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Flavor Flours: A New Way to Bake with Teff, Buckwheat, Sorghum, Other Whole & Ancient Grains, Nuts & Non-Wheat Flours
Winner, James Beard Foundation Award, Best Book of the Year in Baking & Desserts
In this monumental new work, beloved dessert queen Alice Medrich applies her baking precision and impeccable palate to flavor flours—wheat-flour alternatives including rice flour, oat flour, corn flour, sorghum flour, teff, and more. The resulting (gluten-free!) recipes show that baking with alternate flours adds an extra dimension of flavor. Brownies made with rice flour taste even more chocolaty. Buckwheat adds complexity to a date and nut cake. Ricotta cheesecake gets bonus flavor from a chestnut flour crust; teff is used to make a chocolate layer cake that can replace any birthday cake with equally pleasing results. All of the nearly 125 recipes—including Double Oatmeal Cookies, Buckwheat Gingerbread, Chocolate Chestnut Soufflé Cake, and Blueberry Corn Flour Cobbler—take the flavors of our favorite desserts to the next level.
The book is organized by flour, with useful information on its taste, flavor affinities, and more. And because flavor flours don’t react in recipes the same way as wheat flour, Medrich explains her innovative new techniques with the clarity and detail she is known for.
In this monumental new work, beloved dessert queen Alice Medrich applies her baking precision and impeccable palate to flavor flours—wheat-flour alternatives including rice flour, oat flour, corn flour, sorghum flour, teff, and more. The resulting (gluten-free!) recipes show that baking with alternate flours adds an extra dimension of flavor. Brownies made with rice flour taste even more chocolaty. Buckwheat adds complexity to a date and nut cake. Ricotta cheesecake gets bonus flavor from a chestnut flour crust; teff is used to make a chocolate layer cake that can replace any birthday cake with equally pleasing results. All of the nearly 125 recipes—including Double Oatmeal Cookies, Buckwheat Gingerbread, Chocolate Chestnut Soufflé Cake, and Blueberry Corn Flour Cobbler—take the flavors of our favorite desserts to the next level.
The book is organized by flour, with useful information on its taste, flavor affinities, and more. And because flavor flours don’t react in recipes the same way as wheat flour, Medrich explains her innovative new techniques with the clarity and detail she is known for.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published October 28, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
January 1, 2018
The introduction is well worth it for the information about different flours and how they function in baking. I’m primarily an improvisational cookie-baker so I doubt I’ll try out most of the recipes for cakes, pies, and pastries. The basic pancake, waffle, and crepe recipes are helpful, and I look forward to testing the cookie and cracker recipes.
May 12, 2018
It took me a while to check this out of the library because nowhere on the cover does it say gluten free, but it is. Medrich's goal was to showcase these flours rather than use them as substitutes for wheat, and every chapter focuses on a single flour as the "hero" flour, either on its own or maybe with a little rice flour for support. It features rice, oat, corn, buckwheat, chestnut, teff, sorghum, nut, and coconut flours. Xanthan gum is used, though rarely, and flaxseed meal is used only when its flavor fits with the finished product. There's no added starch, either, no tapioca, no potato, no corn. I believe this means baked goods will take longer to go stale. Many of them have notes that say the flavor actually improves after a day or two of rest. Compare this to other gluten-free cookbooks that say an item is best eaten on the day it's made and if you can't eat an entire bundt cake in one sitting that's your problem.
The recipes are a nice mix of homey and classy, with cakes, cookies, tarts, crackers, and bars. It also throws in a few pancakes and crepes, as well as a couple of gelatos and some frostings, glazes, and fillings. Measurements are in U.S. volume and metric (grams). Each recipe has storage advice and helpful head notes, many have flavor variations, but only about half have a color photo. There's an index by hero flour and then a more general index, which is usable, but not comprehensive. I had to find gelato under "ice cream," for example, and when I went to look up "Thai rice flour" it's not in the index at all, which is a problem because there are a lot of words in this book and I couldn't remember if it was covered it in the introduction to the rice chapter, or the introduction to the book itself.
With that small exception, the book is beautifully organized and comes with a thoughtful introduction by Medrich where she describes her process of experimenting with these flours and what she learned. She goes on to say we don't need to know everything that went wrong, but it's in our best interest to follow her instructions exactly, especially when it comes to buckwheat, which is fussy and needs to be stirred the appropriate length of time or it gets weird. I often skip all the talking in a cookbook—especially those that cater to special diets because they can get preachy—but I think in this instance it's important to read the introductory text. It's all about process, so it's relevant to the recipes, and there's not a word about health.
