After experiencing stomach discomfort and irregularity all my life I was told about gluten free alternatives and thought it was worth a try. My stomach felt much better right away and I have stuck with eating gluten free ever since. The hardest part of eating gluten free *for me* is the financial aspect. I cannot justify spending outrageous amounts on gluten free foods. I knew that if I were to make this a lifestyle change I would have to do a lot of cooking from scratch, particularly breads and pastas. That of course required I find a good gluten free flour mix which surprisingly is not difficult. What is difficult is finding a COST EFFECTIVE gluten free flour mix that can be used in a variety of recipes (much like regular wheat flour). I began researching and found that the best and simplest mix in regards to low cost and recipe diversity is the following:
4 cups rice flour
4 cups brown rice flour
2 cups corn or potato starch (or combination of both)
4 tbsp xanthan gum or guar gum
I purchase my flours and starches in 50lb bulk bags. For about $230 I have enough flour mix to last 10-12 months. That is $23 / month for all your bread, pasta, rolls, crusts, etc. I purchase the gums as needed. I mix the flour usually doubled up on the recipe in a large 5 gallon bucket and store it there until it is moved into my flour canister. I also store the flours and starches in 5 gallon buckets with lids as they are opened.
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