Most people think offlour in terms of "wheat" flour. When in fact flour can be ground from avariety of nuts and seeds. Some types of flours available are: barley,buckwheat, chickpea, corn, oats, potato, rice, rye, soy, wheat, and vegetables.
When used in bakingflour contributes body and structure, texture and flavor to baked goods. Whenused in baking it binds the ingredients together and supports the batter. Itcan also be used to thicken sauces, creams and pie fillings. Recipes callingfor dusting cake pans or counters with flour help prevent batters and breaddough from sticking to surfaces. Flour can also be used to coat fruits and nutsbefore adding to batters, thus preventing them from sinking to the bottom of thepan when baked.
The type of flour usedwill ultimately affect the finished product. Flour contains protein and when itcomes in contact with water and heat it produces gluten, which gives elasticityand strength to baked goods. Different types of flour contain different amountsof protein. Therefore using a different type of flour than what is called for ina recipe (without compensating for this change) will alter the outcome of thebaked good. A cake flour is used to make a white cake where a delicate tendercrumb is desired. Bread flour is used to make a chewy bread and all-purposeflour makes a delicious batch of chocolate chip cookies.
All-purposeflour has a 10-12% protein content and is made from a blend of hard and softwheat flours. It can be bleached or unbleached which are interchangeable.However, Southern brands of bleached all-purpose flour have a lower proteincontent (8%) as they are made from a soft winter wheat. All-purpose flour canvary in its protein content not only by brand but also regionally. The samebrand can have different protein contents depending on what area of the countryin the United States you are buying it. Good for making cakes, cookies, breads,and pastries.
Cakeflour has a 6-8% protein content and is made from soft wheat flour. It ischlorinated to further break down the strength of the gluten and is smooth andvelvety in texture. Good for making cakes (especially white cakes and biscuits)and cookies where a tender and delicate texture is desired. To substitute cakeflour for all-purpose flour use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour for everycup of all-purpose flour. Make your own - one cup sifted cake flour (100 grams) can besubstituted with 3/4 cup (85 grams) sifted bleached all-purpose flour plus 2tablespoons (15 grams) cornstarch.
Pastryflour is similar to cake flour, although it has not been chlorinated, with an8-10% protein content and is made from soft wheat flour. It is soft and ivory incolor. Can find it in health food stores or through mail order catalogs. To maketwo cups of pastry flour, combine 1 1/3 cups (185 grams) all-purpose flour with2/3 cup (90 grams) cake flour. Good for making pastry, pies and cookies.
Self-Risingflour has 8-9% protein and contains flour plus baking powder and salt. I do notuse this type of flour because I prefer to add my own baking powder and salt.Also, if the flour is stored too long the baking powder will lose some of itsstrength and your baked goods will not rise properly. If you want to make yourown add 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon saltper cup (130 grams) of all-purpose flour.
Bread flour has a 12-14%protein content and is made from hard wheat flour. The high gluten contentcauses the bread to rise and gives it shape and structure. Comes in white, wholewheat, organic, bleached and unbleached. Good for making breads andsome pastries.
Store your flour in acool dry well-ventilated place for up to six months. To prevent insects you canstore flour in the refrigerator or freezer making sure the flour is defrostedbefore using.
Flour is sometimeslabeled pre-sifted. This means that the flour was sifted before packaging but itcompacts during shipping and handling and therefore is no longer sifted by thetime you get it home. So if your recipe calls for sifted flour make sure yousift it again. (If your recipe calls for 1 cup sifted flour this means you siftthe flour before measuring. However, if the recipe calls for 1 cup flour,sifted this means you sift the flour after measuring.) Sifting flour removeslumps and aerates it so that when liquid is added the dry ingredients will befully moistened.
Proper measuring of yourflour is important, as too much flour will result in a tough and/or heavy bakedgood. When measuring flour spoon your flour into a measuring cup and then leveloff the cup with a knife. Do not pack it down. As stated above, flour getscompacted in the bag during shipping, so scooping your flour right out of thebag using your measuring cup will result in too much flour.
Flour, when packaged,has about a 14% moisture content. When stored, however, its moisture contentwill vary. In general, the longer flour is stored the more moisture it loses.This is why on a dry day using old flour your pastry will require more waterthan on a wet day using new flour.
