Improving Shortbread Texture with Rice Flour

[Norcalbaker59]

I plan to bake an array of cookies for a thank you gift basket. Since the recipient isn’t fond of overly sweet cookies, and prefers cookies to have with tea and coffee, im going to include some shortbread.

I did a test batch of a dozen shortbread cookies using Tartine’s shortbread recipe. It uses equal parts flour and butter, and about 30% cornstarch. But I’m really not fond of that flour and cornstarch blend. There’s something about the cookie texture that I’m not liking, It’s too soft. It lacks even a hint of crunch. It’s way too soft to dip.

I’m thinking rice flour like many British recipes would be the way to get the texture I want. But I’m not sure what type of rice flour the British use. Plain rice flour or the sweet rice flour (aka glutinous rice flour). Anyone know the type of rice flour the British use in shortbread?

 

[ChesterV]

I'm sure Becky would be in on this one, but since she's out of commission.............


I found this........it's a nice read, but really doesn't give any brands......just states something about home ground rice....

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/sep/30/how-to-make-perfect-shortbread

 

[Jean S.]

Don't know if you have tried this. Forgive me if I give you something that you have already done.

I'd search online for a British shop, look for their shortbreads, and then research the company that makes them and email that company with your question.

At least that is what I would do, non expert that I am.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I'm sure Becky would be in on this one, but since she's out of commission.............


I found this........it's a nice read, but really doesn't give any brands......just states something about home ground rice....

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/sep/30/how-to-make-perfect-shortbread

Thanks Chester,

It mentions purchasing from an Asian store, but both plain white flour and sweet rice flour are used in Asian cooking. These flour are very soft and almost powder fine. I much prefer the Asain rice flours over the coarse gritty American brands, There’s an American company, Koda Farms, which produces a fine sweet rice flour. It’s a bit coarser than Asain imports. But since the article mentions Asian stores, I’m thinking an imported rice flour is the way to go.

Maybe I’ll just try the plain rice flour.

Rice is extremely hard, so grinds up very gritty. So I can’t imagine grinding it at home. The American rice flour from companies like Bob’s Red Mill and Authentic Foods are like coarse sand compared to Asian imported rice flours. That gritty texture comes right through in baked goods. But I keep these two American brands in my pantry as well.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Don't know if you have tried this. Forgive me if I give you something that you have already done.

I'd search online for a British shop, look for their shortbreads, and then research the company that makes them and email that company with your question.

At least that is what I would do, non expert that I am.

Thanks Jean. But I’m pretty sure companies won’t disclose their ingredients since recipes are proprietary.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I did a 6 cookie test batch with plain rice flour. It absolutely creates slightly crisper, sandy texture traditional shortbread. But it’s too crumbly for a cut out cookie. I think I’m going to try mixing a plain rice flour with cornstarch so I can get the cohesiveness that I want. But adding some plan rice flour really does make a nice shortbread. I think I’ll use plain rice flour in the future when I’m using a shortbread pan.

 

[ChesterV]

Thanks Jean. But I’m pretty sure companies won’t disclose their ingredients since recipes are proprietary.

Well, you would be surprised. Some companies don't mind, depending on what recipe it is.
I've seen some companies websites that even have the recipes available for their customers.

I've even asked a few companies about their recipes before. I got a few "sorry's", but also got some replies stating as long as I responded to their email stating I was not using the recipe to start a business, bolster my business, or share with anyone else to make money, they would share the information.

Of course that was years ago.

But...............

As my granny taught me when I was young...........never hurts to ask.

 

[Jean S.]

It sounds like you have figured it out.
I do think like Chester, it never hurts to ask. It has worked for me with many companies that I deal with online. Some are great, some aren't. I stay with the great ones and dump the others.
Glad you are getting it the way you want it bakerwoman. Good job.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

It sounds like you have figured it out.
I do think like Chester, it never hurts to ask. It has worked for me with many companies that I deal with online. Some are great, some aren't. I stay with the great ones and dump the others.
Glad you are getting it the way you want it bakerwoman. Good job.

I think I have it figured out now.

I haven’t forgotten about your bread. I just have to replenish my frozen food stockpiles and get out a couple of gift baskets this week. So probably next week I’ll get back to it

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I'm sure Becky would be in on this one, but since she's out of commission.............


I found this........it's a nice read, but really doesn't give any brands......just states something about home ground rice....

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/sep/30/how-to-make-perfect-shortbread

You were right about the plain rice flour. I used both plain rice from from the Asian store and a bit of cornstarch. I mixed King Arthur AP flour with a lower protein flour as well. I dropped the butter to 67%. Cookie is persnickety with mixing of ingredients, but it’s still a super fast mix and bake. And more important, it’s perfect.

 

[ChesterV]

You were right about the plain rice flour. I used both plain rice from from the Asian store and a bit of cornstarch. I mixed King Arthur AP flour with a lower protein flour as well. I dropped the butter to 67%. Cookie is persnickety with mixing of ingredients, but it’s still a super fast mix and bake. And more important, it’s perfect.

Too bad we can't taste each others baking on here...........wouldn't that be neat?

Keep waiting for someone to invent the transporter............LOL

 

[DonnaJ]

You can grind rice at home to make flour. I used a small blade coffee grinder and put the rice through several times to get the texture I wanted. Worked fine, if a bit tedious. The blade grinder worked better than the burr grinder as the rice pieces got caught up in the mechanism and clogged it.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

You can grind rice at home to make flour. I used a small blade coffee grinder and put the rice through several times to get the texture I wanted. Worked fine, if a bit tedious. The blade grinder worked better than the burr grinder as the rice pieces got caught up in the mechanism and clogged it.

I wouldn’t advise grinding rice flour unless you own a quality home mill like a Mockmill. The reason is rice is quite hard, so difficult to grind into fine particles. Home ground rice flour is very gritty, like coarse sand.

The best rice flour is Asian rice flour. It is very fine in texture so does not create a gritty texture in the shortbread. It's inexpensive. In the US it is readily available at Asian markets and online.

 

[DonnaJ]

I looked at the Mockmill you recommended and at near $400, it's beyond my cost comfort range, though I'm sure it does a terrific job. My little Krups coffee grinder was about $20. I can live with that as I don't need to grind lots of things into flour. I can get rice flour in stores sometimes and have. I did have to put the rice through the grinder several times, but did get powdery flour and did not find grittiness in my shortbread. After reading reviews of different mills, I think I would buy a VPK manual at under $100 as I don't need to grind flour a lot. Thanks for your input. All information is helpful.

 

[retired baker]

I looked at the Mockmill you recommended and at near $400, it's beyond my cost comfort range, though I'm sure it does a terrific job. My little Krups coffee grinder was about $20. I can live with that as I don't need to grind lots of things into flour. I can get rice flour in stores sometimes and have. I did have to put the rice through the grinder several times, but did get powdery flour and did not find grittiness in my shortbread. After reading reviews of different mills, I think I would buy a VPK manual at under $100 as I don't need to grind flour a lot. Thanks for your input. All information is helpful.

its a lot easier to grind if you wash the starch out first, then soak the rice in cold water for 2 hrs, then spread on a cotton sheet to dry the excess water, then grind and sift.

 

[Mona]

For a crunchier shortbread, use plain rice flour instead of sweet rice flour. British recipes usually call for plain rice flour. Try substituting some of the all-purpose flour with it to get the texture you want.