What Is Gluten flour and How Can I Use It?

Gluten flour is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store it, what to substitute, and 138 recipes to get you started.

What is gluten flour?

Gluten flour, sold today mostly as wheat gluten, is not really a flour for baking on its own. It is wheat flour with the starch washed away, leaving an almost pure concentrate of the protein that builds structure in bread.

That makes it a booster, not a base.

A spoonful stirred into a recipe adds the chew and elasticity that low-protein flours cannot reach by themselves. It runs around 75 to 80 percent protein, where bread flour is only 12 to 14 percent.

For the basics of flour protein and measuring, see the main flour page.

How to Use Gluten Flour

The everyday job is strengthening dough. Whole grain, rye, and oat flours all dilute the gluten that holds a loaf together, so a tablespoon or two per cup of those weaker flours gives the dough enough structure to trap gas and rise tall.

That is why it shows up in dense multigrain machine breads like a Quaker Multigrain or an Oat-Wheat Bagel Bread, where the heavy grains would otherwise bake into a brick.

Add it sparingly. Stir it in with the dry flour so it disperses evenly before any water hits, then knead as usual.

Its other life is seitan, the chewy meat-like vegetarian protein made by hydrating gluten flour into a stiff dough, then simmering or steaming it. Here the gluten is the whole dish, not an additive.

Working With It and Common Mistakes

The one rule worth tattooing on the bag is restraint. Gluten flour is potent, and the usual booster dose is about 1 tablespoon per cup of base flour, never a cup-for-cup swap.

Overdo it and the bread turns tough and rubbery rather than chewy and open. More gluten is not more rise; past a point it just makes a tight crumb that fights back when you bite it.

It also drinks water.

Gluten flour absorbs a lot of liquid, so a dough with added gluten often needs a splash more water and a slightly longer rest to hydrate fully.

For seitan, the opposite mistake is underworking. Knead the dough firmly to develop that springy network, since a barely-mixed batch comes out crumbly and pasty instead of meaty.

Substitutes

If a bread recipe calls for a spoonful of gluten flour and you have none, the simplest fix is to swap your all-purpose flour for bread flour, which carries more protein already and covers part of the gap.

There is no clean substitute for seitan, since the recipe is essentially pure gluten. Some cooks blend in a little chickpea flour for flavor, but the gluten itself cannot be replaced and still give that meaty chew.

Going the other direction, gluten flour cannot stand in for regular flour. With almost no starch, it will not behave like a flour in a cake or a cookie.

Buying and Storing

Look for it labeled wheat gluten in the baking aisle near the specialty flours and yeast. A little goes a long way, so a small bag lasts a long time.

Because the starch and most of the oils are gone, it keeps very well. Store it sealed and cool like any flour, and it holds its strength for a year or more. See the flour hub for general storage notes.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Food group: Gluten flour is a member of the Cereal Grains and Pasta US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

筋面粉

British (UK) term

Gluten flour

en français

farine de gluten

en español

harina de gluten

How much does gluten flour weigh?

Related

Cereal Grains and Pasta

Recipes using gluten flour

There are 138 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Refried Beans & Cheese Bread

This bread can either accompany or replace the Southwestem breakfast staple of refried beans topped with cheese or wrapped in a flour tortilla.

Golden Wheat Pancakes

Golden wheat pancakes are vegan, egg-free, dairy-free flapjacks built on whole wheat pastry flour, oat flour, and wheat germ. Sweetened with brown rice syrup, topped with fresh fruit and maple.

Marti's Whole Wheat Bread

Bread machine whole wheat bread sweetened with honey and softened with yogurt. Vital wheat gluten keeps this whole grain loaf light and tender instead of dense. Just measure, press start, and bake.

Almost Whole Wheat Bread

Almost whole wheat bread combines whole-wheat flour, bread flour, gluten flour, and instant potato flakes for a soft, fiber-rich bread machine sandwich loaf. The two-thirds whole-grain hybrid that actually rises.

Tasty Waffles with Mocha Mix

Dairy-light waffles use Mocha Mix non-dairy creamer in place of milk for a richer, slightly sweeter waffle. Cream of wheat and a touch of gluten flour give crisp edges and a tender, custardy interior.

Yummy Whole Wheat Bread

Bread machine whole wheat bread, a 100% stone-ground loaf lightened with added vital wheat gluten and sweetened with honey so it rises soft instead of dense. Dump the ingredients in and let the machine do the work.

Almost Non-Fat Banana Bread Muffins

Brighten up your mornings with these delicious muffins that are perfect to take with you to work.

