01
All-Purpose Flour
10.0best for bread1 cup : 7/8 cup
Lighter and grittier; use 3/4 cup AP flour per cup rice flour, loses gluten-free benefit
10.0
rice flour substitute
in bread.
Rice Flour is the structural backbone of Bread, forming the gluten network that traps gas for rise. Your replacement needs comparable protein content.
top substitutes
adjustment for this dish
All-Purpose Flour has 10-12% gluten-forming protein versus rice flour's 0%, so your bread will knead properly and develop a true window pane. Use 0.875 cup APF per cup rice flour and drop hydration to 65%; skip the psyllium binder entirely. Yeast proof is 20 minutes faster because gluten traps gas efficiently from the first rise.
02
Cornstarch
10.0best for bread1/2 cup : 1 cup
Best as thickener sub only
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Cornstarch has zero protein and pure starch, making it a structural disaster for bread at a 1:1 swap — cap it at 0.5 cup per cup rice flour and pair with another binding flour like oat. The loaf will have a softer crumb and thinner crust; add an extra yeast packet to compensate for the sluggish rise.
03
Oat Flour
10.0best for bread1 cup : 1 cup
Not GF; adds slight oat flavor
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Oat Flour brings beta-glucans that mimic gluten's hydration hold but not its stretch, so swap 1:1 by volume and keep the psyllium at 15g per 500g flour. The crumb bakes denser and nuttier; increase autolyse to 60 minutes to let the oat starch fully hydrate before shaping the loaf.
show 6 more substitutes
04
Sorghum Flour
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Neutral GF flour swap
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Sorghum Flour has a higher protein content (11%) than rice flour and contributes mild tannic notes to the crust. Swap 1:1 by volume but reduce hydration to 88% because sorghum absorbs less water. The oven spring will be more pronounced, giving a taller loaf with a slightly sweeter crumb.
05
Millet Flour
10.01 cup : 1 cup
Mild and light, gluten-free; good for flatbreads
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Millet Flour is sweeter and more granular than rice flour, so the crumb turns cake-like without adjustment. Swap 1:1 by volume, add 1 extra tablespoon psyllium per loaf for structure, and shape wet since millet dough is stickier. Score deeper (3/8 inch) because the crust sets firmer.
06
Potato Flour
6.73/4 cup : 1 cup
Heavier; use less to avoid density
6.7
07
Coconut Flour
6.71/4 cup : 1 cup
Very absorbent, use 1/4 cup and add extra egg
6.7
08
Cassava Flour
6.71 cup : 1 cup
Grain-free, similar texture; slightly stickier dough
6.7
09
Cake Flour
6.71 cup : 1 cup
Fine soft flour for delicate bakes; lower protein yields tender crumb, reduce liquid slightly
6.7
technique for bread
technique
Rice flour loaves live or die on hydration because rice starch absorbs roughly 85% of its weight in water versus wheat's 60%, so a loaf baked at wheat-level hydration sets up chalky before the oven spring finishes. Target 95% baker's percentage hydration, autolyse the rice flour with water for 45 minutes to let the starch swell, then fold in a psyllium slurry (15g per 500g flour) to mimic gluten.
Rice flour cannot be kneaded to a window pane — stop mixing when the dough holds a soft peak, roughly 3 minutes. Shape wet, wet your hands, and proof in a Dutch oven to trap steam during the first 20 minutes for a thin crust.
Unlike rice flour in pasta where a rolled sheet needs dryness to hold, rice flour in bread depends on steam and pre-heated 475°F surfaces to set the crumb before the rise collapses. Score 1/4 inch deep immediately before loading so the cut doesn't seal.
pitfalls to avoid
watch out
Avoid kneading rice flour dough past 3 minutes — without gluten there is no window pane to develop, and extra mixing just breaks the starch gel and collapses oven spring.
watch out
Don't skip steam in the first 20 minutes of bake — rice flour crust sets fast and will crack unevenly without a covered Dutch oven or a steam pan on the rack below.
watch out
Measure psyllium by weight (15g per 500g flour), not volume — husk density varies 3x by brand and short-changing it means the loaf has no structure to trap yeast gas during rise.
watch out
Don't score rice flour loaves more than 30 minutes before baking — the wet dough seals cuts back shut, robbing the loaf of directed oven spring.
watch out
Rest shaped loaves at 78°F exactly; rice flour yeast activity drops 40% below 74°F, stalling the proof, and above 82°F the loaf over-proofs before the crumb can set.