Best GF Flour Blends for Kiwi Baking

The best gluten free flour blends in NZ typically combine rice flour, tapioca starch, and maize starch to replicate the texture of wheat. Top-rated options for Kiwi bakers include Edmonds Gluten Free Plain Flour for general baking and Bakels Gluten Free Baking Mix for breads, though checking for xanthan gum content is crucial for structural integrity.

For those navigating the aisles of New World, Pak’nSave, or Woolworths, the sheer variety of gluten free flour blends in NZ can be overwhelming. Whether you are a newly diagnosed coeliac or a seasoned gluten-free baker looking to perfect your Afghan biscuits, choosing the right blend is the difference between a culinary triumph and a crumbly disaster. This guide breaks down the chemical composition, performance, and best use cases for the flour blends available on the New Zealand market today.

What are the top Gluten Free Flour Blends in NZ?

When sourcing gluten free flour blends NZ wide, you are generally choosing between starch-heavy commercial mixes and protein-enriched artisan blends. The “Holy Grail” of gluten-free baking is a blend that mimics the elasticity and crumb structure of wheat flour without the gritty aftertaste often associated with rice flour.

Edmonds Gluten Free Plain Flour

As a staple in almost every Kiwi pantry, Edmonds has a significant market share. Their standard GF blend relies heavily on a mix of maize starch, rice flour, and tapioca starch.

Pros: Extremely accessible and affordable. It has a neutral flavour profile that works exceptionally well for thickening sauces and gravies.

Cons: It can be slightly gritty in delicate sponges if not hydrated properly. It often requires the addition of a binder like xanthan gum for baking.

Bakels Gluten Free Baking Mixes

Bakels is a heavyweight in the commercial baking sector in New Zealand. Their retail packs are often formulated with more complex emulsifiers and stabilisers.

Pros: High reliability. These blends are engineered to be robust, making them excellent for beginners who want a guaranteed rise.

Cons: The ingredient list is longer and less “natural” than organic options, often containing various vegetable gums and modified starches.

Ceres Organics & Bob’s Red Mill

Found in the health food aisle or stores like Huckleberry, these are premium options. Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour is a favourite internationally and is widely available in NZ.

Pros: Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 includes sweet rice flour, which helps create a moister crumb. Ceres offers pure flours allowing for custom blending.

Cons: Significantly more expensive than supermarket home brands.

Countdown/Woolworths Free From

The budget-friendly option. This blend is usually a standard rice and maize mix.

Pros: Cost-effective for bulk baking.

Cons: Inconsistent results in high-hydration recipes like bread; best reserved for cookies or slices where structure is less critical.

How do I choose the best flour for cakes vs. breads?

One of the biggest misconceptions in the coeliac community is that an “All-Purpose” gluten free blend can truly do it all. The structural requirements of a light sponge cake are vastly different from a rustic loaf of bread.

For Cakes and Biscuits (Low Protein)

When baking cakes, muffins, or biscuits (like the classic Kiwi Melting Moment), you want a lower protein content to ensure tenderness. Wheat flour develops gluten strands that can make cakes tough; GF flour naturally avoids this, but can become gummy if too much starch is present.

Recommendation: Look for blends where Rice Flour is the primary ingredient, balanced with Tapioca Starch. The tapioca adds a slight chewiness and helps with browning. For cakes, a finer grind is essential to avoid a sandy texture.

For Breads and Pizza Bases (High Structure)

Bread requires structure to hold the gas bubbles created by yeast. Without gluten, you need a blend that uses hydrocolloids (gums) and higher protein flours to mimic that elasticity.

Recommendation: Blends that include Sorghum, Buckwheat, or Soy flour are superior for bread. These heavier flours provide the protein scaffolding necessary for a loaf to rise and hold its shape. If you use a pure starch blend (like just cornflour and rice flour) for bread, it will likely collapse into a dense brick. In NZ, the Bakels Artisan range or imported blends specifically labelled for “Bread” are preferable to standard “Plain Flour” blends.

What is the role of Xanthan Gum in NZ flour blends?

Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide that acts as the “glue” in gluten-free baking. In the absence of gluten protein, xanthan gum binds the ingredients together and traps air.

Check the Label First

Before adding xanthan gum to your mixture, you must check the ingredients list of your chosen gluten free flour blend NZ.

Pre-mixed: Brands like Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 and some Edmonds mixes already contain xanthan gum. Adding more can result in a “gummy” or slimy texture that feels undercooked even when it isn’t.

Gum-Free: Many organic or basic blends (like Ceres) do not contain gums. This is actually an advantage for pastry, where you want a crumbly texture, but for cakes and breads, you must add it manually.

Recommended Ratios for Manual Addition

If your blend has no gum, use the following guidelines per cup of GF flour:

Cookies/Biscuits: 1/4 teaspoon
Cakes/Pancakes: 1/2 teaspoon
Muffins/Quick Breads: 3/4 teaspoon
Yeast Breads/Pizza Dough: 1 to 1.5 teaspoons

User Reviews and Baking Results: The Kiwi Classics Test

To determine the true commercial value of these blends, we analyse how they perform in three quintessential New Zealand recipes: The Scone, The Afghan Biscuit, and The Sponge.

1. The Cheese Scone Test

Winner: Edmonds Gluten Free Self Raising Flour.

Why: Scones need to be light but substantial. The pre-mixed raising agents in the Edmonds blend seem perfectly calibrated for the weight of the rice flour. Users report that cheaper maize-heavy blends resulted in scones that were too dry and crumbled immediately upon buttering.

2. The Afghan Biscuit Test

Winner: Healtheries Gluten Free Baking Mix.

Why: Afghans are naturally dense and rely on cornflakes for crunch. The Healtheries mix, which is often slightly coarser, complements the texture of the cornflakes well. It holds the cocoa powder without drying out the mixture, a common complaint with finer tapioca-heavy blends.

3. The Victoria Sponge Test

Winner: Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour.

Why: While more expensive, the inclusion of sweet rice flour provided a moistness that local maize-based blends struggled to match. The sponge rose evenly and, crucially, did not stale as quickly as the others. For a special occasion cake, the extra cost is justified.

How to fix common Gluten Free baking problems?

Even with the best gluten free flour blends NZ has to offer, things can go wrong. Here is how to salvage your bake.

Problem: The center is gummy or wet

Cause: Too much liquid or too much xanthan gum. GF flour absorbs water differently than wheat flour.

Fix: Lower the oven temperature by 10°C and bake for 10-15 minutes longer. This allows the moisture to evaporate without burning the outside. Next time, try reducing the liquid content slightly.

Problem: The bake is dry and crumbly

Cause: Not enough fat or lack of binding agents.

Fix: Gluten-free flours are “thirsty.” Ensure you are weighing your flour rather than scooping, as compacted GF flour leads to dry results. Adding an extra egg yolk or a tablespoon of sour cream can introduce necessary fats to tenderise the crumb.

Problem: Gritty texture

Cause: Coarse rice flour.

Fix: Let your batter rest for 30 minutes before baking. This hydrates the rice flour grains, softening them before they hit the heat. This is a game-changer for muffins and pancakes.