Nonwheat Flours Category

Poor farmers in India and Pakistan use this millet flour to make bread and griddle cakes. It's gluten-free. Look for it in India markets.

other nonwheat flour Notes: To see how to substitute other flours for wheat flours when making yeast breads, see the listing under all-purpose flour.

This is blue cornmeal that's been roasted. It's cooked and served for breakfast much like oatmeal.

This is a low-gluten gray flour that's great in pancakes and pastas. To see how to substitute other flours for wheat flours when making yeast breads, see the listing under all-purpose flour

Brazilians use this as a thickener for stews. Look for it in Hispanic markets.

This is a blend of wheat and malted barley flours used to make chapatis. Look for it in Indian markets.

Look for this in Indian markets or health food stores.

To see how to substitute other flours for wheat flours when making yeast breads, see the listing under all-purpose flour.

Cornmeal comes in different colors: white, yellow, and blue. Yellow cornmeal has more beta carotene than the others, while blue cornmeal has more protein and turns baked goods purple. Larger supermarkets also carry stone-ground cornmeal = water-ground cornmeal, which is more tasty and nutritious than regular cornmeal, but doesn't keep as long. See also self-rising cornmeal.

This is flour ground from Indian legumes. Varieties include besan flour (made from channa dal), urad dal flour, and mung dal flour.

This Indian flour is made from a blend of rice, urad dal, and chickpeas. It's used to make cakes that look like squares of cornbread, which Indians steam and garnish with grated coconut, tamarind sauces, and other seasonings.

This Nigerian flour is made from cassavas that have been fermented, roasted, and ground. Look for it in African markets.

Gluten is what makes wheat-based bread dough so sticky and elastic. This helps the dough hold in the air bubbles created by the yeast so that it will rise and eventually bake into a fluffy, porous loaf. If you're gluten-intolerant, though, you'll need to use gluten-free flour, along with an arsenal of ingredients to make it behave like it has gluten.

Kamut flour is tolerated by many people with wheat allergies and is a good substitute for wheat when making bread and pasta, especially if it's combined with other flours (e.g., spelt flour).

This is flour made from hominy, and it's used to make corn tortillas and tamales. Look for it in large supermarkets or Hispanic markets. It's made with either yellow or white corn; harinilla is made with blue corn.

To see how to substitute other flours for wheat flours when making yeast breads, see the listing under all-purpose flour.

Indian cooks use this to make breads and dumplings.

To see how to substitute other flours for wheat flours when making yeast breads, see the listing under all-purpose flour.

Nigerians make fufu out of this.

This flour is made from the whole rye grain, including the bran.

This is very rich in fiber.

To see how to substitute other flours for wheat flours, see the listing under all-purpose flour.

includes medium rye flour and heartier dark rye flour. To see how to substitute other flours for wheat flours when making yeast breads, see the listing under all-purpose flour.

This is widely used in India and Africa, especially by poor farmers who can't afford wheat flour. It's somewhat bland but very nutritious and gluten-free. You can sometimes find it in health foods stores, but you can get it for less in an Indian market.

To see how to substitute other flours for wheat flours when making yeast breads, see the listing under all-purpose flour.

To see how to substitute other flours for wheat flours when making yeast breads, see the listing under all-purpose flour.

Spelt flour contains gluten, but it's tolerated by many people with gluten allergies. If making bread with spelt flour, don't knead it for as long as you would a wheat bread--its gluten isn't as durable as that in wheat. Freeze any spelt flour that you're not planning to use right away.

This is made from urad dal, a type of Indian lentil. The flour is used to make pappadums and breads.