Saturday, July 11, 2009

Make Your Own Oat Flour

I use oat flour in a lot of recipes. It gives whole grain baked goods a more delicate texture -- like using cake flour -- and keeps the flavors from getting too wheat-y.
I had no idea it wasn't easy to come by.
I used to be able to find it in bulk or pre-bagged at no fewer than 5 grocery store chains (Fiesta, HEB, Central Market, Whole Foods, and Sun Harvest), the first four of which are Texas-based. I wouldn’t have thought of Texans as particularly oat-flour friendly... but I also wouldn’t have thought it’d be next to impossible to find in the Boston area. In addition to my new local chains, I checked out two geographically distant Carribean grocery stores that I thought would have it --it was in the Carribean section at Fiesta as “oat fufu” -- and didn't. I finally bought some at a food co-op around the corner, but it was poorly ground and has to be sifted before use… and if I have to pay $2.79/lb and sift it myself, I may as well make it at home. It ain't hard.
Recipe: Oat Flour
Process rolled oats in a food processor or blender until pulverized into powder. Sift using a fine mesh strainer over a bowl . Return remaining flakes to machine and process again. Store flour in an airtight container or zippered plastic bag.
[The final product still has more lumps than the prebagged stuff from Arrowhead Mills that you can usually find at Whole Foods, but it'll do the job. Come to think of it, A.M. is based in the Panhandle...]

2 comments:

  1. Please could I have your recipes on what you use oat flour for. My e-mail is adigunstella@hotmail.com
    Stella

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  2. If you type "oat flour" in the "search recipes" field, it'll show you all of the recipes using oat flour. I usually mix it 50-50 with whole wheat flour as an all-purpose substitute.

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