What is Instant Flour?
As a handy item around the kitchen, instant flour is a type of pregelatinized granular flour that dissolves quickly in any type of liquid. The properties of instant flour make it ideal for use in several applications. Here is some information about the composition of instant flour, as well as a couple of ways to use instant flour while preparing meals.
Instant flour is usually composed of wheat flour that has been pregelatinized and mixed with a small amount of malted barley flour. The result of this blend is that instant flour has a low protein content, and usually has a slightly less acidic taste than is found with cake flour. Because instant flour is a type of flour that dissolves easily, the substance is ideal for just about any application where some form of thickening is desirable.
One common use of instant flour has to do with thickening gravies and sauces. The smooth texture that results from the addition of instant flour means there is less chance of having to deal with the lumps that can result from using plain flour or corn starch as a thickening agent. Since instant flour will dissolve just as readily in cold liquids as it well in hot liquids, it is possible to introduce the flour into the sauce or gravy recipe before beginning to heat any of the ingredients.
Another application of instant flour has to do with thickening the broth for soups and stews. Because it does not take long for the instant flour to integrate with the liquid in the food, it is possible to introduce the flour into the soup or stew shortly before the dish is finished cooking. The smooth and even texture that results from the use of instant flour will help to enhance the enjoyment of any stew or soup.
It is possible to use instant flour in many recipes that call for cake flour. For instance, instant flour works very well when it comes to making pie crusts from scratch. When baked, instant flour only rises slightly, which leaves a thin and flaky crust for the pie. Also, many people prefer the taste of instant flour to that of cake flour, since the less acidic taste tends to not take away from the flavor of the other ingredients in the recipe.
Instant flour is a great item to keep on hand. With uses that range from thickening stews to baking, this versatile flour is a great option that will often help to make food preparation a little easier.
Written by Malcolm Tatum
