Let's face it, gluten-free baking isn't exactly a piece of cake.
It can be a challenge trying to retrofit your favorite recipes to gluten-free. The rice flour and tapioca, the xanthan gum, the wondering about different mixing techniques or baking times... Gluten-free baking can quickly become confusing.
Enter Measure for Measure, our brand new gluten-free flour.
Substitute Measure for Measure 1:1 for the all-purpose or whole wheat flour in your favorite recipe. Bake. Enjoy.
That's it. No estimating the amount of xanthan gum; no wondering if you should add an egg, or let the batter rest for awhile, or any of those other tweaks you've gotten used to making when changing a recipe from gluten-full to gluten-free.
Truthfully, I was a bit skeptical when I started testing this flour. I mean, really? I can make my favorite treats gluten-free WITHOUT CHANGING A SINGLE THING – except the flour?
Really. Here's the original version of our Quick and Easy Fudge Brownies, made with all-purpose flour.
And here they are made with Measure for Measure (left), and with all-purpose flour (right), for comparison. Same crust. Same moist texture.
And best of all, same wonderful deep-dark fudgy flavor.
Brownies use very little flour, so they're one of the easiest treats to transition to gluten-free. But how about scones?
Here's our basic scone recipe, gussied up with dried cranberries and sliced almonds.
And here's the same recipe (with sparkling sugar standing in for the almonds) – Measure for Measure version on the left, all-purpose flour on the right.
How about rise and texture?
Measure for Measure on the left; all-purpose flour on the right. The gluten-free scones actually rose a bit higher.
[Confession: Yes, I threw some chocolate chips into the dough, just because.]
Ah, Morning Glory Muffins – in all their delicious whole-grain glory. Let's see what happens when we replace the whole wheat flour in this recipe with Measure for Measure.
Again, Measure for Measure on the left; the original recipe, made with whole wheat flour, on the right.
Rise, texture, flavor? Check, check, check.
And, since Measure for Measure is whole grain, even the nutritional benefits are similar.
Measure for Measure works even when you goof up. Here's our 2015 Recipe of the Year, Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies. They look yummy, right?
That's Measure for Measure on the left, all-purpose flour on the right. This is the first instance where I saw a slight difference in performance; the all-purpose flour cookies browned a bit more than those made with Measure for Measure. But taste, texture... well, by now you know the answer.
PERFECT. Measure for Measure yields results indistinguishable from "the real thing" – your favorite recipes baked with all-purpose or whole-grain flour.
And finally, let's test our moist, dense Golden Vanilla Pound Cake.
Here's the original version, topped with berries; see Six Ways to Dress Up Pound Cake for more great serving suggestions.
And here's the Measure for Measure version (left) stacked up against the all-purpose flour version (right) for comparison.
As always, rise, texture, flavor... well, you simply can't tell one from the other. And that's exactly the point.
Now, there's one caveat: Measure for Measure shouldn't be used in yeast-based recipes (your grandma's dinner roll recipe, The New York Times' no-knead bread, etc.) Gluten-free yeast recipes need a whole different technique than regular yeast recipes. But do go ahead and use Measure for Measure (or our original King Arthur Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour) in yeast recipes written specifically for gluten-free flour: either will work just fine. (Editor's note, April 2023: We nowhave a new product, King Arthur Gluten-Free Bread Flour, made especially for yeasted recipes.)
At the end of a long day of baking, I have one reaction: totally psyched! It's sooooo handy to be able to open any cookbook and change the recipe you want from standard to gluten-free – simply by substituting Measure for Measure.
So whether you're a full-time gluten-free baker, or simply need to make the occasional gluten-free treat, pick up a bag of our new Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour. It's destined to become a pantry must-have.
P.S. I notice a lot of you have asked about making pie crust with Measure for Measure. Yes, you can absolutely make pie crust. It'll be a "short" crust: tender, rather than flaky. The dough should handle easily, and the crust will taste just fine.
Gluten-free flours in general seem to do better in higher-fat crust recipes, so try to use a recipe with more fat, less liquid. When making pie crust, I use fat totaling 75% of the flour weight; e.g., if the crust calls for 2 cups of all-purpose flour (8 1/2 ounces), I use 6 3/8 ounces of fat (8.5 x .75 = 6.375). I then dribble in just enough liquid to make the dough cohesive, not crumbly. For more on this measuring technique used by professional bakers, see our blog post: baker's percentages.
