Gluten-Free Naan Recipe with Quinoa Flour - Simply Quinoa (2024)

FAQs

Can I use quinoa flour instead of bread flour? ›

First of all, it's good to know just how versatile quinoa flour is. It creates a soft baked good but is also wonderful for making bread and is a fantastic all-purpose type of flour. Quinoa flour is especially great for baking gluten-free bread because of its protein content.

For instance, when substituting quinoa flour for all-purpose flour, a general guideline is to use a ratio of 1.5 cups of quinoa flour for every 2 cups of all-purpose flour. Because quinoa flour lacks gluten, which contributes to the structure and texture in baked goods, results will vary based on the specific recipe.

I don't love using gums, so I rely on high protein flours like quinoa flour. It helps to provide structure and rise to baked goods, while also adding protein and fiber on the nutrition side of things.

Quinoa Flour

Use this delicate flour when baking. You can substitute this flour for 1/2 of the all-purpose flour in many recipes or completely replace wheat flour in cakes and cookie recipes.

Analyses suggested that starch digestibility was reduced and resistant starch content increased significantly. Taken together, quinoa flour improved dough rheological properties, enhanced the textural properties, and increased resistant starch content in crispy biscuits, thus adding to high nutritional value.

Pour the quinoa into a bowl and allow it to cool. Transfer the quinoa to a high-speed blender and blend until it becomes a fine powder (about 1 minute). Pass the quinoa flour through a fine mesh strainer to remove any large chunks. Store your quinoa flour in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Quinoa is pronounced as “keen-wa”. It is a grain crop grown for its edible seeds, which have high protein content. Quinoa is a little similar to buckwheat. Quinoa flour is made by grinding quinoa grains into finer particles to get flour.

Pros and Cons of Using Quinoa Flour in Baking and Cooking

Quinoa flour offers numerous advantages such as being gluten-free, high in protein, and packed with essential nutrients. However, its distinct nutty taste and dense texture may not be preferred by everyone.

Foods that can lead to bloating include beans, quinoa, carbonated drinks, and some fruits and vegetables. Grains, dairy, and other items can also cause bloating in people with an food intolerance. Bloating may affect up to 13 percent of the general population in the United States.

But because quinoa flour is so bitter, earthy, and grassy, it easily overpowers the other ingredients in a recipe. This is due, in part, to saponin, a toxic glycoside that coats the outer layer of the quinoa seed.

What are the benefits of using quinoa flour? ›

It's rich in vitamins, minerals, plant compounds, and antioxidants. Quinoa is gluten-free, may help lower blood sugar levels, and aid weight loss. If you want to increase the nutrient content of your diet, replacing other grains like rice or wheat with quinoa may be a good start.

Here's a basic method to cook 2 cups of dried quinoa, which will end up making about 4 cups once cooked. In a 2-quart pan or larger (4-quart would be ideal), bring 2.5 cups of water to boil. Add the 2 cups of quinoa and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover the pan and cook for 10-15 minutes.

Quinoa flour can be used as a single-flour replacement for wheat flour in some recipes.

Before you begin cooking, you need to figure out how much cooked quinoa you want to end up with. Quinoa increases three times in size when cooked, so if you want to end up with 3 cups of cooked quinoa, measure out 1 cup of dry quinoa. If you want 2 cups of cooked quinoa, measure out 2/3 cup of dry quinoa, etc.

You can use all-purpose flour as a 1:1 substitute for bread flour and vice-versa. For example, for 1 cup of bread flour, you can use 1 cup of all-purpose flour. Bread and pizza crust made with all-purpose flour may have a little less chew than those made with bread flour, but the results will still be good.

For a basically seamless bread flour substitution, just swap in all-purpose flour 1:1. While your dessert, pizza crust, bread or other yummy project may come out a smidge less chewy, you'll barely notice a difference.

If you're working on a recipe that calls for bread flour and you don't have any on hand, save yourself a trip to the store and a few bucks by using an equal amount of all-purpose flour as a substitute.