How to Make Rice Flour at Home (Brown, Sweet, White)

May 22, 2022 Odiraa

How to Make Rice Flour at Home (Brown, Sweet, White Rice Flour)

Rice Flour Bread Recipe | Gluten Free Vegan White Bread

Learn how to make this rice flour recipe in just a few minutes at home!

What is rice?

The grass species Oryza sativa (Asian rice) and Oryza glaberrima produce rice seeds (African rice).

It is widely consumed as a household staple grain, accounting for more than one-fifth of all calories consumed globally by humans.

Rice comes in three varieties: long, medium, and short grain, each with its own cooking purpose.

Long grain rice is high in amylose and can be found in both brown and white rice. It is used as a side dish or as a base for masala recipes and stays intact when cooked.

Risotto is made with medium-grain rice, which is high in amylopectin and slightly more sticky than long-grain rice.

Short-grain rice is usually sweet and sticky, which makes it ideal for sushi rolls because the stickiness helps the rice keep its shape when cooked.

All of these can be made into rice powder, which has a texture similar to that of powder.

Whole grain brown rice is used to make brown rice flour. The outer hull is removed from brown rice, but the bran and germ remain.

It is higher in fiber and contains more nutrients than white rice, including magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6, and manganese.

It works well when ground into a powder or flour and combined with white rice to make gluten-free flour mixes.

What is rice flour called?

Rice flour (also known as rice powder) is finely milled rice flour. The starch, on the other hand, is usually made by steeping rice in lye. Rice flour is a popular wheat flour substitute.

Store-bought vs. homemade

Rice powder was always readily available in India and other Southeast Asian countries because it is a staple in Asian kitchens. Asian cuisines have become increasingly popular around the world in recent decades.

This powder is sold in major grocery stores in the United States and Europe to home cooks who want to try recipes from various cultures.

So, what’s the big deal about homemade?

Because the rice is never washed before milling, I am not a big fan of store-bought powder. The second reason is that hazardous chemicals could be sprayed on the flour to extend its shelf life. We don’t have the option of rinsing the flour!

Nothing beats homemade rice powder, which has no additives and is pure and fresh! It’s also very simple to make.

Flour is frequently sold in large packs of a pound or more in stores. Only a small amount of this flour may be required in a recipe.

The store-bought powder can be a costly and pointless purchase when you can grind a small amount fresh in your own kitchen.

To make a batch of this flour at home, use a mixer grinder, coffee grinder, or high-speed blender. A home grain mill is a good option to have if you use a lot of powder in your cooking.

Sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour)

Glutinous rice (Oryza sativa glutinosa) or sticky rice is another name for sweet rice. Glutinous rice is any rice with a high amylopectin starch content and a low amylose starch content.

Sweet rice’s natural ‘stickiness’ helps to bind ingredients together when ground into flour, and lends a delicate sweetness to desserts like mochi and baked goods.

White Rice

White rice, like brown rice, has the husk removed, but it also has the bran and germ removed. It’s then polished to a gleaming sheen, leaving little nutritional value or flavor.

When combined with other gluten-free flours and starches, white rice makes a fantastic addition to homemade gluten-free bread and baked goods.

Rice Flour

Rice Powder or flour is simply fine powder obtained by grinding raw rice.

When it comes to rice powder, white rice is the most common, but you can also find milled brown rice and glutinous or sticky rice flour.

Rice flour is the most widely used gluten-free flour in baking, homemade doughs, dumplings, breading foods for frying, soup thickening, and sauce and gravy thickening.

It’s milled flour, which is made by grinding cooked and dehydrated long or short grain rice kernels until they’re the consistency of powder or flour, which is usually done with grain mills.

It can be ground into coarse, semi-coarse, fine, or superfine powder. Rice powder is coarsely ground rice, whereas flour in most recipes refers to the fine and super fine varieties.

Rice powder is a common ingredient in Asian cuisine, particularly in the cuisines of South India, China, Japan, and Korea. Of course, there are a variety of starches that can be used.

Rice powder, on the other hand, can be found in a variety of recipes, from binding and thickening to breading and baking.

Rice powder, rather than wheat flour or all-purpose flour, is required for gluten-free cooking and baking. Brown rice, sweet white rice, and white rice are all available.

First off, rice flour lacks the flavor of gram flour, chickpea flour, or any other nut-based flour. Rice flour, like all-purpose flour, disappears into the dish and is never noticed.

Second, rice powder is the way to go if you’re trying to avoid or reduce refined flours like all-purpose flour or cornstarch. This substitution works well in a variety of recipes.

But what if you’re in the middle of a recipe and need a quick gluten-free flour or can’t find sweet white rice?

