Hafrashas Challah - Rice Flour Majority

QUESTION: I understand that the requirement to separate challah only applies when a batter or dough is made with a specific amount of flour. Although there is a range of opinions about how much flour is needed, all poskim agree that if five pounds of flour is used, one must take off challah. If I made dough with 1 lb. of wheat flour and 4 lbs. of rice flour, is there an obligation to separate challah?

ANSWER: The Shulchan Aruch (YD 324:9) writes that rice has a special status in that it combines with wheat flour to create a shiur for challah. Although dough made exclusively from rice flour does not require challah separation, if rice flour is combined with wheat, and the taste of wheat will be noticeable in the bread, there is a mitzvah of challah. This is because rice flour is similar to wheat flour, and the two flours blend to contribute to the shiur. However, this halacha is unique to rice. If one mixed corn flour or bean flour with wheat flour, the dough would not require challah separation, unless it contained the proper shiur of wheat flour.

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