You may probably be wondering if what makes potato starch different from other potato flour. When it comes to flour blend mixing and gluten-free baking, you will be encountering various flour types and starches. There are times that these are mixed in just a single recipe as well. But before using these two ingredients, it is essential having an in depth understanding of its uses and properties.
Potato Flour
With regard to potato flour, it is actually made of whole potatoes. This can be in raw or cooked that sometimes even peels are included. Either way, these are dried and pounded into flour which results to a heavy, cream-colored and distinctive potato flour.
With this type of flour, it readily absorbs liquid and works best when incorporated into gluten-free flour blends using small amount. Bear in mind that with a great amount of potato flour in your recipes, expect for a gummy and dense finished product. For an instance, if you add too much potato flour in your muffin, it may not be fully cooked.
Nevertheless, using a smaller quantity of flour can provide a doughy and overly dense product that mimic gums. This can also provide a hearty texture on your baked goods. If you want to make savory gluten-free rolls bread, the potato flour may make it more delicious and tastier. This is what you will find in most gluten free recipes. In addition, this product is good for batter or coating fish. This can also add up a unique flavor and texture on your flour blends.
Potato Starch
This product comes with a very fine “white powder starch” with the same texture of a cornstarch. If you don’t have enough knowledge about this, you might end up creating a cloud in your kitchen. Unlike potato flour, this is made out of “dried starch component” of “peeled potatoes”. It does not have a potato flavor which works in most recipes such as savory or sweet.
As part of the gluten free starch component flour blend, it has the ability to provide a fluffy and light texture on baked goods. In addition, this can also be used as a thickener in sauces, gravies, puddings and custards that usually make use of a cornstarch.
People who usually suffer from corn allergy or grain free diet can benefit from this. Apart from that, potato starch is also allowed during Passover. If you’re utilizing potato starch as a thickener for your liquid such as sauce or gravy, below are some of the useful tips to follow.
- Unlike cornstarch, potato starch used to liquid must never come to boil. This is because it does not thicken properly.
When producing potato starch, it is usually undergoing the process of washing, refining and rasping using a high speed and state of the art machine. The goal is to release starch from the interior of potato with the tuber cells. It extracts starch from potato and refines it again. The end product is the potato starch which often resembles a powder like a cornstarch with neutral flavor.
Both potato flour and potato starch are available in most specialty stores and mainstream markets. Since these two are gluten free foods, these are ideal substitutes to those who suffer from gluten intolerance. However, starch holds minimal nutritional value than potato flour.
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