Rice flour

Rice flour is made from finely milled brown or white rice. It is not to be confused with rice starch, which is an entirely different product.

Brown rice flour is made by milling unpolished brown rice, this gives it a higher nutritional and fibre content than white rice flour as it contains the bran of the brown rice. It is also denser than white rice flour and has a slightly more grainy texture. Brown rice flour has a slightly nutty taste and due to it's heavier nature is not often used completely on its own in recipes.

White rice flour has the rice husk removed and the polished white rice is then ground into flour, which leaves a very bland tasting flour that is not very nutritious.

Rice noodles and rice wraps are made from rice flour, and are normally suitable for a wheat and gluten free diet, though check for other ingredients.

Usage:

Rice flour can be used as a substitute for wheat flour, however it won't give the exactly the same results as wheat flour. White rice flour is also lighter than wheat flour so does not substitute in a one-for-one exchange. The best baking results are normally achieved using a blend of flours to replace wheat flour.

Storing:

Bulk buying brown rice flour is not recommended as it can go rancid over long periods of time. However storing it in the freezer will keep it fresh for a considerable time. White rice flour can also be successfully stored in the freezer to maintain freshness, though it has a better shelf life than brown rice flour if left in the pantry.

Alternative names:

Rice powder
Komeko
Mochiko (sweet rice flour)
Sweet rice flour
Glutinous rice flour (contains no gluten)

Alternative rice flour types:

White rice flour
Brown rice flour
Sweet rice flour (aka glutinous rice flour or Mochiko)

Nutritional information:

Typical values per 100g of product (rice flour, brown)
Energy - 350 kcal
Protein - 7.5g
Carbohydrate (total) - 77g
Carbohydrate (sugars) - 0g
Fat (total) - 2.5g
Fat (saturated) - 0g
Dietary fibre - 5g

Typical values per 100g of product (rice flour, white)
Energy - 375 kcal
Protein - 5g
Carbohydrate (total) - 80g
Carbohydrate (sugars) - 0g
Fat (total) - 1.3g
Fat (saturated) - 0g
Dietary fibre - 2.5g