You might find this thread to be helpful:
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=13389
I started out with a basic mix I found in one of Carol Fenster's cookbooks. It was for 4 1/2 cups of mix, and I cut it down to 1½ cup. I stopped making large batches of GF flour mixes when I realized that I couldn't depend on being able to use all of the different flours in the mix. Now I just make the amount of flour I need for the baking session.
Here is Carol's basic mix:
BASIC FLOUR BLEND by Carol Fenster, makes 4 ½ cups
1½ cups sorghum flour
1½ cups potato starch, cornstarch, or amaranth starch (I've never seen this)
1 cup tapioca flour
½ cup corn flour, almond flour, bean flour, chestnut flour, buckwheat flour or quinoa flour
I first revised the mix so that it made 1½ cups:
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch, cornstarch, or amaranth starch
5 Tbsp. tapioca flour
3 Tbsp. corn flour, almond flour, bean flour, chestnut flour, buckwheat flour or quinoa flour
As I became intolerant to most of the starches and flours in the mix, I began substituting the starches (tapioca flour is considered a starch) and the protein flours.
A sample mix adapted for your intolerances would look like this:
1/2 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
5 Tbsp. arrowroot
3 Tbsp. almond flour
I've never used both tapioca starch and arrowroot in the same mix. To me, they are the same, except tapioca starch is much cheaper. I buy arrowroot in a 20 oz. bag at Whole Foods for $6 or so. You probably could eliminate the arrowroot and replace it with almond flour. OMO, quinoa flour is the closest flour to wheat flour, minus the gluten, of course. Blanched almond flour (w/o the skins) works best for baking, but it is difficult to find. That's why I make my own from the pulp leftover from making almond milk.
Without arrowroot, your mixture would look like this:
1/2 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup almond flour
It will take some time to experiment with the different flours. Tapioca and arrowroot are binders and 1/2 cup might be too much. You might want to cut down the tapioca and increase the quinoa flour. The above mix would probably work well for muffins, but you might need a different combination for biscuits and other baked goods. As the "Gluten-free mommy" writes:
It sounds like you are determined to do this, so I think you'll be successful. Don't get discouraged when your products don't turn out like you want them. Learn from your mistakes and move on. I burned the tops of some almond muffins the other day, but I'll still eat them. Next time I'll reduce the time in my convection oven. I think I'm throwing out my homemade polenta, though.Is there a “magic blend” of gluten-free flours that will work for all recipes?
Unfortunately, no! For optimal results, I think it is best for your muffin, cake, or brownie gluten-free baking mix to look very different from the one you use for pizza or bread! That is why I keep a lot of my flours separate so that I can mix them around as needed for recipes. On this blog, I spell out exactly which flours I use in each recipe so that you will know. It is hard with so many choices out there, but I have come to think of my flours as a collection!
Gloria
