Yes, cassava flour can replace all-purpose flour.
One of the most versatile flour, which has a wide range of applications, is all-purpose flour. It is no surprise that it can be found in almost every home.
All-purpose flour is suitable for different kinds of baked foods: bread, pizza, cookies, doughnuts, and can even thicken sauces and gravies.
However, many times, when the trusty all-purpose flour run’s out, many seek out the next best option in their pantry. In which case, Cassava flour comes in handy.
In recent times, cassava flour has become a fashionable grain-free flour. It is ideal for baking because it contains fibers that help give consistency to specific preparations.
To know if cassava flour can replace all-purpose flour, we must consider its properties and applications.
Below is a brief overview of cassava flour and all-purpose flour.
What is All-Purpose and Cassava Flour
1. All-purpose
All-purpose flour can also be called plain flour and is often a major ingredient. It is milled from red wheat, and it could also be milled from the mixture of hard wheat and soft wheat.
Just like the name suggests, this flour can be used to make a variety of baked foods. The all-purpose flour is rich in vitamins and minerals and comes in two different types: bleached or unbleached.
All kinds of flours contain a certain amount of gluten which are natural proteins within them. It is this gluten that gives structure to bread and other bakery products made from flour.
Gluten develops when water or any other liquid is mixed with flour. There are both strong and weak flours depending on the presence of hard and soft proteins. When flour is used with low-protein wheat, it produces smaller amounts of gluten.
Why Is It Called All-Purpose Flour
All-purpose flour does not have a high or low gluten content. Due to its medium-range of gluten is considered suitable for making various bread and bakery products.
It can make cakes, pastries, and bread of all kinds. All-purpose flour generally has 12% gluten content.
White And Powdery
All-purpose flour is white because it is super refined even after removing the wheat, which gives it its brown color and wheat flour. This flour is made after several stages of milling, refining, and bleaching.
It is usually a mixture of durum and soft wheat. Durum wheat contains a high gluten content, while soft wheat contains a low gluten content.
The all-purpose flour has an excellent texture because it is ground using wheat grains, while the outer layer is called bran, and the shoot is called the germ.
Vitamins Are Added To Enrich It
In the U.S, all flour that is exempt from germ must by law contain specific amounts of thiamine, riboflavin, and iron.
Sometimes, manufacturers add vitamins A and D by themselves and label their products as fortified.
We already established that all-purpose flour can either be bleached or unbleached, although both types can be interchanged. Bleaching can be natural or done with chemicals.
Overview on Cassava Flour
Today, cassava flour is mostly synonymous with Africa, and this is because cassava is now widely cultivated in various African countries, but it originates from the South American continent.
This flour has successfully made its way into Western kitchens, and rightly so because it is indeed satiating, subtle, and easy to use!
What Does Cassava Flour Contain
As its name suggests, this flour is produced from cassava and, more particularly, from its roots. Alternative to wheat flour, it is gluten-free.
Cassava Flour & Calories
With 350 kcal per 100 grams, this flour is quite similar to wheat flour.
Cassava, Starch, or Flour
Starch and flour are different in composition and properties. Indeed, the flour is obtained by grinding the seed (starch, germ, and husk) and is used in multiple preparations.
Starch contains only starch. Most of the time, it is extracted from tubers and rhizomes and is an excellent binder and gelling agent. It is therefore ideal for sauces and thickening preparations.
Can Cassava Flour Replace All-Purpose Flour
At this point, you should no longer be in doubt as to whether cassava flour can replace all-purpose flour. The simple answer is yes, it can.
The only question now should be whether or not cassava flour can replace all-purpose flour for your recipes.
Cassava flour is very rich in carbohydrates and, depending on your recipe, and can be an excellent replacement for all-purpose flour.
Cassava flour can also be used for baking and cooking meals that are free of gluten.
You can get your gluten-free cassava flour here
Other Flours That Can Replace All-Purpose Flour
If you still feel uncertain that cassava flour can replace all-purpose flour in your recipe, you may consider the following types of flour, which are also good alternatives to all-purpose flour.
Spelled Flour
Like wheat, spelled flour is an ancient cereal distinguished by its high protein content and essential amino acids.
On the other hand, it contains gluten, although its material content is relatively low compared to wheat.
With its nutty taste, spelled flour makes an original base for sauces and soups, but it is in bread or cake dough that its qualities are revealed.
Preparations made from spelled flour require less water than those made from wheat and have excellent cooking performance.
Engrain Flour
This is another flour that is similar to wheat but even more primitive. Engrained or small spelled flour contains gluten but in meager proportions.
Its content of phosphorus, potassium, and antioxidants such as lutein make it an exciting food from a nutritional point of view.
