Which Flour is the best for white sauce?

[emmanuelkelvin]

Oh well, i just want to know you guys' views..normally i making white sauce ..just a butter and flour(but i using wheat flour) what about potato,tapioca and some weird flour.. for better creamy soup of mushroom and many more..what about u guys?

[Panaderia Canadiense]

My personal favourite for beschamelles and other white sauces is Quinua flour, which thickens without introducing any "floury" flavours into the sauce. In fact, Quinua gives a nice, subtle nutty hint to the sauce which I'm quite fond of.

For creamy soups, I like plantain flour or in a pinch fecula de achira (canna root starch, similar to true arrowroot). Again, these flours add no discernable floury flavour, but do boost the flavours present in the soup already.

[Jaymes]

My personal favourite for beschamelles and other white sauces is Quinua flour, which thickens without introducing any "floury" flavours into the sauce. In fact, Quinua gives a nice, subtle nutty hint to the sauce which I'm quite fond of.

For creamy soups, I like plantain flour or in a pinch fecula de achira (canna root starch, similar to true arrowroot). Again, these flours add no discernable floury flavour, but do boost the flavours present in the soup already.

You've recommended quinua flour here before on other threads. Have to admit that I was not really familiar with it, but am looking forward to giving it a go, especially in that lemon cake recipe you gave us.

In our family, we've always used Wondra for white gravies and sauces. Also for coating fish before frying.

But one nice thing about eGullet is there's always something new to learn.

[Darienne]

I've never seen quinua flour in our region. Could you grind up quinoa in a coffee mill?

[Norm Matthews]

For the best thickening of cream soups, use an egg yolk over a double boiler. For basic bechamel sauce, all purpose flour will work just fine. Wondra is easier to use because it is an instant flour that blends easier. Potato flour, corn flour(starch) tapioca are thickeners that act differently than the wheat flours I mentioned and are more for thickenen sauces. They do a good job of thickening without the use of fat, but the result won't be a classic French white sauce or Southern style milk gravy but rather more like sauces used in Chinese dishes.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Darienne, I'd think that unless you were willing to really kill your coffee grinder you wouldn't get the same results as using a stone wheel mill or other grain mill. Quinua grains are crazy hard.

[emmanuelkelvin]

My personal favourite for beschamelles and other white sauces is Quinua flour, which thickens without introducing any "floury" flavours into the sauce. In fact, Quinua gives a nice, subtle nutty hint to the sauce which I'm quite fond of.

For creamy soups, I like plantain flour or in a pinch fecula de achira (canna root starch, similar to true arrowroot). Again, these flours add no discernible floury flavour, but do boost the flavours present in the soup already.

Quinua Flour? I never head of it?my area don't have that..i like nutty type for sauce,somehow wheat flour given a smooth sauce without seive-ing and wont get lump easily unless using starch.

[emmanuelkelvin]

For the best thickening of cream soups, use an egg yolk over a double boiler. For basic bechamel sauce, all purpose flour will work just fine. Wondra is easier to use because it is an instant flour that blends easier. Potato flour, corn flour(starch) tapioca are thickeners that act differently than the wheat flours I mentioned and are more for thickenen sauces. They do a good job of thickening without the use of fat, but the result won't be a classic French white sauce or Southern style milk gravy but rather more like sauces used in Chinese dishes.

I agree with you..for thickening of creamy soup but I'm using egg yolk and cream.Maybe you can try it,seems like everyone using wondra as instant flour.I always sieve sauce before adding anything into it..quite difficult to make it cause of lump.Some time egg yolk or kneaded butter can be replaced for it. Most Chinese cuisine using cornstarch for thicken-ing in last end after placing foods on plate.For western,depends how they do it, like ge-glaze sauce by using red wine before add them into meaty

[emmanuelkelvin]

Panaderia Canadiense -Quinoa flour - The first step in preparing unboxed quinoa is to remove the saponins, a process that requires either soaking the grain in water for a few hours, then changing the water and resoaking, or, more simply, rinsing the quinoa in ample running water for several minutes in either a fine strainer or a cheesecloth. Removal of the saponin helps with digestion; the soapy nature of the compound makes it act as a laxative. Most boxed / pre-packaged quinoa, however, has already been pre-rinsed for convenience, and cooking instructions therefore suggest only a brief rinse before cooking, if at all.

Troublesome flour..>.> very much like white rice or couscous although the method is about same..somehow i cant use it since im unfamiliar with it..my area dont sell it unless i have to order from Ecuador or Peru..is it expensive?

[Norm Matthews]

Making bechamel with regular flour is not difficult. Use a tablespoon of butter and a generous tablespoon of flour and cook together a minute or two. Meanwhile heat a cup of milk but do not boil. When the flour and butter is cooked together a short time... for white sauce, don't let it brown... add the milk a little at a time whisking all the while until all it is all mixed together, bring to a simmer and it will thicken. Add more milk if you want it to be thinner. Add salt and pepper and a touch of chicken base if you want it to be a Southern style milk dinner gravy.

Edited June 26, 2011 by Norm Matthews (log)

[Jan Virtanen]

Is there a way to make good bechamel without grains as starch, would like to know,

for gluten free and no grains guests?

