DIY- How to Make Rice Flour

Rice flour is one of the foundation ingredients in gluten-free baking, but it's something I don't keep in my pantry. 

I recently came across an interesting recipe that called for a single cup of superfine rice flour. I could have substituted with cake flour (which I do have in my pantry ;-) but I really wanted to keep the recipe authentic at it's base level. 

Instead of driving 52 miles to buy a spendy 24oz. bag of Bob's Red Mill (yielding nearly 6 cups of rice flour that I might never use up), I decided to search the internet to see if it was feasible to make (copycat) the same rice flour myself... and it was!

Here's my easy (somewhat improved ;-) adaptation from Susan of India.

Tools needed:

• Blender
• Fine-mesh Strainer
• Paper towels
• Large Skillet
• Heat-resistant Spatula
• Sifter

Ingredients:

• White Basmati Rice- Raw (not instant rice)
• Water

Every cup of raw rice will yield almost 1 1/4 cups of sifted Rice Flour.

Step 1:  Rinse the rice thoroughly under cold running water. Drain briefly.  Put the rice into a bowl and cover with cold water. Soak for 3 (minimum) to 6 (maximum) hours.

Step 2:  Drain the rice in a fine-mesh strainer for 10-15 minutes.  Spread the rice out on a triple layer of paper towels to dry for an hour or so.  The rice should be just slightly damp... not wet.

Step 3:  Use your blender to grind the rice in 1/2 cup increments. Begin with the pulse setting, allowing the rice to settle in between 3 second pulses. When the rice has broken down into small granules, blend on high until the texture is powder-fine. Repeat this process until all the rice has been finely ground.

Step 4:  Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Working in 1 cup increments, add the rice flour to the pan. Stir constantly until all of the steam has evaporated.  Continue cooking for a couple more minutes.

Note: The resulting rice flour should be snow white.  If it begins to brown, immediately lift the pan up and lower the heat.

Test for doneness (dryness) by taking a pinch between your fingers. Properly dried flour will not stick together.

Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Step 5:  Sift the rice flour.  Return any residual "clumps" back into your blender for reprocessing, then sift again. 

Store refrigerated in an airtight container... or get cookin'... because now you have rice flour for that special recipe you've always wanted to try.  

Thanks for stopping by!