Knowing how to make rice flour at home comes in handy in this situation! You won’t even need a grain mill; a high-powered blender, food processor, or coffee grinder will suffice.

How to make flour from rice: Ingredients and proportions for making rice flour

Make a fine powder or flour out of brown rice, white rice, or sweet white rice. This rice flour recipe uses 1 cup of rice, but the proportions can be doubled or tripled if more rice flour is required.

1 cup of rice yields how much flour? 1 cup of rice equals about 12 cups of rice flour, according to a good rule of thumb.

To convert, use this measurement conversion chart, or use 2 cups of rice to make 3 cups of flour.

The images for making rice flour show white rice, but brown rice or sweet white rice can also be used.

Equipment

Rice flour and other domestic culinary flours are made in grain mills.

Although not everyone wants to add another kitchen gadget to their collection. Use one of the recipes below to make your own rice flour. You can make it with or without a grinder, food processor, or blender this way!

a powerful blender
a food processor
a coffee grinder

Note

How much does this make: approximately 12 cups One cup of rice grains yields about 12 cups of rice flour, according to the rule of thumb.
Storage: If properly stored, it will last a long time. Homemade rice flour will last 3 months if stored properly in a sealed jar in a cool, dry location. It can also be frozen for up to 12 months in an airtight container with all air removed.
Before using it, smell it to make sure it hasn’t gone bad. It will have a rancid smell, similar to a wax crayon, if it has spoiled.

Follow these instructions

Place the flour in a tightly sealed plastic or glass container. If you’re using a resealable bag, squeeze out any air before closing it.
Label and date the flour, then keep it in the pantry for up to a year until you need it.
Keeping the flour in the fridge or freezer will help it last longer for all of your future baking needs.

Rice flour preparation

Rice Flour Production

Make the rice.

I believe it is critical to thoroughly rinse rice before using it, even if it is organic rice. However, if you don’t mind the dust and residue on the grains, you can skip this step. 1 cup rice in a large mixing bowl
Fill with water. Rinse the rice several times after rubbing the grains. Allow the grains to absorb as little water as possible.
Drain into a colander and shake off excess water several times. Spread the rice out in the colander and set aside for 5 minutes.
Gently pat dry with a clean cotton cloth.
You have two options here. The first option is to spread the rice out on the cloth and air or fan dry it. You can also sun dry to speed up the process. The rice grains should be crisp.
The second option is to dry roast the rice for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to low and roast until the potatoes are crispy.
We don’t want the grains to discolor and turn brown, so keep the flame low. Depending on the type of pan used, this roasting step takes only 6 to 7 minutes.

Make Flour

Allow the rice to cool before placing it in the grinder jar.
Pulse the rice grains until they are completely powdered. Grind to a super fine, fine, or coarse flour depending on the recipe you’re making.
Transfer the flour to the sieve by placing it over a large wide bowl. Use a fine flour sieve to get super fine flour.
If you don’t have a super fine flour sieve, cover the rim of a large bowl with a thin muslin cloth or cheese cloth.
Each time, pour 1/4 cup of flour over the cloth and pass it through it. To make baby cereal, we use this method. Even brown rice flour works well with this method.
Grind the remaining coarse grains until they are all ground into fine flour. I didn’t have to grind again because I didn’t have any coarse rice particles.

Storage

Store homemade rice flour in an airtight glass jar at room temperature for 3 months or in the refrigerator for a year or longer

The best blender for flour

A Vitamix or Ninja blender, or any high-powered blender with a sharp blade, will suffice.

I’ve had a lot of success with this Vitamix, and I use the soup or spread setting, which starts slowly and then quickly grinds the rice grains.

What is the significance of finely ground rice flour?

I used a bean flour blend for my gluten-free baking when I first started out. I will never do that again with you all as witnesses. Bean flours stink at every stage of baking. Simply put, no.

I’ve known how important finely ground rice flour is since I first started using gluten-free flour blends with a rice flour base.

In fact, the fineness of the rice flour and (of course) what else is in the blend to balance out the rice flour are the two most important characteristics of a proper gluten-free flour blend.

You could even argue that finely ground rice is more important than a balanced blend because a flour blend can be rebalanced with other ingredients in a recipe (although that can be tough).

Gritty rice flour, on the other hand, is a dead end. This is due to two factors:

One, gritty rice flour is frequently the reason that a gluten-free baked good is described as “good, for gluten-free.” It’s not just good.

Grit has the worst taste in the mouth. It ruins the entire experience, and everyone will be harshly critical of your baked goods. They’re not going to be very good.

Two, gritty rice flour will frequently indicate that the ingredients in a recipe do not mix properly.

Even if you whisk your dry ingredients together thoroughly, they will still refuse to mix with the rest of the ingredients.

