Measuring

     When I began my GF/CF adventure,  I would measure my GF flour the same way as traditional flour. I would use a spoon to scoop the flour into a measuring cup and level off the top with a knife. This method contributed to many failed recipes.
     As you start to use GF flours and starches, it will quickly become apparent why the traditional method doesn't work. Not only is it extremely messy (the starches fly everywhere unless you are VERY gentle), it is very inaccurate. If you put the starch in the measuring cup by letting it sort of fall off the spoon and drop into the cup, you are actually packing down the starch. If you gently place it in the cup you won't pack it at all and may not have enough in the cup.
     Please go and buy a kitchen scale. You will save more money in the long run by not having failed recipes. My scale was $2.99 at a thrift store. There are a ton of different scales out there, and you can find good prices on Amazon.com. Most scales will measure in Grams but make sure you check first. Grams are much more accurate than Ounces.

     Simply place a container on the scale, then turn the scale on (that way it doesn't measure the weight of the bowl or container you are using). Measure the amount of flour you will need and then add the Xanthan gum to it. I find that if I don't add the Xanthan gum with this step, I sometimes forget it! Set the container aside until you reach the flour step in your recipe and you are ready to go!
     If you have a favorite recipe that you want to convert to GF, remember that 140g of my all purpose mix is equal to 1 cup of traditional flour. If you want to experiment with other flours and need to know their weight conversion, you can find a great chart here. I printed this chart and put it in the front of my cookbook for easy reference.
     It won't take you long to get used to weighing your flour mix, I promise, once you get to used to it you won't want to go back to measuring cups!

  

All-purpose GF flour *Updated

A lot of my baking success has been finding an all-purpose flour mix that is truly all-purpose. I tried quite a few variations before coming up with this mix. It is a slight variation of the one found here

The great thing about working with GF flours is that it is very easy to substitute one for another. The general rule is that you must substitute a starch for a starch and a flour for a flour. For instance, if I run out of cornstarch (or don't want to use it due to an allergy) I can replace it in the mix with extra arrowroot, or I can use tapioca. Out of Brown rice flour? Use more Sorghum or white rice.

Another tip I learned from other GF bakers is that you will always have better results if you weigh your GF flours instead of using measuring cups, especially when it comes to the starches. When you use a measuring cup it is very easy to scoop too much or too little.

I mix up a large double or triple batch of this at a time and keep it in a large glass container.
To use it in a recipe simply measure out 140g for every cup of flour called for. Then add 1/2tsp of Xanthan gum for each 140g (you can also use Guar gum). I find that the Xanthan gum doesn't have to be exact. If a recipe calls for 2 1/4 cup flour I would use 315g of my all purpose flour + 1tsp of Xanthan gum.

All Purpose Gluten free flour mix

300g Brown rice flour
250g white rice flour
150g Arrowroot starch
100g Sorghum flour
100g Potato Starch (not potato flour)
100g Cornstarch

140g = 1 cup of "regular" flour
140g = 13 points on the Weight Watchers Points Plus program

Happy Baking!

* Update * Make sure you whisk the mix thoroughly after you put it in your container. If the container has a tight fitting lid, shake it vigorously to mix.