Best White Bread

Tender sandwich bread with a tight crumb, perfect for toast or sandwiches. Vital wheat gluten creates structure for sky-high rise and soft texture that rivals bakery loaves.

Crusty Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Bread machine whole wheat honey bread with bran and vital wheat gluten for a hearty, crusty loaf. Dump in the ingredients, press start, and walk away.

French Baguette Mix recipe for bread machine

When using any other flour but white, substitute one tablespoon of gluten flour* for regular flour. You can use mixed grains, bran, flax, whole wheat flour, rye flour. Just be sure to adjust the gluten. 100% whole wheat does not turn out too well.

Oat Bran Wonder (bread machine)

Hearty oat bran bread made in a bread machine with whole wheat flour, oatmeal, molasses, and honey. Dense, nutty, and fiber-packed, this loaf is wholesome comfort in every slice.

Vegetarian Italian Sausage (Seitan)

I was out of Tofurkey Italian Sausage tonight and needed to substitute something else because I can't buy it. I had a cupboard full of Bob's Vital Wheat Gluten and some TVP, so I figured I'd try making it. When my hubby came home, he tried it and immediately said "Write it down! Write it down!" I guess he liked it!

Basic Buttermilk Whole Wheat Bread

Basic buttermilk whole wheat bread is a hands-off bread machine loaf with 100% whole wheat flour, tangy buttermilk, and vital wheat gluten for proper rise and tender crumb.

Dak's Whole Grain Oat Bread

Dak's whole grain oat bread baked in the bread machine with whole wheat flour, bran, rolled oats, wheat germ, applesauce, and egg whites. A lean, high-fiber loaf with no added oil or butter.

Bread Machine Pumpkin & Raisin Bread

Bread machine pumpkin raisin bread is a soft, golden yeast loaf packed with canned pumpkin, plump raisins, and warming ginger and cinnamon. Wheat germ adds nutty depth. Dump, press start, walk away.

100% Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Making your own pizza dough may take you some time, but it's well worth the efforts. When you make the pizza with freshly-made whole wheat pizza dough, it's going to double the deliciousness plus it is actually packed with good-for-you goodness!

Brooklyn Bagels

Brooklyn bagels: chewy, shiny New York-style bagels made the real way, with a stiff high-gluten dough boiled in barley-malt water before baking. Hand-shaped, egg-washed, and seriously chewy.

New York Bialy's

New York bialys are the lesser-known cousin of the bagel: chewy yeast rolls with a poppy-seed and onion crater pressed into the center. No boiling, just bake until burnished. A Lower East Side breakfast tradition done right at home.

Buckwheat Oat Bread

A simple but delicious bread that tastes amazing plain, as toast or sandwiches.

Orange Spice Bread

Orange spice bread machine recipe with whole wheat flour, cinnamon, orange juice, and marmalade. A warmly spiced, lightly sweet loaf with citrus flavor baked right into the crumb.

Pizza with Tuna, Basil, & Pine Nuts

Tuna pizza with homemade dough, fresh tomato sauce, pine nuts, and basil. An Italian-style pizza from scratch with a slow-rise crust and Mediterranean toppings.

Pumpkin Date Nut Bread - ABM

Pumpkin date nut bread for the bread machine combines pumpkin pie filling, whole wheat flour, warm spices, walnuts, and chopped dates. Hands-off yeast loaf on the fruit and nut cycle.

Garbanzo Parsnip Gnocchi

Deep-fried garbanzo parsnip gnocchi made with chickpea flour, parsnips, and gluten flour. Vegetarian gnocchi with a crispy shell, served with homemade tomato sauce.

Whole Wheat Popcorn Bread

A fat-free whole wheat bread machine loaf with real popped popcorn kneaded right into the dough. Honey-sweetened with a subtle corn flavor and a surprisingly tender crumb.

Cinnamon Soy Rolls

Dairy-free overnight cinnamon rolls made with soy flour and mashed tofu in place of milk and butter. Pillowy yeast dough filled with brown sugar, raisins, and cinnamon.

Yogurt & Pumpkin Bread - ABM

This recipe makes a dense, small loaf, with much the consistency of a bagel, but very good. It is a cross between pumpkin pie and raisin bread.

Sourdough Onion Rye

Sourdough onion rye bread made in a bread machine with rye flour, whole wheat, diced onions, and honey. Includes small, medium, and large loaf sizes with optional anise or caraway.

Sourdough Onion Rye

Sourdough onion rye bread made in a bread machine with rye flour, whole wheat, diced onions, and honey. Includes small, medium, and large loaf sizes with optional anise or caraway.

