Rice flour is finely milled rice used principally in gluten-free baking or as a dusting powder in commercial scale baking operations. Starch is the most important fraction of this flour and is detrimental to its functionality in food systems such as baking, noodles, gravies, crackers and many others.
Rice flour, either brown or refined, is used in gluten-free baking as a key ingredient for polymeric network formation and as dusting powder for high hydration doughs to prevent dough stickup.
Rice flour is used as an alternative to wheat flour in gluten-free baked goods. Bread produced with this ingredient has lower loaf volume, harder texture, and shorter shelf life.
When used in gluten-free bread, it is important to use it in combination with other flours, starches, gums, and enzymes to help mimic the gluten matrix and improve water absorption.
Composition of rice flour starch compared to wheat flour starch
| Flour Type | Amylose (% of starch) | Amylopectin (% of starch) | Gelatinization Range (°C / °F) | Granule Diameter (microns) | Granule Diameter (microns) |
| Wheat | 25 | 75 | 58-64 | 1-45 | Round, lenticular |
| Rice (long grain, white) | 23-26 | 74-77 | 71-74 | 3-8 |
Compound
Polygonal granule |
| Rice (short grain, white) | 18-20 | 80-82 | 65-67 | 3-8 |
Compound
Polygonal granule |
| Glutinous rice | 1-2-3 | 97-98.8 | 58-67 | 1-7 |
Irregular
Polyhedral granule |
White rice production involves dehulling and tempering prior to milling to remove its bran. Enriching is done for table rice, but not for rice flour production unless required by the customer.
There are several milling options available, yielding different particle sizes, textures, and starch content. While ash content is detrimental in wheat flour dry milling, the lipid content is monitored for evaluating the degree of rice flour milling. Here is a process flow diagram for dry rice milling:
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