Psyllium Husk
What it is
The fibrous seed husk of Plantago ovata (also sold as the finer "psyllium husk powder"). Tan, flaky. Vegan, gluten-free. Increasingly the preferred structure-builder in serious gluten-free bread.
How it's made
The husks are mechanically separated from psyllium seeds and sold whole or ground.
Flavor profile
Mild, faintly earthy; can lend a slightly grey tint to doughs.
Culinary uses & behavior — Psyllium is intensely hydrophilic — it absorbs many times its weight in water to form a mucilaginous gel that, in gluten-free baking, builds dough-like elasticity, structure, and water retention that xanthan alone can't supply. It lets gluten-free bread dough be shaped, scored, and risen into a genuinely bread-like, less crumbly loaf — which is why modern GF bread recipes increasingly favor psyllium (often alongside or instead of xanthan). It also binds in veggie patties and acts as a fiber supplement. It can do shapeable, cohesive GF dough structure; it cannot replicate gluten's flavor or give an airy white-bread crumb, and overuse makes things dense or gummy.
Regional variations
Grown chiefly in India (a major isabgol crop); culinary use in GF baking is a recent, global development, while its fiber-supplement use is long-standing.
Cultural & historical context
Long known in Ayurvedic and Western medicine as a gentle fiber laxative (isabgol), psyllium has been reinvented as a baking hero by the gluten-free movement — a digestive-health staple repurposed to solve GF bread's structural problem.
Reference notes
Tags: `hydrocolloid`, `fiber`, `vegan`, `gluten-free`, `gluten-replacer`, `structure-builder`. Related ingredients: [Xanthan Gum], [Guar Gum]. Related cuisines: gluten-free baking, Indian (isabgol). Suggested links: → Gluten-free bread structure, → Xanthan Gum, → Gluten-free flour blends.
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Protein figures are typical ranges (vary by brand/region). "GF" = naturally gluten-free; "Gluten" = contains gluten (not celiac-safe). For starches, the note describes set/behavior.
| Ingredient | Category | Gluten status | Protein / Starch behavior | Best at / requires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread flour | Wheat | Gluten | ~12–14% protein, strong network | Chewy yeast breads, bagels, pizza |
| All-purpose flour | Wheat | Gluten | ~8–12% (region-dependent) | The everyday compromise |
| Cake flour | Wheat | Gluten | ~6–8%, chlorinated | Tender, fine-crumb cakes |
| Pastry flour | Wheat | Gluten | ~8–9% | Flaky pie dough, scones, biscuits |
| 00 flour | Wheat | Gluten | Fine grind, ANY protein (12–13% for pizza) | Neapolitan pizza, fresh pasta |
| Semolina | Wheat (durum) | Gluten | ~13%, coarse, strong-tenacious | Dried pasta, couscous, gnocchi alla romana |
| Durum flour | Wheat (durum) | Gluten | ~13%, fine | Southern Italian fresh pasta, bread |
| Whole wheat flour | Wheat | Gluten | Bran cuts gluten → denser rise | Hearty breads, roti (atta) |
| White whole wheat | Wheat | Gluten | Whole grain, mild bran | "Stealth" whole-grain bakes |
| High-extraction flour | Wheat | Gluten | ~80–90% extraction | Flavorful artisan/sourdough breads |
| Spelt flour | Wheat (ancient) | Gluten | Fragile, soluble gluten — over-mixes | Flavorful breads (gently mixed) |
| Emmer / farro flour | Wheat (ancient) | Gluten | Weak gluten, robust flavor | Rustic breads, farro dishes |
| Einkorn flour | Wheat (ancient) | Gluten | High protein but weak network | Pancakes, cookies, tender bakes |
| Khorasan / Kamut flour | Wheat (ancient) | Gluten | ~14–15%, durum-like, buttery | Rich breads & pasta |
| Regular rice flour | Rice | GF | Has amylose → firms/sets | Rice noodles, SE Asian batters |
| Glutinous rice flour (mochiko) | Rice | GF | ~All amylopectin → sticky/chewy | Mochi, tang yuan, nian gao |
| Brown rice flour | Rice | GF | Whole-grain, slightly gritty | GF baking blends |
| Thai vs. Japanese rice flour | Rice | GF | Amylose/grind differences | Region-specific sweets (not interchangeable) |
| Masa harina | Corn | GF | Nixtamalized → binds, blooms niacin | Tortillas, tamales |
| Corn flour (British) | Corn | GF | = US cornstarch | Thickening (terminology alert) |
| Cornstarch (US corn flour) | Corn | GF | Gelatinizes 62–72°C; thins w/ acid/long heat | Glossy sauces, velveting |
| Polenta / cornmeal | Corn | GF | Flint (polenta) vs. dent (grits) | Polenta, cornbread, grits |
| Blue corn masa harina | Corn | GF | Nixtamalized, anthocyanin color | Blue tortillas, tlacoyos |
| Pozole hominy | Corn | GF | Whole nixtamalized kernels | Pozole, menudo, hominy grits |
| Buckwheat flour | Pseudocereal | GF | No gluten, earthy | Soba, galettes, blini, pizzoccheri |
| Teff flour | Cereal | GF | Tiny whole grain, ferments | Injera |
| Sorghum flour | Cereal | GF | Mild, neutral | GF blends, jowar roti, porridges |
| Millet flour | Cereal | GF | Earthy; hot-water dough | Bajra/ragi roti, porridges |
| Oat flour | Cereal | GF if certified | Beta-glucan → moist, tender | Cookies, oatcakes, quick breads |
| Barley flour | Cereal | Gluten (weak) | Weak gluten, high beta-glucan | Flatbreads, tsampa, thickening |
| Rye flour | Cereal | Gluten (weak) | Pentosans → sticky dough; needs sourdough | Dense sour ryes, pumpernickel |
| Chickpea flour (besan) | Legume | GF | High protein → sets/binds | Pakora, socca/farinata, Burmese tofu |
| Urad dal flour | Legume | GF | Mucilage/protein → traps gas | Idli/dosa batter, papadum |
| Fava bean flour | Legume | GF | Lipoxygenase → dough improver | Ta'amia falafel; baguette improver |
| Soy flour | Legume | GF | Very high protein/fat | Dough conditioner; kinako on mochi |
| Lupin flour | Legume | GF | Very high protein, low carb (⚠ peanut cross-allergen) | Keto/low-carb baking |
| Pea flour | Legume | GF | High protein, mild | Soups, GF blends, plant protein |
| Arrowroot | Root starch | GF | Clear, lower-temp set; ACID-tolerant; slimy w/ dairy, breaks w/ long heat | Tart/fruit sauces & glazes |
| Tapioca starch | Root starch (cassava) | GF | Clear, glossy, stretchy, freeze-stable | Boba, pão de queijo, GF chew |
| Potato starch (katakuriko) | Root starch | GF | High-viscosity, clear; crisp frying coat | Karaage crust, Japanese sauces |
| Sweet potato starch | Root starch | GF | Springy, chewy gel | Japchae glass noodles, KFC crust |
| Cassava flour | Root flour (whole) | GF | Whole root + fiber — NOT tapioca starch | Grain-free tortillas, paleo baking |
| Kudzu / kuzu starch | Root starch | GF | Glass-clear, silky, premium set | Ankake, goma-dofu, wagashi |
| Cornstarch — velveting | Technique | GF | Gelatinized film seals/tenderizes meat | Silky Chinese stir-fries |
| Agar-agar | Seaweed hydrocolloid | GF, vegan | Firm/brittle; sets at room temp, melts ~85°C+ | Kanten, yōkan, vegan jellies |
| Carrageenan | Seaweed hydrocolloid | GF, vegan | Soft/elastic; dairy-reactive | Ice cream, chocolate milk, moss pudding |
| Gelatin | Animal collagen | GF (not veg) | Soft set; melts at body temp; bloom-graded | Panna cotta, marshmallows, gummies |
| Pectin | Fruit hydrocolloid | GF, vegan | HM needs sugar+acid; LM needs calcium | Jam, jelly, pâte de fruit |
| Xanthan gum | Fermentation gum | GF, vegan | Gluten-like viscoelasticity; shear-thinning | GF binding; stable dressings/sauces |
| Guar gum | Legume gum | GF, vegan | High cold thickening; doesn't gel; acid-sensitive | Ice cream, GF blends |
| Psyllium husk | Seed-fiber hydrocolloid | GF, vegan | Mucilage gel → shapeable GF dough | Structured gluten-free bread |
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