If I could eat dairy, I'd be all over this book like ants on a log. Even with that limitation there are a few recipes that are dairy free (sponge cakes, chiffon cakes, the carrot cake, a pecan cookie), and a couple more where you could experiment with replacing the butter. Other recipes use yogurt, milk, clarified butter/ghee, and cream and would be harder to mess with, and because the flours are the star of the show, there's no discussion about how to substitute for them, but because the flours aren't usually mixed together you can just skip that chapter—if you can't do corn, for example—and not run into it elsewhere.
Highly recommended, even for folks who aren't gluten free. The recipes make it easy to experiment with alternative flours without having to buy a lot of wacky ingredients to support them, and Medrich has an approachable tone and lots of tips for how to deal with the trickier aspects of baking.
The recipes are a nice mix of homey and classy, with cakes, cookies, tarts, crackers, and bars. It also throws in a few pancakes and crepes, as well as a couple of gelatos and some frostings, glazes, and fillings. Measurements are in U.S. volume and metric (grams). Each recipe has storage advice and helpful head notes, many have flavor variations, but only about half have a color photo. There's an index by hero flour and then a more general index, which is usable, but not comprehensive. I had to find gelato under "ice cream," for example, and when I went to look up "Thai rice flour" it's not in the index at all, which is a problem because there are a lot of words in this book and I couldn't remember if it was covered it in the introduction to the rice chapter, or the introduction to the book itself.
With that small exception, the book is beautifully organized and comes with a thoughtful introduction by Medrich where she describes her process of experimenting with these flours and what she learned. She goes on to say we don't need to know everything that went wrong, but it's in our best interest to follow her instructions exactly, especially when it comes to buckwheat, which is fussy and needs to be stirred the appropriate length of time or it gets weird. I often skip all the talking in a cookbook—especially those that cater to special diets because they can get preachy—but I think in this instance it's important to read the introductory text. It's all about process, so it's relevant to the recipes, and there's not a word about health.
If I could eat dairy, I'd be all over this book like ants on a log. Even with that limitation there are a few recipes that are dairy free (sponge cakes, chiffon cakes, the carrot cake, a pecan cookie), and a couple more where you could experiment with replacing the butter. Other recipes use yogurt, milk, clarified butter/ghee, and cream and would be harder to mess with, and because the flours are the star of the show, there's no discussion about how to substitute for them, but because the flours aren't usually mixed together you can just skip that chapter—if you can't do corn, for example—and not run into it elsewhere.
Highly recommended, even for folks who aren't gluten free. The recipes make it easy to experiment with alternative flours without having to buy a lot of wacky ingredients to support them, and Medrich has an approachable tone and lots of tips for how to deal with the trickier aspects of baking.
December 3, 2017
As someone who is always trying to diversify her diet for nutritional benefit (but is also allergic to a lot of things), I found this educational, inspirational, and beautiful to read.
The recipes are all dessert-type things, which was the only disappointment. But I feel like I now understand what to expect when working with each of the non-wheat flours in this book, so that I'm better prepared to adapt wheat flour recipes.
Also, the layout is great- it's easy to read, the color pallet is appealing, and the photos are engaging without being overwhelming or too posh. I can't wait to try some of these recipes, and I feel confident I can make a success of them!
The recipes are all dessert-type things, which was the only disappointment. But I feel like I now understand what to expect when working with each of the non-wheat flours in this book, so that I'm better prepared to adapt wheat flour recipes.
Also, the layout is great- it's easy to read, the color pallet is appealing, and the photos are engaging without being overwhelming or too posh. I can't wait to try some of these recipes, and I feel confident I can make a success of them!
July 8, 2015
Not at all what I expected. At first I was disappointed, wishing for more brand-new ideas. Then I realized that I picked up the book to learn how to work with flours I don't use often, and the book shows me exactly how to do that. Teff in brownies, rice flour in pudding, corn flour in Boston creme pie--- those are all things I would try. I am really excited to expand my baking repertoire.
