When shopping in the supermarket, you go to the baking goods aisle and see a whole shelf of flour. There’s plain flour, cake flour, self-raising flour etc. Which should you get for making bread or cakes or brownies?
Flour is a generic term for various substances, such as nuts, seeds, grains and beans that have been ground into a powder. For this discussion, we will be focusing on cereal flour which is obtained from edible grain plants like wheat. Each grain consists of an endosperm (inner tissue), germ (the embryo) and bran (the outer shell).
We’ll break down the most common types of flour here below.
All-Purpose Flour (Plain flour)
All-purpose flour is perhaps the most widely used variety of flour, and for good reason. It’s made from a mix of both soft and hard wheat varieties, giving it a protein content that falls between 10 to 12%, depending on the manufacturer. This moderate level allows you to use all-purpose (or “AP”) in your baking recipes – from cookies to crusts – as well as in savory dishes like frying or sauces that require thickening agents. With this one type of flour at your disposal, there’s nothing stopping you!
Use it for: Brownies, pie crusts, pancakes, cookies, muffins, quick breads
Bread Flour
To achieve that classic, chewy texture found in baked goods like sourdough bread, you’ll need to make sure the flour has between 12-14% of protein. This extra protein content makes it easier for yeasted doughs to rise and hold their shape – giving you that perfect bite every time! Bread flour contains more gluten than other types of flour which is crucial for yeasted breads that require strong gluten to rise well.
Use it for: Pizza dough, pretzels, any kind of yeast breads, and bagels
Whole Wheat Flour
All flour starts with wheat kernels, which are divided into three parts—the endosperm, germ and bran—during the milling procedure. White flour only uses the endosperm; while whole wheat flour uses the endosperm with some of the germ and bran added in again – giving it a distinctive flavour and dense texture. Whole wheat flour has around 14% protein content but produces gluten less quickly than white flour. Thus, if you want to bake using whole wheat flour then no more than 25 percent should be substituted for regular/white four.
Pro tip: To ensure its freshness, store whole wheat flour in the freezer as it spoils faster than other types of flour.
Use it for: Adding nutty flavours to baked goods, pasta, bread and pancakes
Self-Raising Flour
Self-rising flour is nothing more than finely milled soft wheat that has baking powder and salt added to it. With a protein content of 9%, this type of flour produces light, airy baked goods; however, since the ingredients have already been incorporated into the recipe, it may be difficult to swap out for another type without affecting other measurements in the dish.
Use it for: Scones, pancakes, American biscuits
Cake Flour
If you want a soft, delicate cake texture, low-protein cake flour is the way to go. It contains 5 to 8% protein which helps keep your cakes from becoming dense and chewy due to gluten formation. Additionally, cake flour can hold more liquid and sugar than other flours – making your delectable desserts moist for longer!
Use it for: Any type of cake like swiss rolls, spongecakes, chiffon, and muffins
Pastry Flour
If you’re looking for the perfect balance between cake flour and all-purpose flour, pastry flour is your answer. With a protein content of around 9%, it produces incredibly flaky and tender baked goods – making it an ideal choice for anything from pastries to pie crusts or even cakes!
Use it for: Any pastry base, flaky pie crusts, cakes and muffins
‘00’ Flour
Double zero flour, or doppio zerio in Italian, is an exquisite variety of wheat milled from hard durum and with a high protein content of 11-12%. Its name alludes to the incredibly finely ground texture. Though similar to AP flour’s protein level, double zero has less elastic gluten making it even softer for ideal homemade pasta and pizza doughs!
Use it for: Handmade pizza and pasta dough
Semolina Flour
If you’ve ever enjoyed pasta or couscous, chances are you have tasted semolina flour. This special type of wheat is milled to create a yellow colored, nutty-flavored flour with 12-13% protein content and an exceptionally high gluten level. The combination makes it the perfect choice for crafting elastic doughs that hold their shape during cooking – something double zero flours can’t boast!
Use it for: Puddings, Middle Eastern desserts, pasta
Rye Flour
You can’t have rye bread—or Reubens—without rye flour, which is milled from rye kernels. Rye is closely related to wheat, but it has a lower gluten and protein content and more soluble fibre than wheat flour. It has a fresh, nutty flavour and can add additional texture to baked goods. Rye flour has its own set of subcategories, like pumpernickel and white rye flour, which vary in intensity and texture.
Use it for: Cookies, pie crust, bread
Spelt Flour
Have you tried spelt yet? It’s a type of wheat and its flour is made from the entire grain, which makes it much more flavorful than regular whole wheat flour. Its protein content is also lower, so when baking with this unique ingredient, you’ll get results similar to that of all-purpose flour! Spelt has an enjoyable acidic flavour – almost like a tangy yoghurt.
Use it for: Crumbles, cookies, muffins
If you decide to get a few types of flour to try but don’t want to have to lug it home yourself, you can order these pantry staples from online baking goods stores.
Now that you know what each type of flour is made of and its uses, have fun and explore the many recipes out there and start baking!
