Types of Flour (2024)

Bleached vs Unbleached Flour

All types of flour fall into one of two categories: bleached and unbleached flour. This distinction refers to how the flour was processed, which affects the flour's flavor, texture, appearance, and uses. The difference between unbleached and bleached flour is that bleached flour is refined and treated with chemicals to speed up aging during processing, while unbleached flour is aged naturally and has a much coarser texture.

Types of Flour (1)

Unbleached Flour

Unbleached flour is not refined or treated with chemicals during processing, which results in a rougher texture than bleached flour. Furthermore, it undergoes a natural aging process to prepare it for baking, which takes much longer than the sped-up aging process of bleached flour. As a result, unbleached flour has an off-white color and is rich in fiber, vitamin E, antioxidants, and manganese in addition to standard flour's nutritional value.

Used for:pastries, cream puffs, yeast bread, eclairs

Characteristics:Tough, dense, grainy, off-white

Types of Flour (2)

Bleached Flour

During processing, bleached flour is refined by removing the wheat kernel’s bran and germ before milling the wheat. Then, the flour is bleached using chemical agents like benzoyl peroxide, potassium bromate, or chlorine to increase the speed of the aging process. This procedure results in a white color and malleable texture for the flour, making it excellent for many baking endeavors.

Used for:pie crusts, pancakes, waffles, muffins, quick bread, cookies

Characteristics:Soft, fine grain, white

Flour Protein Content

Types of Flour (3)

Flour protein content varies depending on the brand and type of flour you plan to use. Bread flour, whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour, and all-purpose flour contain protein ranging from 10% to 15% of their serving sizes. In contrast, pastry flour, cake flour, and self-rising flour contain far less protein than other types, as low as 6% of their serving sizes.

Protein in flour affects gluten formation in your dough, which impacts the texture of baked goods. More protein means more gluten develops, which might create a rubbery texture in your bread or pastries if handled incorrectly. Knowing your flour's protein content and mixing instructions ensures your final product bakes to perfection.

You can calculate flour protein content based on the nutrition label using this simple equation:

Protein Quantity (grams) ÷ Serving Size (grams) x 100 = % Protein

Hard Flour vs Soft Flour

The terms "hard flour" and "soft flour" refer to the amount of protein in the flour. Hard flour is high in protein and gluten with a minimum protein content of 12%. As a result of the protein, hard flour is gritty and crumbly compared to flour with lower protein levels. In contrast, soft flour contains only 7% to 9% protein and is much smoother and finer than hard flour. Bread flour usually falls under hard flour, while soft flours are cake and pastry flour.

Types of Flour (2024)

FAQs

What are the 5 types of flour? ›

Professional bakes understand that achieving a consistent product is much more likely if you use the same type of flour each time for a particular recipe. Depending on the dish, these typically include all-purpose flour, cake flour, pastry flour, self-rising flour and bread flour.

What are the 10 types of flour? ›

10 Types of Flour All Bakers Should Know (And What To Bake With...
  • All-Purpose Flour. ...
  • Bread Flour. ...
  • Whole Wheat Flour. ...
  • White Whole Wheat Flour. ...
  • Self-Rising Flour. ...
  • '00' Flour. ...
  • Semolina Flour. ...
  • Rye Flour.
Feb 1, 2022

What are the 4 types of flour used in the production of bread? ›

There are 4 types of wheat flour that are most used in bread recipes. : all-purpose flour, bread flour, whole wheat flour and white whole wheat flour. What is this? All purpose flour is, I think, one of the most used flour in bread recipes. It has a gluten content between 9-11%.

How do different types of flour affect the texture and flavor of baked goods? ›

Yes, it does. Different flours have differing levels of protein, which affects the texture of your finished product. When you bake bread, protein turns into gluten strands, which form a web to hold in the carbon dioxide from the yeast. The more gluten present, the firmer the bread.

What's the best flour for baking? ›

What Flour to Use for Baking Everything from Cookies to Pizza
  • All-purpose flour. Like its name, this flour can pretty much do it all, from cakes to bread, muffins, pastries, and pizza. ...
  • Cake or pastry flour. ...
  • Self-rising flour.
Oct 3, 2023

What is the most widely used flour? ›

All-Purpose Flour: If a recipe calls simply for "flour," it's calling for all-purpose flour. Milled from a mixture of soft and hard wheat, with a moderate protein content in the 10 to 12 percent range, all-purpose flour is a staple among staples.

What is number 1 flour? ›

1 Flour is a high-quality flour that is perfect for all your baking needs. It is made from the finest grains and milled to perfection, resulting in a flour that is smooth and easy to work with.

What are the old types of flour? ›

The four main Ancient grains used in baking flour are Einkorn, Emmer, Spelt and Khorasan. The species are often 8000 to 10000 years old as opposed to modern varieties of grain which could be only a few decades and heritage varieties of wheat which would be hundreds of years.

What is the best flour for muffins? ›

The best bakery-style crumb muffins start with cake flour

Cake flour is more finely ground and has less protein, which leaves the muffins with a fine, light crumb and soft texture. Using cake flour is an easy way to avoid heavy, dense muffins even if you end up stirring just a bit too much.

What flour to use for homemade bread? ›

All-purpose flour produces tender baked goods (as opposed to chewy ones) and is ideal for cakes, muffins, biscuits, piecrust, etc. Bread flour, on the other hand, is ideal for bread, pizza dough, pretzels, etc. – items where a strong crumb and a chewy texture are coveted.

Which flour has the lowest protein content? ›

Cake Flour: Cake flour is very finely milled and has the lowest protein content (5%-8%), ideal for delicate cakes and tender baked goods, like muffins. Most cake flour is bleached, which provides a lighter appearance and mellow taste.

Does cake flour rise more than all-purpose? ›

The bleached all-purpose flour rose just slightly higher than the unbleached. Both the bleached and unbleached all-purpose flour cakes held together well. The cake made with cake flour was taller and lighter in color than the all-purpose flours but was also drier and more crumbly/sandy .

What's the difference between all-purpose flour and regular flour? ›

For baked goods, you'll need to add salt, baking soda and/or baking powder. So, all purpose flour is just flour with no added ingredients. Other flours purchased with no added ingredients are also “all purpose,” whether it's oat flour, corn flour or any other flour.

What is 5 grain flour? ›

Multigrain atta (flour) is made by grinding 5 whole grains - Whole Wheat, Chickpea (black), Whole Green Gram, Makka & Flaxseed.

What flour is closest to all-purpose? ›

All-purpose flour is the most common flour called for in recipes, for both cooking and baking. But if you don't have any in the pantry, or can't find any in the store, there are other flours you can use in its place. Bread flour and cake flour—on their own or mixed together—can substitute for all-purpose.

What flour is best for baking, bleached or unbleached? ›

Cakes: For light, delicate cakes like yellow cake, angel food cake, and chiffon cake, use bleached flour, especially when the recipe calls for cake flour. For sturdier cakes like carrot cake, pumpkin loaves, quick breads, and muffins that can tolerate a denser texture, use either bleached or unbleached.

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