Baking
Rice flour, sorghum and starches appear in gluten-free blends. Bread and cakes may need different formulations.
Compare baking ingredients →THE GLUTEN-FREE CUPBOARD
Flours & grains
Know the grain.
Then follow it into the food.
Compare familiar flours, discover alternatives and recognise the names that deserve a closer look.
Explore the directory
A LITTLE INGREDIENT KNOWLEDGE
What’s in the flour?
Whole grain, flour or starch.
Start with the ingredient underneath.
“Naturally gluten-free” describes the plain ingredient. For flour, check a gluten-free label and how it was milled, packed and prepared. These entries do not approve a particular product.
18 of 18 entries
| Flour or grain | Gluten relationship | Common uses | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat flour Plain flour · all-purpose · bread flour | Contains gluten | Baking · Noodles & pasta · Thickening · Coatings | White and wholemeal wheat flour both contain gluten. |
| Durum & semolina Durum wheat · semola | Contains gluten | Noodles & pasta · Baking | Semolina is commonly milled from durum wheat. |
| Spelt A type of wheat | Contains gluten | Baking · Grain dishes | An alternative to common wheat, but not to gluten. |
| Bulgur & couscous Wheat-based grain products | Contains gluten | Grain dishes | Conventional versions are made from wheat. |
| Barley Pearl barley · barley flour | Contains gluten | Grain dishes · Baking | Pearling does not remove its gluten. |
| Rye Rye grain · rye flour | Contains gluten | Baking · Grain dishes | Found in rye breads and mixed-grain flours. |
| Rice & rice flour White rice · brown rice | Naturally gluten-free | Baking · Noodles & pasta · Coatings · Grain dishes | Check noodle and flour blends for added wheat. |
| Buckwheat Buckwheat flour · groats | Naturally gluten-free | Baking · Noodles & pasta · Grain dishes | Despite its name, it is not wheat. Soba can include wheat. |
| Corn / maize Cornmeal · polenta | Naturally gluten-free | Baking · Coatings · Grain dishes | Check the ingredients in prepared mixes. |
| Corn starch Often called cornflour | Naturally gluten-free | Thickening · Baking · Coatings | Names vary: check which plant the starch comes from. |
| Potato starch Starch extracted from potato | Naturally gluten-free | Thickening · Baking · Coatings | Different from whole-potato flour in a recipe. |
| Tapioca Tapioca starch · tapioca flour | Naturally gluten-free | Thickening · Baking | A cassava-derived starch, often used in flour blends. |
| Chickpea flour Gram flour · besan | Naturally gluten-free | Baking · Coatings | Made from pulses; check other ingredients in a mix. |
| Quinoa Quinoa grain · quinoa flour | Naturally gluten-free | Grain dishes · Baking | Available as whole seeds and milled flour. |
| Sorghum Jowar | Naturally gluten-free | Baking · Grain dishes | A grain also used in gluten-free flour blends. |
| Millet Millet grain · millet flour | Naturally gluten-free | Baking · Grain dishes | Check packaged grain and flour mixtures. |
| Oats & oat flour Rolled oats · oatmeal | Check the product | Baking · Grain dishes | Country rules and individual suitability matter. Read the oats note below.About oats ↓ |
| Flour blends Baking mix · multigrain mix | Check the product | Baking · Noodles & pasta · Coatings | The full ingredient list and gluten-free claim matter, not the blend name. |
START WITH WHAT YOU’RE MAKING
An alternative for the job.
A flour that works in a sauce may behave differently in bread. Use a recipe designed for the ingredient or follow the flour blend’s instructions; substitutions are not automatically one-for-one.
Noodles & pasta
Explore rice and buckwheat. Check the entire noodle recipe: a buckwheat name does not rule out added wheat.
Explore noodle ingredients →Sauces & thickening
Corn starch, potato starch and tapioca are options to investigate. Match the starch to the recipe and check the packet.
Compare starches →Batters & coatings
Rice flour, maize and chickpea flour offer starting points. A different coating still needs a check of the frying oil.
Explore coating ingredients →THE NAME IS A CLUE
Not every packet says “wheat”.
Names connected to wheat
Durum, semolina, spelt, bulgur and conventional couscous belong on your wheat checklist. An “ancient grain” description does not mean gluten-free.
See gluten-containing entries →Names that can mislead
Buckwheat is naturally gluten-free, but buckwheat noodles may be a mixture. Cornflour is a name to verify on the ingredient list, rather than relying on the front of the pack.
Find country-specific label guidance →FROM THE MILL TO THE KITCHEN
Three useful checks.
01 / The packet
Look for the gluten-free claim and read the full blend. Check your other allergies too: gluten-free does not mean free from every allergen.
02 / Milling & storage
Shared mills, scoops and open flour containers can introduce other grains. A naturally gluten-free plant does not settle the product question.
03 / Preparation
Ask about flour on worktops, shared pasta water, utensils and frying oil. Check the sauce and seasoning as well as the flour.
FOLLOW IT TO THE PLATE
Spot the connection.
Examples to investigate,
not gluten-free recommendations.
JAPAN · COATING
Explore Japan →Tempura ↗
Batter → wheat flour in the referenced recipe.
ITALY · PASTA
Explore Italy →Lasagne ↗
Pasta sheets → durum wheat in the product example.
The soba question.
Buckwheat can share the dough with wheat. Ask about the flour mixture, cooking water and dipping sauce.
Explore buckwheat →Open Japan’s gluten page →Keep following the ingredient.
Back to the gluten ingredient directory →