August 6, 2015
I love cooking healthy for my family, though I acknowledge that I don't do it as often as I should. I do try to stay away from refined, white flours so was looking for recipes using different, healthier flours. We are not gluten intolerant nor do I try to cook gluten free, so I was not looking for recipes that mix multiple flours to mimic wheat, but rather tasty recipes using healthier flours. I was very disappointed, therefore, when I realized as I browsed through this book that what seemed to me to be the majority of the recipes lean on white rice flour. Maybe it's just me, but there's not exactly a lot of nutrients in white rice flour. White rice has been bleached and pretty much everything good about it is gone, so it stands to reason that white rice flour isn't going to have much good going for it.
I love the idea of this cookbook. I would love to learn to cook with other flours such as sorghum, buckwheat and more, but it feels like cheating if in your section on sorghum, for instance, you call for 1/4 c of sorghum flour and 1 c of white rice flour or a scant 1/2 c sorghum and 1 1/3 c rice. The same thing happens over and over in all of the sections (each flour or flour family has its own section). There are some delicious looking recipes in this book, but I probably won't be cooking out of it much as to me I'll be healthier with wheat flour than white rice. I'm sorry, but this book just didn't work for me.
I received a copy of this book from Artisan Books for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I love the idea of this cookbook. I would love to learn to cook with other flours such as sorghum, buckwheat and more, but it feels like cheating if in your section on sorghum, for instance, you call for 1/4 c of sorghum flour and 1 c of white rice flour or a scant 1/2 c sorghum and 1 1/3 c rice. The same thing happens over and over in all of the sections (each flour or flour family has its own section). There are some delicious looking recipes in this book, but I probably won't be cooking out of it much as to me I'll be healthier with wheat flour than white rice. I'm sorry, but this book just didn't work for me.
I received a copy of this book from Artisan Books for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
November 15, 2020
I picked up this book during a research jag, as I was trying to develop a sense of what cuisine might be like in a world I was building: given a limited number of options for grain and flour, what foods were possible?
The answer is apparently that the possibilities are endless. ;)
This book is exclusively about baking with flour milled from seeds, nuts and grains other than wheat. My only real disappointment with it was that it focuses almost exclusively on desserts and treats rather than staples or savory applications--there are a few scones, muffins and crackers thrown in here, but mostly this is about cakes, cookies, tarts, crepes, etc..
Most of the recipes are organized into eight chapters:
Rice Flour (both white and brown)
Oat Flour (one of the longest chapters in the book)
Corn Flour and Corn Meal
Buckwheat Flour
Chestnut Flour
Teff Flour
Sorghum Flour
Nut and Coconut Flours
For my purposes, the chapters on Corn Flour, Chestnut Flour and Sorghum Flour alone would have been worth the price of admission; with a little luck I should be able to test some of these recipes at home, but I can also use them to extrapolate a whole food culture.
If you are developing a library of books on gluten-free baking, this book would be an excellent purchase. Richly illustrated, full of useful background information and notes on technique, often includes tips on where to purchase certain flours in North America.
The answer is apparently that the possibilities are endless. ;)
This book is exclusively about baking with flour milled from seeds, nuts and grains other than wheat. My only real disappointment with it was that it focuses almost exclusively on desserts and treats rather than staples or savory applications--there are a few scones, muffins and crackers thrown in here, but mostly this is about cakes, cookies, tarts, crepes, etc..
Most of the recipes are organized into eight chapters:
Rice Flour (both white and brown)
Oat Flour (one of the longest chapters in the book)
Corn Flour and Corn Meal
Buckwheat Flour
Chestnut Flour
Teff Flour
Sorghum Flour
Nut and Coconut Flours
For my purposes, the chapters on Corn Flour, Chestnut Flour and Sorghum Flour alone would have been worth the price of admission; with a little luck I should be able to test some of these recipes at home, but I can also use them to extrapolate a whole food culture.
If you are developing a library of books on gluten-free baking, this book would be an excellent purchase. Richly illustrated, full of useful background information and notes on technique, often includes tips on where to purchase certain flours in North America.
August 23, 2022
This book BLEW MY MIND and I really, really want a hard copy. I borrowed it from the library on a whim, and it was shockingly gripping for a cookbook. Never once have I seen a well-researched gluten free cookbook that tried to do its own thing rather than just adapting traditional recipes. The way Alice tries to harness the innate flavor and qualities of the flours is really, really cool and I look forward to trying some of these recipes! Rating will go up if the recipes live up to my hype level. :)
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May 2, 2025It feels crazy to me to rate a cookbook without trying any recipes from there, so im not gonna do that. Im just gonna say that I would recommend this book to people who want to learn more about alternative flours and are itching for a bit more complex and creative recipes. For me, im content with my all purpose gluten free flours blends so I went into this book knowing that im not likely to experiment much with alternative flours but I still wanted to browse the recipes and make note of the interesting recipes. So overall, it was not the book for me but I might come back to give it a proper star rating when I tried some recipes.
