Then here’s the ingredient you need to put in. Pre-gelatinized rice flour! You’ll find it most often in gluten-free baking, low-volume bread, batters and frostings.
When do you use pre-gelatinized rice flour?
It works well for:
- Thickening
- Binding
- Increasing water absorption
- Reducing water activity
How does it work?
Due to it’s production process, pre-gelatinized rice flour instantly rehydrates in water. This makes a uniform, high viscosity batter without the need for heat.
Because of this function, it’s popular in pie fillings, cake frostings and puddings. And because it’s made from rice, it’s ideal for gluten-free formulas that need a boost in volume or structure. However, if you do use this ingredient, you’ll probably need to use it in combination with other flours and starches.
How is it made?
Pre-gelatinized rice flour is produced commercially by creating a starch slurry. Whole or broken rice kernels are soaked and cooked using a combination of heat and pressure. The starch slurry is heated above the temperature for starch gelatinization and processed. Raw rice is cooked for 9-18 minutes at 210°F. A steaming step at low pressure can be employed to complete the gelatinization of the rice without an increase in moisture content. It may be spray dried or turned into a thin film that is scraped off and ground into a powder.