Consider how different colors of fine sand can be combined to create a beautiful, unified design. However, there will always be empty spaces between and among pebbles in a jar.

However, there is one exception. Gritty rice grains will soften if you let rice flour rest in a mixture for a long time before baking, as in slow-rising yeast bread.

Uses

You probably have recipes that call for rice flour in some form if you regularly cook or bake Asian savory and sweet dishes.

Only a few tablespoons are sometimes required. Some recipes call for this starchy flour as the main ingredient, and substitutions aren’t always successful.

This flour can be used to thicken sauces, gravies, and soups.

It can be used as a binder in some cooked or baked recipes and it works well as a breading agent.

It adds color and crunch to baked and fried savory and sweet dishes.

Rice powder is one of the main ingredients in Murukku, chakli, appam, and certain dosa varieties like Wheat dosa, Rava dosa, and Oats dosa.

That particular dish would never taste the same without this ingredient.

Cutlets, patties, pakoras, pancakes, and vegetarian kebabs are some of the popular Indian snacks and savory foods made with them.

The Chinese snow skin mooncakes and Japanese mochi desserts are made with fresh rice powder.

How can we forget the dumplings, noodles, and Phirni in Indian and Chinese styles?

Which rice should you choose?

Rice comes in three different varieties: white, brown, and sweet/sticky.

There are fragrant varieties like basmati or jasmine, as well as uncommon ones like red or black.

Murukku/chaklis, dosas, and appams are made with white rice powder called sona masuri. Ponni, another short grain white rice powder, is used in pancakes, puddings, baked goods, breading, and desserts.

All other recipes that call for rice powder can be made with basmati or jasmine rice.

Sticky rice powder is useful in dishes that benefit from sticky rice’s binding properties.

Sticky rice powder is required for mochi, noodles, mooncakes, and rice cakes.

Because the textures are different, substituting regular rice powder will not work.

Rice Flour Benefits/Advantages

You’ve seen that rice and, by extension, rice powder are gluten-free and can be combined with other flour to make a variety of wheat-free dishes.

Rice, like most grains, is high in nutrients. It contains a lot of fiber and protein.

Selenium, niacin, copper, phosphorus, vitamin E, and calcium are all present in reasonable amounts.

Because it contains zinc, magnesium, and other essential minerals, whole grain bread can help boost your immunity.

It contains choline, a substance that protects your liver from harm, including cancer.

Phytic acid, which is extracted from rice, is used in products that treat acne and pigmentation.

Wheat flour, on the other hand, contains more folate and antioxidants.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is rice flour the same as ground rice?

No! Rice that has been ground is referred to as ground rice.

Broken rice, rice semolina, coarse rice powder, or flour can all be made from it. The powder, on the other hand, refers to coarse or fine flour.

Is it possible to make rice flour without soaking the rice?

Yes, simply rinse the rice, drain, and thoroughly dry with a cloth.

Dry the grains completely before spreading them out. In a blender or coffee grinder, grind this to powder.

How do I manually make rice flour?

Rice powder can be made by hand using a stone mill grinder and rice grains.

What kind of rice is used to make rice powder?

Depending on what you want to do with the powder, you can use any type of rice.

For murukku and chakli, use sona masuri rice; for pakora, cutlets, and pancakes, use basmati or jasmine rice.

Is it possible to make rice flour from basmati rice?

Yes, any type of basmati rice will suffice. Basmati rice, whether old or new, brown or white, works well.

Is rice flour a better substitute for cornstarch?

Cornstarch (corn flour) is a thickener, binder, and breading agent. Rice powder is also effective, but it is far more versatile.

In many dishes, this flour performs similarly to whole wheat or all-purpose (refined flour). These flours are both healthier alternatives.

If you haven’t cooked the dish long enough, cornstarch takes on a distinct starchy flavor.

This is not the case with white rice powder, which is also thought to be healthier than cornstarch, especially the brown rice variety.

Is rice free of gluten? Is rice flour gluten-free?

Rice is gluten-free if it says “certified gluten-free” on the package.

It is best to make sure the source labels the product as gluten-free because it can cross-contaminate with other wheat grains during farming.

What is the shelf life of rice flour?

It will last a long time if properly stored. Homemade rice powder will last 3 months if stored properly in an airtight container in a cool, dry location.

It can also be frozen for up to 12 months in an airtight container with all air removed.

Before using it, smell it to make sure it hasn’t gone bad. It will have a rancid smell, similar to a wax crayon if it has spoiled.

Rice flour substitute

Cornstarch
All-purpose flour
Almond flour
Coconut flour
Sorghum flour
Tapioca flour
Chickpea flour
Oat flour.
Millet flour
Potato Starch