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A great all-purpose gluten free grain, which makes delicious breads, cakes, and donuts!
A versatile and reliable gluten-free grain, sorghum sits in my pantry right alongside brown rice flour. I use it in my bread loaves, flatbread, and sweet treats like donuts. While often described as "sweet," I find sorghum to be slightly drier than rice flour and less "soft." This makes it an excellent complement to more gummy flours, helping to balance the texture of baked goods.
Sorghum belongs to the millet family and is most closely related to corn. It also shares a more distant ancestry with sugarcane. It is the fifth most cultivated cereal crop in the world (the others being rice, wheat, barley, and corn), with the United States leading modern production. Thriving in arid conditions, sorghum is cultivated primarily in the Great Plains, stretching from the Dakotas to Texas. However, its roots trace back to Africa, where evidence suggests it has been a dietary staple for thousands of years.
While not as widespread or as popular as wheat, this hardy grain is especially useful because of its low water and nitrogen requirements. Where other crops will fail, sorghum pulls through. Beyond its role as a grain for human consumption, it is widely grown as animal feed, and for the production of biofuel. It also makes a pretty good gluten free beer.
As a main ingredient in everything from delicious flexible flatbreads to moist and decadent chocolate cake, sorghum can be a staple in your gluten free pantry.
Sorghum's history traces back to ancient Africa, where archaeological evidence shows its use as early as 8000 B.C. In Nabta Playa, southern Egypt, communities gathered wild sorghum seeds, likely harvesting them for food. The discovery of these seeds around hearth remnants suggests they played a key role in early diets.[source]
By predynastic times, sorghum was domesticated, and had become a significant part of the Egyptian diet. Sorghum bread, dating back over five thousand years, has been found in ancient graves, highlighting its importance in early cuisine. The grain remains a staple in Egyptian cooking today, particularly in the traditional flatbread khobz min el dorra al rafî'ah, which is still baked in central Egypt.[source]
Beyond Egypt, this ancient grain became a staple across Africa, where it was commonly prepared as porridge. In Botswana, for example, there is a fermented sorghum porridge called "motogo". This dish requires fermenting the grains overnight before cooking them into a thick, nourishing breakfast.[source]
Ancient sorghum bread in a basket, 3300–3000 BC. Egyptian Museum, Turin
Over time, domesticated sorghum spread beyond Africa. By 2000 B.C., it had reached the Indian subcontinent, with evidence of its cultivation found in Harappan sites of the Indus Valley.[source] The grain continued to move across trade routes, and by the first century A.D., it had arrived in the Mediterranean. Roman author Pliny the Elder described a "new millet from India" with superior yields, which is widely believed to refer to sorghum.[source]
This new "Indian Millet" was cultivated in Italy and elsewhere in Europe from late antiquity onwards. It was found in the form of straw, used for plaiting, at Pompeii, and there is evidence of it being cultivated in Northern Italy from the 5th century A.D. onwards. It was not a major crop, but seemingly valued for its hardiness and resistance to drought. A "famine food," if you will. [source]
Sorghum arrived in the Americas through the transatlantic slave trade, initially known as "guinea corn," a name reflecting its African origins. By 1722, it was being cultivated in the Carolinas, as noted by naturalist Mark Catesby in Natural Histories. He observed that enslaved Africans grew the grain for their own use, preparing it as bread and porridge, and feeding it to their poultry.[source] Decades later, in 1791, James Madison described guinea corn in a letter to Thomas Jefferson, stating that he had obtained a sample from Jamaica, where it formed a staple of the diet among enslaved Africans. [source]
For the next hundred or so years, sorghum remained a minor crop, primarily consumed in enslaved and farming communities. This changed in the 1850s when new varieties of sweet sorghum were introduced. Unlike earlier strains, these were well-suited for syrup production, providing a domestic alternative to molasses. During the Civil War, when sugarcane supplies dwindled, sorghum syrup became a crucial sweetener. Sorghum's ability to thrive in cooler climates also expanded its cultivation into the northern states, making sorghum syrup a household staple for a time.[source]
However, after the war, the rise of sugar beets and the return of sugarcane pushed sorghum syrup into relative obscurity, with its primary use confined to the South. Today, the sprawling fields of the Great Plains, often called the "Sorghum Belt," primarily produce the grain for animal feed rather than human consumption.
Despite often being relegated to animal feed and novelty products outside of Africa, sorghum is a highly nutritious grain with many uses. When compared to whole wheat, sorghum stands out as a healthy, gluten-free alternative. It boasts the same fiber content as whole wheat, along with slightly more protein. This makes it a well-rounded whole grain, ideal for a balanced diet. Most importantly, sorghum’s protein is gluten-free, making it a safe choice for those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities.
Beyond fiber and protein, sorghum is rich in essential vitamins and minerals. It provides a good amount of B vitamins, particularly B1 and B6, which are crucial for energy metabolism and brain function. Additionally, sorghum is an excellent source of iron, potassium, magnesium, and zinc - key nutrients that support a wide range of bodily functions, including immune health, muscle function, and blood circulation.[source]
While sorghum is not quite as rich in vitamins as wheat, it comes remarkably close, offering a comparable nutritional profile. For more detailed comparisons and additional insights into the benefits of whole grains, the Whole Grains Council provides an informative infographic that breaks down the nutritional value of various grains. You can explore it here.
Why is it slightly grey? Sorghum flour.
Sorghum flour is often described as "sweet," but I personally find it has a slightly earthy flavor. It also tends to impart a greyish tinge to baked goods. While neither of these traits should pose a major issue, it's worth keeping them in mind when using this flour. If the color becomes bothersome, you can balance it out with a more colorful ingredient like molasses. As for the flavor, it pairs wonderfully with strong flavors, such as chocolate—making it a great choice for cakes.
Another thing to note is that sorghum doesn't have much in the way of "sticky" properties. To achieve the stretch and structure you're used to in traditional baking, it's helpful to combine sorghum with an ingredient like psyllium husk. This will help provide the elasticity needed for breads and other baked goods. You can also pair it with brown rice flour to make the final product softer and chewier.
At the end of the day, think of sorghum as a replacement for whole wheat flour, not all-purpose flour. Like most gluten free flours, it works best when used with other ingredients that help balance its unique properties!
As a main ingredient in everything from delicious flexible flatbreads to moist and decadent chocolate cake, sorghum can be a staple in your gluten free pantry.
