additionally, because this type of flour is quite high in protein—at around 11% per cup (120 grams)—it can produce slightly tough crusts once baked if too much were added to enhance rise during proofing stages.

5 – Sorghum Flour

Sorghum flour is a whole grain flour that is perfect for adding texture, flavor, and nutrition to your baking.

This gluten-free alternative to wheat flour is made form sorghum grains and has a mild taste and light color.

Its fine texture adds a nice crunch to your crusts or banneton baskets.

Unlike traditional rice flour, sorghum flour boasts an impressive nutritional content and contains more protein than other flours so it can add a significant healthy boost to your recipes.

As with all gluten-free flours, take caution when using it as a complete substitute for wheat flour as its properties are quite different.

Conclusion

Making a delicious handmade loaf is an art form and mastering the technique of a perfect banneton can be tricky.

As you have seen, rice flour has been proven to offer a number of advantages when crafting bread.

However, if rice flour is not available in your area, there are some reliable substitutes that you can use instead.

No matter what you choose to use in place of rice flour for your banneton, make sure it is free of moisture and will not start breaking apart during baking as this could potentially damage the final outcome.

With just a few simple steps and ingredients at hand, you can ensure that every loaf coming out of your kitchen is perfect every single time.

5 Best Rice Flour Substitutes in Banneton

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Substitutes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 – Coconut Flour
  • 2 – Almond Flour
  • 3 – Tapioca Flour
  • 4 – Chickpea Flour
  • 5 – Sorghum Flour

Instructions
 

  • Choose your preferred substitute from the list of options.
  • Organize all of your ingredients.
  • Use the proper substitute to cook your recipes.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!