Baking 101: How Can I Include Healthier Flours in My Organic Baking Without Sacrificing Flavor?

There are a wide variety of eclectic flours on the market today. From oat flour, to buckwheat, amaranth, and whole wheat, each has its health benefits. You can take your baking to the next level by learning when and where to include nutrient dense flours in your recipes. It can be confusing to know when to use all the different varieties, depending on their different characteristics.

My current favorite cookbook is Super Natural Cooking, by Heidi Swanson. One of the reasons why I love it so much is because in the beginning of the book, she outlines how to stock your pantry with healthy staples. She includes healthy flours in the pantry rundown. The more I cook, the more I realize the importance of incorporating healthier flours rather than just white flour.

Some flours may need to be combined with other flours to get the same end result because they may not rise on their own. But even still, it's much better than just a white flour, which is processed and doesn't have nutrients, protein, or fiber. If you do use white flour, make sure that you use the unbleached organic variety, which is way better for you and the planet.

Get your flours from the bin aisle of your health foods store and use reusable bags to reduce waste. Learning to bake at home allows you to save money and control your ingredients, so why not get baking?

Keep reading to learn about some eclectic organic flours and how to use them in recipes.

White Whole Wheat Flour

White whole wheat flour is a great transition into nutrient dense flours because it's light. It's even lighter than whole wheat flour and it doesn't take too much adjustment to include it in recipes. It's light enough to be a good substitute to any white flour but it has more flavor. It has more fiber and protein than all purpose white flour and pastry flour.

Amaranth Flour

Amaranth flour is great for vegetarians because it's high in protein. It's also great for those abiding by a gluten free diet because it doesn't have any wheat gluten. The flour is loaded with iron, magnesium, calcium, and fiber. It comes from none other than the amaranth grain itself. For normal recipes it needs to be combined with a rising flour like white or whole wheat to make recipes like pancakes and bread because if not, your recipes will turn out dense and heavy. Start off by using about 1/4 cup in your recipes and then adjust according to your tastes. Use in pancakes, biscuits, bread, and cookies by combining with all purpose flour or pastry flour.

Oat Flour

Oat flour is made from ground oats and, like amaranth flour, it has no gluten and will not rise when used by itself. Oat flour has B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, zinc, and calcium. It makes your muffins, cookies, and bread hearty and moist. You can use it in recipes by substituting about 25 percent oat flour and combining with pastry flour or all purpose flour.

Buckwheat Flour

Buckwheat flour is a key ingredient in soba noodles and in some of my favorite pancake recipes. It's loaded with nutrients like protein, calcium, phosphorus, and iron. If you have a wheat allergy, this is a great flour to try. Use 25 percent in baking recipes and then pair with a flour that rises like all purpose flour or pastry flour. It's great in crepes and pasta and its flavor pairs well with honey, ginger, and tart fruits.