Brown Rice

• Brown rice makes one of the more nutritious flours since it is less processed and has more fiber than its white counterpart. You can make brown rice flour from dry, uncooked brown rice -- usually either short-grain or medium-grain varieties. In addition to having more nutrients than most other types of rice, brown rice flour also contains more natural oils, which makes it more vulnerable to going rancid and imparting a bitter, off flavor to your food. Brown rice flour should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer to minimize the likelihood of it going bad before you can use it.

White Rice

• If you're looking for rice flour with a more neutral flavor and a texture that isn't as gritty as brown rice flour tends to be, white rice flour might be ideal. Its bland flavor and light color don't interfere with other ingredients or alter the color of baked goods. Its texture is a bit lighter, giving you more delicate and springy desserts than those made from brown rice flour. White rice flour is also particularly effective when its used as a thickener for sauces or soups since it doesn't affect the flavors of the dish.

Sweet Rice Flour

• Made from glutinous rice, or "sticky rice" as it's more commonly known, sweet rice is naturally gluten-free, but it has a higher starch content that makes it stick together more than other types of rice. Flour made from sticky rice has a mildly sweet, but relatively neutral flavor that doesn’t overpower a dish. This makes it well suited for use in anything that needs extra binding power without adding extra flavor. Some examples include pie crust dough, noodles or sauces such as bechamel.

Sprouted or Soaked Rice Flour

• Sprouted brown rice flour is widely believed to be easier to digest with less of the natural enzyme inhibitor that keeps you from absorbing nutrients. To make sprouted rice flour, place rice in a mason jar fitted with a sprouting lid, which is available from online vendors. Pour water into the jar to rinse the rice, swirling it around before pouring the water out. Then fill the jar with filtered water and let the rice soak for a minimum of six hours, or overnight. Then place the rice in a food dehydrator set at 125 degrees Fahrenheit to dry it overnight, or 145 F for two to four hours. Once the rice is dry, remove it and place it in a heavy-duty blender to grind into flour. Soaked rice flour is typically fluffier than traditional rice flour, with a similar texture to wheat flour.