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We all have some knowledge about flour, but pastry flour is still a strange concept. What is pastry flour and what delicious dishes can pastry flour make? Let's find out with Mytour right away!
1. What is pastry flour?
Essentially, pastry flour exists widely in our lives, we just don't pay attention to its nature. From a scientific perspective, pastry flour is a type of carbohydrate found in various grains, fruits, and vegetables. Just one word differentiates pastry flour from regular flour. While regular flour primarily comes from wheat, pastry flour is extracted from a wider range of crops.
The characteristics of wheat starch include providing a sticky, dense, elastic texture, somewhat reminiscent of glue. Additionally, processed wheat starch can form a gel-like or fibrous structure, hence it is often used to enhance the effectiveness of sauces, desserts, etc.
Image source: Collected
2. Common types of wheat starch
There are numerous types of wheat starch, but only a few are widely applied in 'culinary life':
- Corn starch: Has a light, airy texture, minimal starchy odor, often used to make effective sauces as it doesn't separate water.
- Rice starch: Made from rice, gluten-free, quite dense and commonly added to dishes for crispiness.
- Potato starch: Enhances elasticity, stickiness for sauce similar to corn starch.
- Tapioca flour: Also a form of wheat starch made from cassava roots. Tapioca flour, when cooked, has a beautifully clear, glossy consistency, doubling the thickness of regular flour.
- Arrowroot flour: Made from arrowroot tubers, odorless, has a thickening ability similar to tapioca flour.
3. Some delicious dishes made from wheat starch
Making sauces with wheat starch is no longer a novelty. So today, let's explore some more exotic and delicious dishes made from wheat starch!
3.1. Steamed sponge cake
Ingredients
- 400g rice flour
- 9g yeast
- 6g baking powder
- 400ml coconut milk
- Salt, sugar, vanilla extract
Preparation
Step 1: Cook the coconut milk
You cook the coconut milk together with ¼ teaspoon salt, 125g sugar. Turn on the stove to medium heat and stir gently until the sugar and salt dissolve. When the coconut milk boils, turn off the heat.
Step 2: Mix the flour
First, you need to activate the yeast in 125ml warm water. Remember to add a bit of sugar and cover tightly for about 7 minutes. After this step, you can add the rice flour, pour in the cooked coconut milk slowly while stirring continuously. Finally, add vanilla and wrap tightly, let the dough rest for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Step 3: Steam the sponge cake
You need a mold that fits the steamer pot. First, heat the steamer, grease the cake mold and place it in the pot. When the mold is hot, pour the mixed batter into it, cover with a cloth before putting on the lid to prevent steam from ruining the cake. Cook the cake over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until done.
Finished product
The sponge cake is white, soft on the outside, fluffy inside, with the characteristic flavor of coconut milk. The texture of the cake is not too dense, so you can enjoy it throughout the day without feeling overwhelmed.
Image source: Collected
3.2. Steamed banana cake
Ingredients
- 1 kg ripe bananas
- 300g tapioca flour
- 60g rice flour
- 1 can coconut milk
- 150g sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- Roasted peanuts
- 250ml warm water
- 170ml filtered water
- Salt
Preparation
Step 1: Preparing
Peel the bananas, soak them in diluted saltwater to prevent browning. After 10 minutes, rinse again, drain, and slice into 0.5cm pieces.
Step 2: Mixing the batter
The batter recipe includes tapioca flour + turmeric powder + sugar and warm water according to the given formula. Don't forget to add a pinch of salt for a richer flavor. Stir well to dissolve the flour and strain once. After achieving a smooth, sticky batter, gently mix in the bananas, gently fold once more to blend the two ingredients.
Step 3: Steaming the cake
Prepare the cake mold and brush a layer of cooking oil onto it, add parchment paper, then pour the banana cake batter mixture in. Next, simply place the mold on the steamer. Note that the steamer pot must be brought to a boil beforehand. Finally, cover the steamer with a clean cloth and steam the cake for 60 minutes to complete.
Step 4: Making coconut sauce
The banana cake will be even more delicious when served with a smooth, fragrant, sweet coconut sauce. The method is also very simple. Soak rice flour for 1 hour, then cook with water for 15 minutes, let it rest for another 10 minutes, then strain. Mix coconut cream, filtered water, 100g sugar, and a pinch of salt, cook over low heat until the coconut cream boils, then add the rice flour. Simmer for a final time until the sauce thickens, then you can turn off the heat.
Finished product
Steamed banana cake is placed on a plate and cut into small pieces, served with coconut sauce and sprinkled with roasted peanuts for the best taste. When you eat, you will feel the light fragrance of banana, blending with the rich coconut cream. The chewy texture, melting in the mouth, is perfect for enjoying on warm afternoons.
Image source: Collected
3.3. Korean Rice Cake
Ingredients
- 60g rice flour
- 250g glutinous rice flour
- 30g tapioca flour
- 6g salt
- 230ml warm water
Preparation
Step 1: Mixing the flour
Create a mixture consisting of rice flour, glutinous rice flour, tapioca flour, and salt according to the formula above. Mix all ingredients evenly, then add warm water, use your hands to knead the dough into a cohesive mass. Knead the dough according to the pressing, squeezing, folding, repeating the movements for 15 minutes to create a successful mass. The standard dough mass will be soft, elastic, and smooth, with no lumps of flour.
Step 2: Shaping the dough
Roll the dough to form a long strip, evenly sized, then cut into small pieces about 1 finger wide.
Step 3: Boiling the cakes
Bring a pot of water to a boil with a little cooking oil, then add the rice cakes. Boil for 5 minutes until the cakes are cooked, then scoop them into cold water to prevent sticking. Once the cakes are cool, remove them to drain.
Finished product
The rice cakes are white, soft, chewy, and delicious, whether you serve them with sauce or fry them, or even coat them with cheese. Even if you don't eat them immediately, you can store them in the refrigerator and enjoy them later. When you want to eat them, just boil some water and briefly boil the cakes again, then you can enjoy them as usual.
Image source: Collected
Hopefully, through the Mytour Blog article, you can understand what tapioca flour is and how to use this type of flour. Don't forget to try out some delicious dishes with tapioca flour and let us know your thoughts!
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