Sourdough Onion Rye

Sourdough onion rye bread made in a bread machine with rye flour, whole wheat, diced onions, and honey. Includes small, medium, and large loaf sizes with optional anise or caraway.

Natural All Wheat Bread

100% whole wheat bread for the bread machine sweetened with honey. Added vital wheat gluten keeps the loaf light and tall despite using all whole wheat flour. Just six ingredients.

Sourdough Onion Rye Abm

Sourdough onion rye for the bread machine combines sourdough starter with whole wheat and rye flours, diced onion, honey or molasses, and caraway or star anise. A dense, tangy deli-style loaf that anchors a corned beef sandwich.

Sourdough Onion Rye Abm

Sourdough onion rye for the bread machine combines sourdough starter with whole wheat and rye flours, diced onion, honey or molasses, and caraway or star anise. A dense, tangy deli-style loaf that anchors a corned beef sandwich.

Light Pumpernickel

Light pumpernickel bread machine loaf blends rye and bread flour with cocoa, molasses, and caraway seeds. A softer, lighter take on traditional dark German pumpernickel.

Hearty Oatmeal Loaf

Whole wheat oatmeal bread machine loaf sweetened with honey, apple juice, and orange juice concentrate. A hearty, no-knead bread with added vital wheat gluten for rise.

Tomato Basil Bread

Tomato basil bread machine loaf made with whole wheat flour, tomato juice, honey, and vital wheat gluten. A savory, herb-scented yeast bread with no oil or butter.

Poppyseed Onion Bialys

This bialy recipe stands on its own—a round yeast bun with a depressed middle filled with onions and poppy seeds. Sometimes known as Bialystok Kuchen.

N.Y.Cima Roll

A vegan cima roll: pureed tofu wrapped around a colorful filling of seitan, spinach, roasted red peppers, pistachios, and peas, then steamed into a sliceable log. Plant-based Italian showpiece.

Oat Carrot Bran Bread

Bread machine oat carrot bran bread with grated carrots, rolled oats, oat flour, bran, cinnamon, and applesauce. A high-fiber loaf with natural sweetness.

Valerie's Very Own Rye Bread

A dark, earthy bread machine rye with caraway seeds, molasses, and a touch of cocoa for deep color and flavor. Just load the machine and press start for a fragrant homemade loaf.

Pretzels & Beer Bread

Bread machine beer bread studded with broken pretzel sticks for a salty crunch in every slice. Made with light beer, bread flour, and a touch of ginger for a pub-inspired loaf.

Green Grocers' Oat Bran Bread

Bread machine oat bran bread made with whole wheat flour, rolled oats, vegetable juice cocktail, and fresh parsley for a hearty, fiber-rich loaf with a savory twist.

Molasses Wheat Bread

Molasses wheat bread for the bread machine with whole wheat flour, powdered buttermilk, Grape-Nuts cereal, and vital wheat gluten. A tall, soft loaf with deep, earthy sweetness.

Chilie Cheese Bread

Bread machine chile cheese bread with sharp cheddar and diced green chiles. Dump-and-press yeast loaf, soft crumb, spicy-savory, ready in one hour.

Sour Rye with Carraway Seeds (Vegan)

Vegan sour rye bread with caraway seeds, sourdough starter, rye flour, and gluten flour for a chewy, tangy loaf. Works by hand or in a bread machine. Freezes well.

Swedish Rye

Swedish rye bread for the bread machine with rye flour, molasses, orange zest, and brown sugar. Dump the ingredients in, press start, and walk away.

Joyce's Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Bread machine cinnamon raisin bread with whole wheat flour, buttermilk, and vital wheat gluten. Hearty, soft, and loaded with cinnamon throughout every slice.

Bread Machine Pretzel & Beer Bread

Salty pretzel sticks and light beer come together in this easy bread machine loaf with a crispy crust and soft, chewy crumb. A hint of ginger and baking soda gives it that classic pretzel-shop flavor right from your countertop.

Soysage (Vegan)

Homemade vegan sausage (soysage) made from soybeans, kombu, oats, gluten flour, and classic sausage spices like sage, fennel, and cayenne. Steamed until firm and sliceable.

Robert P Pearson's Giant Wonder

A hearty, spiced bread loaf bursting with cinnamon, raisins, and a unique blend of cornmeal and cereal for texture. This 33-ounce giant wonder combines sweet and savory notes with a tender crumb, perfect for slicing and enjoying as toast or a sandwich base.

Whole Wheat Yogurt Rye Bread

Whole wheat yogurt rye bread for the bread machine: a hearty multigrain loaf with whole wheat, dark rye, and tangy yogurt. Dense, nutty, and ideal for sandwiches or toast.

All 138 recipes