[Norm Matthews]

There is no gluten in corn starch, potato flour, or arrowroot. You can thicken a sauce with any of those but they won't be exactly the same as classic bechamel.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Panaderia Canadiense -Quinoa flour - The first step in preparing unboxed quinoa is to remove the saponins, a process that requires either soaking the grain in water for a few hours, then changing the water and resoaking, or, more simply, rinsing the quinoa in ample running water for several minutes in either a fine strainer or a cheesecloth. Removal of the saponin helps with digestion; the soapy nature of the compound makes it act as a laxative. Most boxed / pre-packaged quinoa, however, has already been pre-rinsed for convenience, and cooking instructions therefore suggest only a brief rinse before cooking, if at all.

Troublesome flour..>.> very much like white rice or couscous although the method is about same..somehow i cant use it since im unfamiliar with it..my area dont sell it unless i have to order from Ecuador or Peru..is it expensive?

I've never thought of quinua as being hard to find - even in Canada my local specialty shops stocked both the grain and the flour, and certainly down here I'm not lacking.

I pay about $1.60 USD for 500g prepackaged bags of flour from the mill about 15 blocks from my house (I do love living in this city!) All quinua is washed before being milled; I can buy unwashed grains at the market, or washed ones, and generally I opt for the washed because I'm a lazy bum. Ecuador is the world's largest supplier of quinua flour, so if it's going to be in specialty markets, it's most likely from here.

For whole grains, which I like mixed with wild rice, thrown into soups, and incorporated in to wholegrain breads, they're about $2.00 for 500g prepackaged bags (I have no idea why they're more expensive than the flour, but there you go!) I can get both grains and milled quinua at the bulk markets, but I can't ship bulk bags out of country as they have no sanitary registry.

I can ship you a couple of the storebought bags if you're interested in trying it, though.

[kayb]

I use a combo of cornstarch and soy flour when cooking anything with a white sauce when my daughter, who has a gluten allergy, is around. When it's just the rest of us, it's King Arthur A/P, which is my standard flour.

[emmanuelkelvin]

Panaderia Canadiense -Quinoa flour - The first step in preparing unboxed quinoa is to remove the saponins, a process that requires either soaking the grain in water for a few hours, then changing the water and resoaking, or, more simply, rinsing the quinoa in ample running water for several minutes in either a fine strainer or a cheesecloth. Removal of the saponin helps with digestion; the soapy nature of the compound makes it act as a laxative. Most boxed / pre-packaged quinoa, however, has already been pre-rinsed for convenience, and cooking instructions therefore suggest only a brief rinse before cooking, if at all.

Troublesome flour..>.> very much like white rice or couscous although the method is about same..somehow i cant use it since im unfamiliar with it..my area dont sell it unless i have to order from Ecuador or Peru..is it expensive?

I've never thought of quinua as being hard to find - even in Canada my local specialty shops stocked both the grain and the flour, and certainly down here I'm not lacking.

I pay about $1.60 USD for 500g prepackaged bags of flour from the mill about 15 blocks from my house (I do love living in this city!) All quinua is washed before being milled; I can buy unwashed grains at the market, or washed ones, and generally I opt for the washed because I'm a lazy bum. Ecuador is the world's largest supplier of quinua flour, so if it's going to be in specialty markets, it's most likely from here.

For whole grains, which I like mixed with wild rice, thrown into soups, and incorporated in to wholegrain breads, they're about $2.00 for 500g prepackaged bags (I have no idea why they're more expensive than the flour, but there you go!) I can get both grains and milled quinua at the bulk markets, but I can't ship bulk bags out of country as they have no sanitary registry.

I can ship you a couple of the storebought bags if you're interested in trying it, though.

maybe guinua is only available in western countries or not for eastern countries..I am not sure..just that is being hard to find unless get from canada..i love Canada.. weird..i thought flour is supposed to be more expensive than grains..since there is shortage of flour..Thanks..I'm like to try new ingredient to explore world of foods around me.. hee i also can ship you some ingredients which cant found in canada..maybe some chinese sauce or something...just let me know..

[emmanuelkelvin]

I use a combo of cornstarch and soy flour when cooking anything with a white sauce when my daughter, who has a gluten allergy, is around. When it's just the rest of us, it's King Arthur A/P, which is my standard flour.

does your daughter suffer from lactose intolerance? ya.. soy flour is gluten free..or u can find gluten free flour package..something like that.just to save some cost but quality is important too.. All the best!!maybe we can exchange more gluten-free recipe

[Panaderia Canadiense]

maybe quinua is only available in western countries or not for eastern countries..I am not sure..just that is being hard to find unless get from canada..i love Canada.. weird..i thought flour is supposed to be more expensive than grains..since there is shortage of flour..Thanks..I'm like to try new ingredient to explore world of foods around me.. hee i also can ship you some ingredients which cant found in canada..maybe some chinese sauce or something...just let me know..

Maybe it does come down to location, location, location. Amaranth is a very similar "grain" which is cultivated in Nepal, but the flavour is widely different between Amaranth (slightly bitter) and Quinua (smooth and nutty). The costs for flour vs. whole grain don't make a whole lot of sense to me either, and I only see it with quinua. Other flours, including machica/tsampa (roasted barley), black corn, and morocho, are much more expensive than the whole grains.

I'd love to do an ingredient exchange - you have access to a whole range of dried mushrooms that I've been sorely missing here, good jasmine tea, and King To Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa in the red boxes!