Sorghum Flour

What it is

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is a cereal grain that has been grown across Africa, India, and parts of Asia for thousands of years. It is a member of the grass family but contains no gluten proteins — it is naturally gluten-free.

The flour is milled from the whole grain (white or red varieties are most common in GF baking). White sorghum flour is the one you’ll encounter most: pale, smooth, and mild enough to use as a base flour in a wide range of baking.

Despite being less well-known than rice flour in Western markets, sorghum is one of the top five cereal crops grown globally.

Coeliac safety

Sorghum is naturally gluten-free, but like all GF grains milled in general facilities, cross-contamination is a real risk. Sorghum is often grown in proximity to wheat crops and processed in mills that handle multiple grains. Always buy certified GF sorghum flour from brands with verified testing protocols.

Do not rely on “naturally gluten-free” marketing language alone — check for a certification mark.

Texture & flavour

Sorghum flour has a mild, slightly sweet, faintly earthy flavour — closer to wheat flour in neutrality than most GF alternatives. It has a moderate protein content (around 10–11%), which gives baked goods more structure than starch-heavy blends.

It produces a denser crumb than wheat flour but avoids the grittiness of rice flour and the strong flavour of buckwheat. The texture is smooth and cohesive — one of the reasons it performs so well in bread, where structure matters most.

Best uses

• GF sandwich bread and rolls: sorghum is one of the best base flours for yeasted bread — it provides structure without dominating flavour
• Pancakes and waffles: adds a satisfying substance
• Cookies, shortbread, and biscuits: the neutral flavour works well across sweet applications
• Savoury baking: crackers, flatbreads, savoury tarts
• Blended flour mixes: an excellent partner for rice flour, providing structure and a more wheat-like character

It’s less suited to very light or airy bakes (chiffon cakes, delicate sponges) where a higher starch content is needed for lift and tenderness.

HTGF tips

• A reliable all-purpose GF blend starting point: 40% sorghum + 30% white rice flour + 30% tapioca or potato starch. This blend works across most cookies, quick breads, and pancakes.
• Sorghum is heavier than rice flour — if substituting into an existing recipe, consider adding an extra 1–2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of flour for better lift.
• Xanthan gum or psyllium husk is still needed in bread applications — sorghum’s protein helps, but it doesn’t replicate gluten’s elasticity alone.
• Stores well in a cool, dry cupboard. Brown (whole-grain) sorghum flour has a shorter shelf life due to the bran — store in the fridge if you’re not using it weekly.

If you don’t have it

White rice flour substitutes at 1:1 but will produce a grainier, slightly drier result — compensate with a touch more liquid or fat. Brown rice flour is a closer match in structure and earthiness. For bread specifically, a mix of rice flour and a small amount of chickpea flour (for protein) approximates sorghum’s structural contribution reasonably well.