Looking for a way to get rid of rolled oats that just won't seem to disappear? Suffering from gluten intolerance? Oat flour may be for you. This healthy, versatile flour is very easy to make yourself, so don't waste money buying it at the health food store. You only need a food processor and one ingredient to get started: oats.
EditIngredients
- Old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- Blender or food processor
EditSteps
EditMaking Oat Flour
- Measure out a portion of oats. The type of oats you want for oat flour are called "rolled oats." These can be bought for cheap at most grocery stores. Don't use oats that have been flavored in any way — plain oats are best.
- If you're going to be using your oat flour in a recipe immediately, measure out more oats than the recipe calls for. Once you turn them into flour, they'll settle and take up a smaller volume. You'll generally end up with about 3/4 of the volume of oats you started with.[1]
- Pulse the oats in a food processor. Any standard blender or "Magic Bullet"-type device will also work well. Pulse for 30 seconds or until the oats reach a fine, powdery consistency. They should resemble wheat flour.[2]
- You can even use a coffee grinder to do this. Be sure to clean it out first unless you want coffee-flavored flour.[3]
- No blender? Take a sturdy plastic bag such as a Ziploc freezer bag or the bag the oats were packaged in. Pour in the desired amount, press out air, and zip closed. Mash up the bag of oats as if washing clothes by hand. Note the end result will still have some visibly intact.
- Stir to mix in any stray oats, then pulse again. It can be hard to tell whether any extra oats remain in your flour, so open the food processor or blender and stir the powder a few times to be safe. Pulse again for 10 seconds or so.
- Use or store your oat flour. Your oat flour is ready to use right away. You can use it roughly how you would use wheat flour ordinarily, but it does have some special qualities. See the sections below to learn more about how to use oat flour.
- If you want to store your flour, use the same rules you would use for ordinary flour. Keep it in a cool, dry place in an airtight container. Oat flour lasts for about 3 months in the cabinet and 6 months in the freezer.[4]
EditUsing Oat Flour
- Use for its subtle oat flavor. The taste difference between wheat flour and oat flour won't immediately jump out at you, but it's somewhat noticeable. Oats give flour a slightly sweet, wholesome flavor that wheat lacks. This is perfect for certain dishes — specifically, savory-sweet baked goods tend to benefit from this taste profile.
- For example, oatmeal raisin cookies taste delicious when made with oat flour.
- Oat flour substitutes one-for-one with wheat flour in baking recipes. In other words, one cup of oat flour can be used in place of one cup of wheat flour.[5]
- Use to reduce the gluten in recipes. One of the most popular ways oat flour is used today is as a gluten-free alternative to wheat flour. Because gluten is a protein that naturally comes from wheat, using oat flour instead of wheat flour will usually remove the gluten from baked goods.
- Note: The rolled oats you can buy at the store aren't always 100% gluten free. Small amounts of wheat can get mixed into the oats (usually because the equipment used to process them is also used to process wheat). This can make a difference for people with Celiac disease or gluten intolerance, so be sure to use oats that are advertised as being gluten free to get the full effect.
- Use to give baked goods a lighter texture. Compared to wheat flour, oat flour is slightly less dense, which makes foods baked from it a little fluffier than they normally would be. This can be used to make wonderfully light muffins and biscuits, though it's also great for giving a unique texture to thicker pastries like scones and soda bread.
- You don't need to substitute all of the flour to get this effect. To add lightness without losing the taste or consistency of wheat flour, use up to a half-and-half mixture.
- Try using oat flour in our scone recipe for a lighter version of this delicious breakfast treat.
- Use to coat or dredge foods. Just like ordinary flour, oat flour can be used as a coating for a wide variety of foods. For instance, if you're frying breaded cuts of meat, you can coat them with oat flour (instead of wheat flour) before dipping in an egg wash and tossing with the breading. Oat flour can also be dusted on finished loaves of bread for texture and appearance.
- Another excellent idea is to use oat flour when kneading bread dough to keep it from sticking to your work surface. Because of its lighter texture, it won't make the dough stiff if you incorporate too much.
- Use oat flour for its nutritional benefits. Oat flour is great for your body even if you don't have gluten intolerance. Oats are naturally rich in protein, fiber, and healthy fats. They are lower in carbohydrates than most grains and are known to have minor cholesterol-reducing properties.[6] This makes oat flour an excellent choice for your recipes — even if there isn't a special reason to use it.
EditVideo
EditTips
- Gluten is a protein that gives bread and bread products their springy, elastic quality.[7] Because oats don't naturally contain gluten, using oat flour in place of wheat flour will change the texture of many baked goods.
- A very small percentage of Celiac patients may experience a negative reaction to oats even though they do not contain gluten.[8]
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EditSources and Citations
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