You're standing in the baking aisle, staring at a wall of blue and white bags. It’s overwhelming. If you’ve been diagnosed with Celiac disease or you're just trying to cut back on systemic inflammation, you know the heartbreak of a "gluten-free" cookie that shatters like a dry roof shingle. It’s depressing. Honestly, most people think they have to relearn everything they know about chemistry just to bake a decent muffin. But then there’s King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour, which claims to fix the whole mess.
Is it perfect? No. Nothing in the gluten-free world is. But it’s arguably the closest thing we have to a "magic wand" for people who just want to bake their grandma’s pound cake without a degree in food science.
Most people treat all gluten-free blends the same. Big mistake. You can't just swap "Almond Flour" for "All-Purpose" and expect a cake; you’ll get a puddle. King Arthur’s Measure for Measure is a specific beast. It’s engineered. It’s a multi-grain blend designed to mimic the protein structure of wheat without, you know, the actual wheat.
Why This Specific Blend Actually Works
The secret isn't just one ingredient. It’s the ratio. Most DIY gluten-free blends require you to buy five different bags of flour—rice, potato starch, tapioca, sorghum, and then that weirdly expensive bag of xanthan gum. King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour basically does the math for you. It uses a base of rice flour and sorghum, but the real heavy lifter is the fortified hit of vitamins and the precise amount of xanthan gum already mixed in.
Xanthan gum is the "glue." Without it, your bread has no structure. It just crumbles.
I’ve seen people try to use this specific blend for yeast breads, and that is where the wheels fall off. King Arthur specifically tells you: do not use this for yeast bread. It’s for "non-yeasted" recipes. Think muffins, cookies, pancakes, and brownies. If you try to make a sourdough baguette with this, you are going to have a very bad Friday.
The protein content in this blend is lower than their "All-Purpose Gluten-Free" sister product. That’s why it works so well for tender crumbs. Rice flour can be gritty. We’ve all eaten that GF cupcake that felt like it had sand in it. King Arthur mills their rice flour significantly finer than the bargain brands, which is why the mouthfeel actually passes the "toddler test." If a kid can't tell it's gluten-free, you've won.
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The Ingredient Breakdown (No Fluff)
Let's look at what's actually in the bag. No mystery chemicals here.
Rice flour comes first. Then comes tapioca starch and potato starch. This trio is the holy trinity of gluten-free baking. The rice provides the bulk, the tapioca provides the "chew" (mimicking gluten’s elasticity), and the potato starch keeps things moist.
Then there’s the whole grain sorghum flour. This is the "secret sauce" for flavor. Without it, gluten-free treats taste like sweet cardboard. Sorghum adds a mild, slightly nutty sweetness that bridges the gap to wheat.
But here’s the kicker: they added iron, calcium, and Vitamin B. Most gluten-free diets are notoriously low in these nutrients because refined rice flour is pretty much void of nutrition. By enriching the flour, they’re making sure your homemade brownies aren’t just empty calories. It’s a thoughtful touch that most generic brands skip to save a few cents.
Stop Making These Common Baking Mistakes
Even with a high-quality product like King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour, you can still ruin a batch of cookies.
The Scoop vs. The Scale
If you are still using a measuring cup to scoop flour directly out of the bag, please stop. You are packing the flour down. You’re likely using 20% more flour than the recipe calls for. This leads to dry, tough cakes. Use a digital scale. One cup of this flour weighs exactly 120 grams. If your "cup" weighs 150 grams, your cake will be a brick.
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The Resting Period
This is the one thing no one tells you. Gluten-free flour needs to hydrate. Rice and starches take longer to soak up liquid than wheat does. If you mix your batter and shove it straight in the oven, you might get a gritty texture. Let your muffin batter sit on the counter for 15 to 20 minutes before baking. It sounds like a pain, but it’s the difference between "okay" and "restaurant quality."
Real World Performance: Cookies vs. Cakes
I’ve put this stuff through the wringer. In a standard chocolate chip cookie recipe (the back of the Toll House bag, let's be real), the results are nearly indistinguishable from wheat. The edges get crispy. The middle stays soft.
Cakes are a bit trickier. Because there is no gluten to hold the air bubbles, GF cakes can sometimes sink in the middle. If you're using King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour for a layer cake, consider adding an extra egg white. The extra protein helps "set" the structure so the cake doesn't collapse under its own weight.
Pie crust is another win. Usually, GF pie crust is a nightmare to roll out. It cracks. It sticks. But because of the xanthan gum levels in this blend, it actually has enough "stretch" to be rolled thin. You just have to keep it cold. Like, really cold.
Is It Worth the Price Tag?
Let’s talk money. Gluten-free eating is expensive. A 3-pound bag of King Arthur usually runs between $9 and $12 depending on where you shop. Compared to a 5-pound bag of wheat flour for $4, it hurts.
But consider the alternative. If you buy individual bags of potato starch, tapioca, and sorghum, you’re spending $30 upfront. And if you mess up the ratios, you’ve wasted all those ingredients. For the casual baker—the person making birthday cupcakes once a month or pancakes on Sundays—the "Measure for Measure" convenience is worth the premium. You're paying for the R&D. You're paying for the fact that professional test kitchens have already failed a thousand times so you don't have to.
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Dietary Context and Safety
King Arthur is famously rigorous about their "Certified Gluten-Free" status. They test to ensure less than 10 parts per million of gluten. For someone with Celiac, that’s the difference between a nice meal and a week of physical misery. They don't process this on the same equipment as their wheat flour. That level of supply chain integrity is why they’ve stayed at the top of the market for so long.
Beyond the Basics: Surprising Uses
Most people think of "Measure for Measure" only for baking. Honestly? It’s the best thickener for gravy I’ve ever used.
When you use wheat flour for a roux, it can get clumpy or have a "raw" taste if you don't cook it long enough. This rice-based blend whisks into fats incredibly smoothly. It creates a silky texture in Bechamel sauces or turkey gravy that actually stays stable even after reheating.
It’s also a killer coating for fried chicken or calamari. The rice flour and potato starch combo creates a crunch that wheat actually struggles to match. It doesn't get soggy as fast. Next time you're making "everything" chicken, dredge it in this flour first. You'll thank me later.
What to Watch Out For
There is one downside: it’s high in carbs. Since it relies heavily on starches (potato and tapioca), it has a high glycemic index. If you are baking for someone who is both gluten-free and diabetic, you need to be careful. This isn't a "health food" in the sense of being low-calorie or low-carb; it’s just a safe alternative for those who can’t process gluten.
Also, watch the salt. Since this flour is unflavored, it needs a bit of help. I always add a tiny pinch more salt to my GF recipes than I would for wheat recipes. It helps wake up the flavors of the sorghum and rice.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Bake
If you're ready to dive in, don't just wing it. Start with a recipe that is already "moist." Carrots cakes, banana breads, and pumpkin muffins are the easiest "entry-level" bakes for King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour. The fruit purees provide extra moisture that masks any minor structural differences.
- Buy a digital scale. Stop measuring by volume. 120g per cup is your new golden rule.
- Hydrate your batter. Let it sit for 20 minutes before it hits the heat.
- Check your leavening. Ensure your baking powder is fresh. Gluten-free bakes need all the "lift" they can get.
- Store it right. Once the bag is open, keep it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. Flour can go rancid, especially with the whole-grain sorghum in there.
Switching to gluten-free doesn't mean you have to give up the joy of a warm cookie. It just means you have to change your tools. This flour is one of the few tools that actually lives up to the hype on the packaging. Just stay away from the yeast, keep your scale handy, and you'll be fine.