Baking is the most scientific way to cook. Your cakes may come out flat if you don’t use enough Baking Powder. If you use too much flour, your cookies may be solid. You’ll be faced with 10 different kinds of flour in the supermarket aisle. It will make you want to throw the tea towel in.
We’re willing, however, to put in a lot of effort when we bake (even if the results are not perfect, they’re usually tasty! Understanding the different types of flour can help you get a jump start. You might be wondering: Do I need cake flour to make my cakes? What is the difference between white whole wheat and whole wheat? What is the number of types of flour I need to stock in my pantry? Let’s get straight to the point.
The protein content of each flour type is determined by the type of wheat that was used in its production. Hard wheat flour, which is made with high-protein wheat varieties, has a 10 to 14 percent content of protein. Soft wheat or white flour, which are low-protein wheat types, contain 5 to 10% protein.
More protein equals more gluten and more strength. The amount of gluten in a baked product determines its structure and texture.
Let’s take a closer look at the differences between the 10 most popular types.
All-Purpose flour
The all-purpose flour, also known as AP or AP, short for All Purpose Flour, should be a mainstay in your kitchen. It is made from a combination of hard and soft wheat varieties. The protein content ranges between 9 and 11 percent. It is the most versatile of all flours and can be used to make flaky crusts for pies, cookies that are chewy, or fluffy pancakes. When a recipe says “flour,” that’s most likely all-purpose flour. If you watched the video on top of this page, yes, the recipe for homemade tortillas does call for all-purpose.
Note on “bleached vs. unbleached flour”: All-purpose flours labeled “bleached or “unbleached” will work anywhere AP flour is required. These two types differ primarily in the way they are made. All flours will bleach, i.e., All flours will lighten (i.e., bleach) with time and exposure to air. Labeled as “unbleached” are those that have been allowed to naturally bleach. Manufacturers will use bleaching agents like chlorine dioxide or benzoyl chloride to speed up the process. These flours are labeled as “bleached.”
Use all-purpose flour for cookies, muffins and bread. Also, use it to make pancakes, biscuits, or pizza dough.
Cake Flour
It is less gluten-forming, which leads to softer baked goods. It forms less gluten and therefore produces softer baked goods. This is perfect for Cake Recipes. Cakes, muffins, and biscuits are all made with cake flour. Cake flour absorbs more sugar and liquid than all-purpose, resulting in super-moist cake.
Cake flour can be used to make sponge cakes, pound cakes, angel food cakes, muffins, and layer cakes.
Pastry Flour
The protein content of pastry flour is between that of all-purpose and cake flour. The perfect combination of flakiness, tenderness, and flavor makes it the best choice for cookies, pie crusts, and tarts. Make your own by mixing 2/3 cup of cake flour with 1 1/3 cups all-purpose.
The best use of pastry flour is for cookies, muffins, and cakes.
Bread Flour
Bread flour, which is made from only hard wheat, has a protein content of 12 to 14 percent. It is useful when baking bread with yeast because the flour contains a high amount of gluten. The bread flour will give your baked goods a more volume and chewier crumb.
Bread flour can be used to make artisan breads and yeast breads. It is also good for bagels, pretzels, and pizza dough.
Self-Rising Flour
Baking powder and salt are added to the flour during milling. The flour is usually made of soft wheat, with a high protein content. Make your own by mixing 1 cup of pastry flour with 1 1/2 tablespoons of baking powder and 1/4 spoonful of salt. You should not substitute self-rising for any other flour when baking. The additional ingredients may cause your measurements to be off.
Whole Wheat Flour
During the milling procedure, a wheat kernel is divided into three parts: the endosperm (the white part), the germ, and the bran. For white flour, only the endosperm must be milled. The bran and germ are mixed in varying quantities to make whole wheat. The protein content of whole wheat flour is usually around 13-14 percent. However, the germ and the bran can affect its ability to form gluten. Whole wheat flour tends to produce super sticky dough and dense baked goods. Whole wheat flour is also more perishable due to the presence of wheat germ. White flour can be stored in an airtight container in your pantry for up eight months. Whole wheat flour is only good for three months.
The best use of whole wheat flour is to make cookies, breads, pancakes, and pizza dough.
White Whole Wheat Flour
White whole wheat flour should not be confused with white flour. It is made from the same ingredients as whole wheat but comes from a lighter variety of hard white wheat. The same amount of protein is found in white whole wheat flour, which is 13 to 14 percent. However, it has a slightly sweeter taste due to its lower tannin content. White whole wheat flour has the same benefits as whole wheat.
Use white whole wheat flour for bread, muffins, and pizza dough.
Gluten-Free Flour
All sorts of ingredients can be used to make gluten-free flour, including rice, corn or potato. Other options include tapioca (a type of starch), buckwheat (a grain), quinoa, sorghum and nuts. Xanthan can be added to gluten-free flour to increase the chewiness. You can’t substitute gluten-free flour for white flour in all cases. Check your recipe before making the switch.
The best use of gluten-free flour is to make cakes, cookies, muffins, pancakes, and bread.
Almond Flour
The almond flour is produced by blanching the almonds with boiling water, removing their skins. They are then ground and sifted into a fine powder. This gluten-free favorite is high in fiber and healthy fats but low in carbohydrates. Start by replacing wheat flour with almond, then add more baking powder or soda to compensate for the higher weight of almond flour. Note This will require some experimenting.
Almond flour can be used to make cookies, muffins, and biscuits.
Flour 00
The hardest wheat is used to make 00 flour. It has a protein level of 11-12 percent. The “00”, or super-fine flour texture, makes it possible to roll the flour out very thinly without breaking. This is ideal for pasta and crackers.
flatbreads and crackers are best made with 00 flour.