Engrain flour has a stunning golden yellow color and has a rustic yet delicate taste. It can perfectly replace wheat flour or all-purpose flour in cakes and bread without being cut with another flour.
Buckwheat Flour
Buckwheat has nothing to do with wheat since it is not a cereal and is gluten-free. The dark color and the slight bitterness of buckwheat flour are not lacking in charm, but it is above all, rich in proteins, B vitamins, and magnesium.
Buckwheat flour is ideal for making pancakes and cookies, such as tasty-filled pancakes or potato pancakes.
However, on the other hand, for cake or bread, we advise you to mix it with rice flour or cornstarch in equal proportions.
Buckwheat flour does not rise easily, and it is very pronounced taste tends to dominate those of the other ingredients.
Rice Flour
We consume more rice in whole grains than flour, yet the latter does not lack nutritional qualities!
Particularly fine and very light, rice flour is very digestible and ideal in case of delicate digestion. For higher fiber content, we will also favor brown rice flour.
With its neutral taste that goes well with both salty and sweetened recipes, rice flour can be used to thicken sauces and soups, and it can also be added into the composition of bread crumbs or be the primary pasta ingredient.
However, for cake, you may choose to combine it with another flour to prevent it from making the preparation too crumbly.
Chickpea Flour
Widely used in the Middle East, chickpea flour has a cocktail of benefits. It is indeed very rich in vegetable proteins and fibers while being low in fat.
It is also a good anti-fatigue and anti-stress food, thanks to its slow-release carbohydrates.
With the addition of a bit of water, chickpea flour makes a beautiful base for delicious pancakes and blinis, thanks to its heavy and thick texture.
On the other hand, for a more aerated preparation like bread, you will have to ensure that the chickpea flour does not represent more than a third of the flour used to preserve its lightness.
Millet Flour
Consumed more particularly in Africa and India, millet flour is considered a tonic food thanks to its high protein and magnesium content. Its heavy fiber content ensures it a good ally for digestion.
The light taste of millet flour is reminiscent of hazelnut. But be careful; if it is used alone in baking, the preparation may be too dry.
It should be mixed with cornstarch or potato starch and aired with carrots or zucchini; millet flour will also make excellent vegetable patties.
Quinoa Flour
Quinoa is a pseudo-cereal that comes to us from South America. Its flour is the only one to contain all the essential amino acids, which goes well with its good protein content to make it a tonic food!
The taste of quinoa flour remains quite marked, just like that of the whole seed. Likewise, its poor ability to amalgamate will require you to combine it with another flour, such as rice flour, or cornstarch, to prepare your pastries.
Its high absorbency also means that its proportion must remain low in the preparation.
Chestnut Flour
Still widely used in Corsica, chestnut flour is an asset of choice. It is indeed very satiating even at low doses and contains a lot of iron and potassium. These two elements help support tone and endurance.
Not only is the taste of chestnut flour delightful, but it is also accompanied by an incomparable softness when it is the only flour in a pastry.
However, its texture can be pretty heavy and, for bread or cakes, you can mix it with cornstarch for more lightness.
Amaranth Flour
This pseudo-cereal from Latin America is less famous than quinoa, but it is no less attractive. Amaranth flour is rich in iron and calcium; It is also an excellent source of vegetable proteins that are easy to assimilate.
Slightly sweet and spicy taste makes it an ideal base for cookies, pancakes, or waffles.
However, if you want to use it for preparations with an airy dough like bread or cake, it is better to mix it with cornstarch.
Hemp Flour
The plant from which it comes resembles cannabis, but it is neither psychotropic nor illegal! Hemp flour contains carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in ideal proportions, making it an excellent nutritional ally.
Hemp flour alone has a rather peculiar brown-green color, and its taste does not necessarily please everyone.
At the rate of 50g of hemp flour for 200g of another flour (spelled, rice), it brings its nutrients to your cakes and bread, with a nice green color as a bonus
Final Thoughts
All-purpose flour is popular with bakers, but Cassava flour is a suitable alternative for gluten-free baking.
Should you choose to use a different flour for your recipe, you might need to make minor changes to your original recipe to accommodate the new flour you want to add.
You may decide to use cassava flour to replace your all-purpose flour; however, depending on the recipe you are using, the measurement of your flour may vary.
You may need to add another flour type or ingredient to supplement your mixture.
See gluten-free flour suitable mix
Cassava flour also contains resistant starches, which have a lot of health benefits when consumed. The resistant starches also help with weight loss giving your recipe that extra healthy quality.
Cassava flour can be purchased from supermarkets, online retailers, healthy food stores, or baking and confectionery stores.
Let me recommend the brand that has been delivering for years the best cassava flour. Jeb foods cassava flour.
