KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, US — A specific taste, say nutty, may appeal to some consumers. Others may notice nutritional claims on packaging and sustainability issues are rising concerns. All three characteristics give bakeries cause to consider using alternative flours, including those from ancient grains.

The product portfolio in the Emerging Nutrition segment of Denver, Colorado, US-based Ardent Mills features flours made from alternative grains like quinoa and sorghum that give a product additional nutritional benefits and flavor profiles, said Shrene White, general manager of Emerging Nutrition.

“According to Ardent Mills proprietary research, 85% of consumers are interested in alternative grains because of their nutritional and functional benefits,” she said.

The case for sorghum

Consumers often associate sorghum with iron, protein and other vitamins and minerals, said Paula LaBine, marketing director for Chicago, Illinois, US-based ADM.

“Specifically, our HarvestEdge gold sorghum is a special white variety of ancient grain that delivers a nuttier, sweeter flavor profile,” she said. “Our sorghum can also enhance the chewy texture of certain baked goods, making it a fantastic addition to multigrain products like bread, cereals, crackers and cookies. It can be toasted to replicate the taste of wheat flour, elevating the sensory experience of gluten-free products.”

Formulations may require adjustments when working with sorghum flour. Texture-focused systems have been shown to remedy texture issues caused by a lack of gluten, LaBine said. Adding tapioca starch, pea protein and/or soy protein alongside sorghum flour helps create pillowy, soft or chewy flatbreads, she added.

Sorghum flour offers a neutral flavor profile that pairs well with a variety of flavors, said Kathy Lawson, principal R&D scientist for Ardent Mills. The flour often is formulated into mildly-flavored baked foods like bread, cakes and cookies.

Individual flours have their own physical, chemical, functional and sensory properties, noted Laurie Scanlin, R&D scientist for Ardent Mills.

“For example, substituting one alternative grain for another in pizza crust may affect water absorption and particle size leading to differences in dough rheology, handling and processing,” she said. “A key consideration when working with alternative flours is that most lack wheat gluten or have weak gluten properties. Therefore, formula and processing adjustments need to be made with this in mind. Additionally, since many of these alternative flours are whole grain, formulators should be aware of a potential reduction in shelf life, especially as compared to refined flours.”

Besides sorghum, ADM offers other alternative flours. A HarvestEdge gold keto-friendly flour may be used in pizza crusts, bread, pancakes, biscuits, tortillas and crackers. A NutriStem range features alternative flours containing beans and other pulse powders like black bean, chickpeas and navy beans as well as milled ancient grain and seed products like quinoa, barley, hemp and flax.

Grains for the soil

Several grains originating in Africa may be used to create flour with sustainability benefits.

Kamut means “wheat” in ancient Egyptian language. Montana Flour & Grains, Fort Benton, Montana, US, grows Kamut brand khorasan wheat on certified organic farms primarily in the Northern Great Plains of North America where the dry climate is similar to Egypt’s climate. Kamut brand khorasan wheat offers a sweet, nutty-buttery taste, according to Montana Flour & Grains. Kamut is found in bread, pasta, pizza, cereal, snacks, pastries, crackers, beer and cereal drinks.

Berhan Grains, Barrie, Ontario, Canada, sources Abyssinica teff flours exclusively from farmers and suppliers in Ethiopia, Djibouti and South Africa. Teff’s history goes back 10,000 years to when it was grown in mountainous regions in Ethiopia. Berhan Grains tests the gluten-free grain down to 5 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. The Food and Drug Administration’s requirement is less than 20 ppm to quality as gluten-free. Teff contains fiber, protein, and vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc.

Alternative flours in the Ardent Mills’ portfolio come with sustainability benefits as well.

“Through Ardent Mills’ regenerative agriculture program, we are supporting family farms as they introduce alternative grains like chickpeas, quinoa and sorghum to their crop rotations,” White said. “The addition of new crop rotations can help increase biodiversity and contribute to soil health.

“Furthermore, the benefits these ingredients provide farmers can extend far beyond soil health to other areas of land management, such as water conservation. For example, quinoa consumption continues to rise because it is versatile, can play nicely into many trends and in certain circumstances offers a sustainability story as it often requires less water to grow than other grains.”

Sorghum may be grown in drought conditions and generally requires 30% less water than similar grains, according to the United Sorghum Checkoff Program, Lubbock, Texas, US. The plant regenerates soil by retaining nitrogen and other soil nutrients. It also removes carbon from the atmosphere and stores it in the soil. The sorghum belt extends from South Dakota to Texas, according to the board. Kansas is the leading state with more than 3 million acres devoted to growing sorghum.

Farmers within a 100-mile radius of ADM’s verified net-carbon-neutral mill in Dodge City, Kansas, US, grow HarvestEdge gold sorghum, which then is processed in the Dodge City mill. The farmers implement regenerative agriculture practices such as diverse rotations, no-till or reduced tillage, cover crops and nutrient management.

“Requiring low inputs of water and fertilizer, sorghum provides a more sustainable alternative to water-intensive crops,” Labine said. “This makes it an ideal crop for the arid, dry environment in western Kansas.”

Other alternative flours

Sustainable benefits and fiber content rank as major positives of Grain & Stalk Flour from the Supplant Co., London, England. The flour contains both grain and stalk. The company upcycles the wasted and under-utilized parts of the wheat crop, which reduces land use requirements by 25% and boosts wheat agricultural output per acre by 33%, said Harriet Pope, strategic communications manager. The flour has 25% fewer calories and seven times more fiber than regular wheat flour, she added.

“The texture and flavor of Supplant Grain & Stalk flour, like any flour, is dependent on the variety of wheat,” Pope explained. “For example, our Grain & Stalk pasta flour from durum wheat is medium-fine milled with a sweet and slightly nutty flavor and mildly earthy aroma. Our flours are developed to perform excellently in baked goods, pasta and other flour-based products with no compromise on taste or texture.”

Grain & Stalk Flour may work as a one-to-one replacement for conventional flour, but “minor tweaks” may be needed for hydration levels and mixing/kneading times, she said.

Supplant is looking to scale up its ingredient development platform for Supplant Grain & Stalk Flour and Supplant Sugars from Fiber.

“We are currently evaluating existing ingredient manufacturing sites in the US and Europe,” Pope said. “The acquisition process is scheduled to be complete in early 2024.”

Gluten-free almond flour is an excellent source of vitamin E and provides fiber, calcium, iron and protein, according to the Almond Board of California, Modesto, California, US. Besides gluten-free baking, almond flour may be used as a sauce thickener or as an ingredient in crackers, bread and cereal.

The processing is what sets almond flour and almond meal apart from comparators. In almond meal, the skin has not been peeled away, which leads to a light brown color, larger grain size, coarser texture and slightly bitter taste. Almond flour is made from peeled almonds, known as blanched almonds. Almond flour has an ivory color, smaller grain size, finer or powdery texture and neutral taste.

iTi Tropicals, Lawrenceville, New Jersey, US, now offers gluten-free organic green banana flour that may be used in cakes, cupcakes, Danish, donuts, cinnamon rolls, pancakes, waffles, pasta dough and gnocchi. Other possible applications are batters and coatings for proteins and as a thickener for soups, stews and smoothies. The bananas used are picked and dried before most of the starch has ripened into sugar, which maximizes the levels of resistant starch.

Green banana flour adds prebiotic fiber to gluten-free crackers from Fair & Square, Los Angeles. To reduce environmental waste, the company uses surplus and unwanted green bananas.