One big criticism that I have is that I wish every recipe came with a photo or at least most of them. I know that would probably up the price a lot but I think its important to have references so I know exactly what the finished cake is supposed to look like, especially when you have more complicated recipes and when she uses terms like sables or genoise that a home baker isnt familiar with. Sure I could google what that looks like, but what is this particular outcome supposed to look like? Pictures are helpful in order to determine if I fucked up the appearance and texture. Without them I feel like im doing a technical challenge on BBCs Great British Bake Off.
One big criticism that I have is that I wish every recipe came with a photo or at least most of them. I know that would probably up the price a lot but I think its important to have references so I know exactly what the finished cake is supposed to look like, especially when you have more complicated recipes and when she uses terms like sables or genoise that a home baker isnt familiar with. Sure I could google what that looks like, but what is this particular outcome supposed to look like? Pictures are helpful in order to determine if I fucked up the appearance and texture. Without them I feel like im doing a technical challenge on BBCs Great British Bake Off.
July 8, 2018
The first time I read it, it was interesting but all those different flours and glutton-free baking ingredients! Now that I have a grain mill it is a very useful book, though several of the desserts (especially the cakes) are more sophisticated than I would go to the trouble to make. Many of the recipes, though, are for things like cookies and feature whole grains, so the book it much more useful to me the second time around.
June 24, 2021
I think I will try this book again when the snow is flying and perhaps a holiday is near. Reading it summer heat is not giving it a good chance. The author uses whole and ancient grains in making cookies, cakes, breads, and other baked goods. It is creative baking and gives numerous possibilities for all bakers but especially gluten-free bakers. It is a bit more complicated than my usual baking but it will be fun to try out a few of her recipes.
February 12, 2019
I very much enjoyed this book, mostly because it opened the door to using a bunch of ingredients (flours) that I have seen but never used. The sections on Teff and nut flours are well worth the price of admission. Fabulous
December 9, 2022
Wow. OK. Never thought this book could/would be this good.
Really throws down the gauntlet.
There is a lot I have not tried. And, now I have a new book to cook my way through.
Thanks Alice. What a start to a new bizarre culinary journey.
Really throws down the gauntlet.
There is a lot I have not tried. And, now I have a new book to cook my way through.
Thanks Alice. What a start to a new bizarre culinary journey.
May 19, 2019
Really enjoyed this. I like when books give you flavor pairings as well as recipes to start with.
July 31, 2019
good book
not the trick is finding all these flours
not the trick is finding all these flours
February 17, 2020
interesting and helpful
June 19, 2020
Would be much easier to use if there was a better index or even list of recipes.
September 25, 2014
Flavor Flours begins with a overview of the different flours and ingredients used in the cookbook. It gives tips and tricks for successful baking with these ancient grains. Flours covered include rice flour, oat flour, corn flour and cornmeal, buckwheat flour, chestnut flour, teff flour, sorghum flour, and nut and coconut flours.
Each flour has a chapter dedicated to using it where flavor, history, and characteristics are discussed before jumping into uses for that particular flour. It gives tips on where to buy the flour as well as how to store it. Then, you get to see all the scrumptious recipes that include both weight and cup measurements.
This is gluten free at its finest using beautiful grains for full flavor and nutrients. Don't get me wrong these are sweet treats with sugar, so many of the items in the book are likely to be splurge items. Or you can use them as a base to try to create a recipe that includes a natural sweetener.
It's not all about baking. There are also puddings and gelato. There are rustic crackers and other savory delights.
The food photography is gorgeous and definitely makes me hungry and ready for cooler baking weather.
If you want to move beyond rice flour and starches in your gluten free baking, you will want to add this book to your collection.
Disclosure: I viewed a preview of this book on NetGalley.
Each flour has a chapter dedicated to using it where flavor, history, and characteristics are discussed before jumping into uses for that particular flour. It gives tips on where to buy the flour as well as how to store it. Then, you get to see all the scrumptious recipes that include both weight and cup measurements.
This is gluten free at its finest using beautiful grains for full flavor and nutrients. Don't get me wrong these are sweet treats with sugar, so many of the items in the book are likely to be splurge items. Or you can use them as a base to try to create a recipe that includes a natural sweetener.
