Sorghum Flour Muffins

Rice flour.

That’s what I though of when I began pondering my gluten-free baking journey. Every recipe I had seen for gluten-free baked goods included rice flour, along with a variety of other starches, non-wheat flours and thickeners. And I bought them. I have a freezer and pantry that is currently stocked with just about everything I need to make whatever gluten-free flour blend that crosses my path.

And yet … the first time I made a gluten-free flour blend that started with rice flour, it didn’t cooperate like I had hoped. I liked how soft it felt when I pinched a little between my fingers, but when I made a batch of muffins, that softness was there, and not in a good way. The muffins were too delicate, and they didn’t absorb the oil in the recipe. I steeled myself for lots of experimentation in order to get things right.

Then I stumbled upon sorghum flour. I wasn’t even looking for it, but one afternoon we opened a bag of gluten-free pretzels that were the best we’d tasted yet, and I quickly inspected the ingredient list again to see what kind of flour was used. Sorghum was the first item listed, and it triggered a reminder in my brain: one of the gargantuan cookbooks I ordered after C’s diagnosis uses a sorghum flour blend of just three ingredients for all its baked goods. I ordered two bags and started bookmarking recipes.

These muffins are the first thing I’ve baked from 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes. They are a bit sweeter than I would usually like for breakfast, but C has been munching on them for a late-morning snack, so I don’t mind that they taste more like a treat. To that end, I added chocolate chips to half the batter, and I think that dried fruit or nuts would be equally delicious. My only complaint about this recipe is that the muffins I left out overnight got dry very quickly. I recommend freezing any that aren’t eaten the same day. The ones I saved in the freezer were great when thawed at room temperature or zapped for about 15 seconds in the microwave.

Sorghum Flour Blend and Muffins, adapted from 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes, by Carol Fenster

Sorghum Flour Blend (yield: 4 cups)

1 1/2 cup sorghum flour

1 1/2 cup potato OR cornstarch

1 cup tapioca flour

Sorghum Flour Muffins (Yield: 12 muffins)

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk of choice (I used almond)

1/2 cup oil (coconut or sunflower)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/4 cup sorghum flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/ 1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp. salt

1/2-3/4 cup chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit, if desired

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan with oil or line with papers.

In a medium or large bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together except the chocolate/fruit/nuts and make a well in the center. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a mixer or whisk until light and frothy. Add the milk, oil and vanilla and beat until just blended. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and beat together until the batter is smooth and slightly thickened. Gently fold in the chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit if using. Divide evenly into the muffin pan, with each cup about 3/4 full.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until muffin tops are firm and the side start to pull away from the pan. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool briefly before serving.

Written by Abby