What can I do instead of barley flour? Bread flour is overall the best replacement for barley flour. However, all-purpose flour is an affordable and versatile alternative. Cake flour is the best for baked goods, whole wheat flour is ideal in a pinch, and tapioca flour is a healthy, gluten-free substitute for barley flour.
Barley flour is a healthy, non-wheat flour made from ground barley. It boasts a mildly sweet, nutty taste that complements regular or whole-grain flour. In addition, barley flour’s low gluten content helps tenderize baked goods while lending sufficient gluten to allow baked goods to rise properly. Try one of these alternative flours if you can’t find barley flour.
The Best Barley Flour Substitutes
Bread Flour
Bread flour is milled chiefly from hard red spring wheat and serves as an excellent substitute for barley flour.
Bread flour contains the highest protein content of flour varieties. More protein equals extra gluten, ensuring elasticity in the dough and higher-rising bread loaves.
You can use bread flour to replace barley flour to make strands of elastic dough that rise into delicious, fluffy bread when baked. Bread flour is darker than barley flour, giving your bread a rich, dark color.
Use a 1:1 ratio when substituting barley flour with bread flour. Note that bread flour can produce denser baked goods than barley flour.
All-Purpose Flour
All-purpose flour is an affordable and versatile wheat flour that can replace barley flour. All-purpose flour is made using a blend of wheat strains, giving it a high protein content.
You can substitute barley flour for all-purpose flour to make bread, pancakes, cookies, and other baked goods.
Use a 1:1 ratio when substituting barley flour with all-purpose flour. Also, consider adding more liquid to your recipe, as all-purpose flour contains a higher protein content than barley flour.
Cake Flour
Cake flour is another ideal substitute for barley flour. It boasts a high starch content and fine texture, ensuring light, fluffy baked goods.
In addition, cake flour is gluten-free and bran-free, making it a suitable replacement for gluten-intolerant individuals.
Cake flour is the perfect substitute for barley flour in light, fluffy baking recipes like cakes, biscuits, and pastry doughs. However, cake flour is much whiter than barley flour, so expect baked goods with a light color.
Use a 1:1 ratio when substituting barley flour with cake flour. We recommend sifting cake flour before use due to its particularly fine texture.
Whole Wheat Flour
Whole wheat flour is a nutrient-dense and suitable substitute for barley flour. It is made using the entire kernel, including the bran and germ.
As a result, whole wheat flour contains a significantly higher fiber than barley flour. In addition, whole wheat flour has a slightly nutty flavor and medium texture.
You can substitute barley flour for whole wheat flour in savory and sweet recipes, including bread, pancakes, muffins, cookies, and more.
Whole wheat flour is darker than barley flour, giving your baked goods a gorgeous golden hue.
Use a 1:1 ratio when substituting barley flour with whole wheat flour.
However, consider mixing whole wheat flour with other types of flour – like white flour – to prevent it from absorbing too much liquid and changing the recipe’s texture.
Tapioca Flour
Tapioca flour is a healthy, gluten-free alternative to barley flour. It is made from the cassava plant and contains more starch than wheat and grain flour.
In addition, tapioca flour has a neutral taste, making it an ideal choice if you don’t want it to interfere with the recipe’s intended flavor.
You can use tapioca flour instead of barely flour in baked goods like biscuits and pancakes or thicken soups and casseroles.
Use less tapioca flour when substituting barley flour, as it’s denser. We recommend using ¾ cup tapioca flour to replace 1 cup barley flour and adjust accordingly.