What's the Difference Between Bleached and Unbleached Flour? (2024)

FAQs

What's the Difference Between Bleached and Unbleached Flour? ›

In brief: Unbleached flour is naturally aged after milling, during which time it slowly oxidizes and whitens. Bleached flour, on the other hand, uses chemical treatments to manually speed up this process. Both can be used interchangeably in baking; so why should you choose one over the other?

In brief: Unbleached flour is naturally aged after milling, during which time it slowly oxidizes and whitens. Bleached flour, on the other hand, uses chemical treatments to manually speed up this process. Both can be used interchangeably in baking; so why should you choose one over the other?

Because it hasn't been put through the same chemical treatments, unbleached flour can have a more dense grain. Since it also takes longer for unbleached flour to be produced (the waiting time and storage add costs for the manufacturer), it often is more expensive than its bleached counterpart.

All-purpose flour is best used for: cookies, muffins, bread, pie crusts, pancakes, biscuits, pizza dough, and pasta.

Note: Don't use bleached all-purpose flour in our pasta dough recipes, as the bleach will weaken the proteins in the dough and will make the starches prone to bursting when they are boiled, resulting in pasta with pitted, pebbly surfaces.

All purpose flour is fine, but I realized that when flour is bleached…it kills off the naturally occurring yeast. Aside from bleached flour, you can use pretty much any type of flour or combination of them. I kept with all-purpose because it's readily available. Take two: I got some Unbleached All Purpose Flour.

Yes: some with a very sensitive palate might be able to taste a difference, but in general we find there is no discernible difference in the volume, texture etc. of baked goods made with bleached versus unbleached flour.

Rice flour and cornstarch work particularly well because they fry up crispier than wheat flour. They also absorb less moisture and fat during the frying process, making the products less greasy. This is why rice flour is often used when making tempura because it produces a very thin and crispy, dry crust.

Thus, whole wheat flour is widely considered healthier. It's a good source of protein, fiber, and a variety of vitamins and minerals. As it contains gluten, it isn't appropriate for people with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

Either cake flour or pastry flour can be used as a 1:1 substitute for all-purpose flour in most baking recipes. Steer away from cake flour for chewy bread baking, though, and opt instead for bread or whole-wheat flour for your no-knead and sourdough loaves.

Which flour makes bread rise the most? ›

Wheat flours are usually the first choice of most bakers. This is due to the lightness and high rise created by higher levels of gluten content. However, if you're intolerant of wheat or looking for gluten-free bread options, there are a wide range of low gluten and gluten-free flour options available.

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.

The rule of thumb here is the more protein, the lower the shelf life. For low-protein types of flour, like all-purpose or cake flour, you have about a year from the date of purchase to use it. For higher protein varieties, like bread flour, the clock runs out quicker; you'll get about nine months.

If you're planning on cooking pizza at home, the most important tip is to choose unbleached flour. However, here are some more tips below on using unbleached flour: While it's true that bread flour has a higher rise and crispier crust, unbleached flour retains a more subtle flavor. Besides, it's healthier for you.

Opting for unbleached, whole-wheat flour may increase your intake of several nutrients and minimize your exposure to potentially harmful chemicals. Still, both varieties can be used interchangeably in most recipes without significantly altering the final product.

Technically, all flours are bleached, but it's the process by which it happens that sets these two types of flour apart. Bleached flour is treated with chemical agents to speed up aging, while unbleached flour is bleached naturally as it ages.

2. Azodicarbonamide. In the US, flour can be treated with a compound called azodicarbonamide, serving as both a bleaching and dough-fortifying agent. This compound, however, is prohibited in Europe as well as Australia due to its potential to degrade into a carcinogenic component.

If you're planning on cooking pizza at home, the most important tip is to choose unbleached flour. However, here are some more tips below on using unbleached flour: While it's true that bread flour has a higher rise and crispier crust, unbleached flour retains a more subtle flavor.

The flour used in white breads is often bleached further—by the use of flour bleaching agents such as potassium bromate, azodicarbonamide, or chlorine dioxide gas to remove any slight natural yellow shade and make its baking properties more predictable.

What is the difference between King Arthur flour and regular flour? ›

Some flour brands allow wide fluctuations in their protein content, so every time you use it, you'll get slightly different results. King Arthur Flour is milled with the strictest specifications in the industry. Baking with flour that's consistent in protein will give you the best, most consistent results at home.