It's not all about baking. There are also puddings and gelato. There are rustic crackers and other savory delights.
The food photography is gorgeous and definitely makes me hungry and ready for cooler baking weather.
If you want to move beyond rice flour and starches in your gluten free baking, you will want to add this book to your collection.
Disclosure: I viewed a preview of this book on NetGalley.
April 29, 2015
This is a beautiful, fascinating book--and I'm not gluten-free! But I love exploring unusual textures and flavors in baking, and I'm excited to branch out beyond buckwheat flour and almond meal, which have been my go-to alternative flours for years. If I or anyone in my family were gluten-free, I would consider this book a godsend.
My only disappointment is that so many of these recipes are very closely based on traditional versions--which is part of the allure of the book, to be sure, but which means that so many of them include cream, yogurt, sour cream, or soft cheeses, and unfortunately I AM dairy-free. Subbing for butter and milk is simple, subbing for these other ingredients not so much. Now, if someone would write a genre-busting dairy-free baking book of this caliber, that would really be something (or if someone already has please let me know!).
My only disappointment is that so many of these recipes are very closely based on traditional versions--which is part of the allure of the book, to be sure, but which means that so many of them include cream, yogurt, sour cream, or soft cheeses, and unfortunately I AM dairy-free. Subbing for butter and milk is simple, subbing for these other ingredients not so much. Now, if someone would write a genre-busting dairy-free baking book of this caliber, that would really be something (or if someone already has please let me know!).
November 12, 2014
This cookbook is full of useful information and lots of recipes that I would like to try. Since gluten free flour is a must in my house, I love learning about all the different kinds out there and the different flavor profiles they provide. I haven't tried any recipes in this book yet, but I definitely plan on buying it. It is an awesome reference book as well. The pictures are wonderful. I always like a cookbook with good pictures. If I can't picture a recipe, I am often a little skeptical about making it. I am glad the author has shared her knowledge and experience. I definitely plan to utilize it in my household!
April 11, 2015
My mother, a cookbook aficionado, flipped through the cookbook (twice) and then proclaimed, "This might be the best cookbook you've gotten." My dad sampled a chocolate chip cookie and went back for more - not once did he say, "this tastes gluten-free," which is honestly something he says all the time. I personally like mixing my own flour blends so this book suits my preferences and needs perfectly. It honestly makes sense - stop treating wheat flour alternatives like wheat - mind blown.
October 5, 2015
I haven't read this, don't have a copy yet. But I attended the Northwest Chocolate Festival today in Seattle and this author was there and spoke about this book and another she wrote. I was somewhat impressed with her comments and the 3 stars I granted it are based on that impression. Once I actually have read it and tried some of the recipes, I will post again and form a more considered opinion and perhaps revise my rating.
November 29, 2016
I've tried and enjoyed several recipes from this book, and gained insights into devising variations on those recipes as well. The recipes work beautifully and are delicious and impressive. I'm looking forward to serving a batch of the paper-thin delicate and delicious almond tuile cookies to my friends and family for Christmas!
March 26, 2015
Just skimmed the book really, but overall a disappointment. Too many recipes require a blend of flours, and a lot of them are the same or more elaborate than what I was looking for. I'm sure the recipes all work great -- just wasn't what I was looking for.
August 25, 2016
I had to return the library's copy. Think that means I need to buy my own. Love the way this book encourages you to play with various flours and learn their strengths instead of simply forcing gluten recipes to be gluten free.
September 20, 2016
Enjoyed this book. If you are looking for how to use different flours this book will put you on the path to experimentation. Recipes begin to follow a pattern after awhile but that provides you with the ability to take other flours and use them to create what you want.
August 7, 2019
Looking forward to when I can finally use this. Right now, I don't have funds to buy GF flours, but I've been reading this off and on for the last few years, hoping to finally get to use it.
Recommended it to a friend who is needing GF recipes. Hope it helps her.
Recommended it to a friend who is needing GF recipes. Hope it helps her.
January 5, 2015
This is a great reference for baking with a variety of flours.
February 2, 2015
Groundbreaking! We no longer need to limit ourselves to wheat! Yummy desserts with whole grains.
March 13, 2015
Teff Love: Queen of the Nile three stars: tasted like a brownie full of almonds
March 27, 2015
Baking my way through and not a dud yet. Love that it uses naturally GF flours to their best advantage and does not rely heavily on gums to make facsimiles of wheat flour items.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews