What is soy flour?

Soy flour is made from dehulled, roasted soybeans that have been ground into a fine powder. Rich in high-quality protein, soy flour adds a pleasant texture and subtle, nutty flavor to a variety of products. Soy flour is available in full-fat, low-fat, and de-fatted varieties. Full- fat contains less oil; de-fatted contains none. All three are good protein sources, but de-fatted has the highest protein content.

Where can I buy soy flour?

Soy flour can be found alongside regular baking flours or in the natural food section of most supermarkets. Soy flour can also be found in the refrigerated bulk section of natural food stores. As with other whole grain flours, soy flour should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Properly stored, it will keep for about one year.

Using Soy Flour

Cooks can use soy flour to thicken gravies and cream sauces, make homemade soymilk or coat fried foods. Soy flour also works well as a baking ingredient. Frying with soy flour reduces the amount of fat absorbed by the fried food. Soy flour also adds significant protein to home-baked goods and keeps them fresh longer. Other benefits of baking with soy flour include the golden color, fine texture, tenderness and moistness given to baked goods. Since soy flour is gluten-free, it can only partially replace the wheat flour in a bread recipe. Using about 15 percent soy flour creates a moist, dense bread with a nutty flavor. Place two tablespoons soy flour in a measuring cup before measuring the wheat flour called for in a bread recipe. In baked goods that are not yeast-raised (quick breads, muffins, scones, etc.) up to 30 percent of the wheat flour can be replaced with soy flour. Recipes specifically developed for soy flour often call for it in higher amounts.

Using Soy Flour to make Soy Milk