When it comes to baking, flour is one of the most important ingredients. There are many different types of flour, each with its own unique properties and uses.
I’ll be discussing these and other types of flour, including gluten-free flours, as well as types of flour that you might not think about when you’re shopping for flour at your local grocery store.
Many recipes call for all-purpose flour, but there are a host of different types of flour that are used for particular kinds of baked items. You might know some, but there are some you probably have never heard of.
Baking is a fun activity that everyone enjoys. This guide will help you select the right type of flour for different types of baked goods. You’ll also find out what each type of flour is used for and learn how to bake the best breads and muffins.
Here is a look at the 12 most common types of flour used for baking.
1. All-Purpose Flour
Wheat is probably the most widely used grain crop and the primary ingredient of many foods such as breads, cakes, cookies, pastas, crackers, cereals, noodles and breakfast items.1.
It has a higher starch content because the germ and bran have been removed. All-purpose flour contains iron, thiamin, riboflavin, folic acid, and niacin.
Get More Can I Use Baking Soda Instead Of Baking Powder? (Or Vice Versa?)
This flour is used for a variety of baking items, such as cakes and cookies, biscuits and pizza dough, and it is used in many cooking recipes to make sauces and gravies. It is also used as a thickener.
Storage info: If you’ve just bought a new bag of flour and you want to make sure it doesn’t have any bugs in it, it’s best to put the bag in the freezer for a few days so the bugs die off.
This frozen pizza is best left in the freezer and does not need to be defrosted before use.
2. Almond Flour
Almond flour is made from ground almonds. It’s gluten-free, low in carbs, and contains fiber and fats that are healthy.
Almonds are high in magnesium and contain an array of other nutrients and health benefits such as fiber, vitamins, and minerals, making them a superfood that can help keep you energized and focused throughout the day.
It is possible to use almond flour in place of wheat flour in many recipes. Use it for making cookies, muffins and bread, but use only one-third of the amount of regular wheat flour.
3. Amaranth Flour
In ancient times, amaranth seeds were ground into flour for consumption. It’s now popular again because it’s packed with protein and it’s gluten-free.
A lot of people don’t realize that amaranth is an extremely nutritious grain. It’s not only high in protein, but it contains important minerals such as calcium, iron and manganese, which may help lower bad cholesterol levels and increase iron absorption.
Check Out How To Properly Store Baking Ingredients To Maximize Freshness
The proportions of flours and starches used were 25% for pancakes, 25% for banana bread, and 50% for scones, cinnamon bread, and muffins. Storage info: Amaranth flour will last for six months in a tightly closed container in the freezer.
4. Barley Flour
Flour made from ground or rolled barley makes a good substitute for wheat flour, especially in baking items. It’s also useful to add to other types of flour when making recipes, especially whole wheat and/or all-purpose flours.
Barley contains gluten so it is not for those who have Celiac disease. It can be kept for one year, and this makes it a good choice for those who want to bake breads or chocolate chip cookies. Rising gas prices have given an extra push to a move by the U.S.
You can find a number of recipes using barley flour online including a vegan zucchini bread. There’s no need to store this flour in the refrigerator or freezer as it keeps well for three months.
5. Bread Flour
All-purpose wheat flour is generally preferred over bread flour in many recipes. It contains both proteins and starches that provide a nice rise and chewiness when baked. You can use either type of flour.
How are bread flour and all-purpose flour different? Bread flour was invented for making bread, while all-purpose flour is great for most baking and cooking needs. All-purpose flour contains about 12% to 14% protein, and has about 8% to 11% gluten.
Get More 10 Useful Tips For Baking In High Humidity
Gluten-free bread flour will make a lighter and more elastic bread dough. This will result in a light and chewy slice of bread. You can use this to make dinner rolls, bagels, cinnamon rolls, and even pretzels.
You don’t need to use all-purpose flour to make bread, but the type of flour matters, as does the size of your baking dish. Cake flour, pastry flour, and some other flours can be stored in the freezer for up to a year.
6. Buckwheat Flour
Buckwheat Flour is made from seeds of plants that grow wild in Europe. It is not made from wheat, which means it doesn’t taste the same as wheat flours. You can use it in place of wheat flour or buckwheat groats (kasha).
Gluten-free bread is made from a variety of grains such as quinoa, rice, oats, millet, sorghum, teff, amaranth, buckwheat, and millet.
It contains no wheat and is rich in fiber, which makes it a great source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It has almost 4 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber per serving.
Get More Can You Bake Cookies On Aluminum Foil? (What To Expect)
Most used for: It can be used to make pancakes, waffles, and cookies. Other uses include: You can make crepes out of it. You can use it to make a pancake recipe. You can use it as a replacement for brown rice. Storage info:
7. Cake Flour
When you’re making cookies, cakes or breads, baking powder is an essential ingredient. It increases the volume and improves texture when baking. It also helps your baked goods rise up high and stay moist.
Baker’s prefer the difference cake flour makes in their recipes. If you want to see for yourself, just remove 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour from your cake recipe per cup and replace it with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
Cake flour is most commonly used for making cakes, but you can also use it for making pancakes, muffins, and breads. To store cake flour, you should keep it in a sealed glass or plastic container.
8. Oat Flour
Oatmeal is made from ground oats and has been around since ancient times. Because it is not made from wheat, it is considered to be a gluten-free product. It’s easy to make at home, too.
Oatmeal, although more dense than other grains, is a great source of complex carbohydrates. It can be substituted for whole-wheat flour and while it will add a richer flavor to baked goods, it has a chewier texture. Oat flour can be found online or at most grocery stores.
Check Out How Do I Cool A Cake Overnight?
If you want to bake, there are special recipes that are specifically adapted to oat flour so you can still make muffins, breads, pancakes, waffles, cookies, and cakes.
If you are trying to adapt it on your own, you can exchange up to 30% of the flour you are using for oat flour to reduce the amount of gluten in the recipe.
For storage purposes: Oat flour is sensitive to moisture. If you keep it in a sealed container in a dry, cool area, it should last about a year.
9. Pastry Flour
If you are into baking, you already know about pastry flour. It’s a great flour that is used in pastry and cake recipes and differs from both all-purpose flour and cake flour in the amount of protein it contains.
The protein content of all-purpose flour is about 11 percent. It’s the best flour for baking for most purposes. You can use it on a one to one basis if the recipe calls for all-purpose flour.
If you don’t have any pastry flour, use all-purpose flour to make the dough instead. If you don’t have any cake flour, use all-purpose flour to make the dough.
As its name implies, wheat flour is made from ground wheat, while pastry flour is made from all-purpose flour. Wheat flour is best for baking, while pastry flour is great for making biscuits, cookies, pastries, and pies.
10. Rice Flour
It was introduced to our culture in the 1980s and it’s become popular for use in baking.
This is an informative book about the various kinds of rice and the types of processing methods used to make different types of rice flour.
Two kinds of rice flour are needed to make a gluten-free loaf of bread – white and brown. Both have very little flavor, while brown rice has a subtle sweet and nutty taste.
Brown rice four is almost as calorie rich as white flour. It has more protein, more fiber, and more folate than white flour. Rice flour is usually used for recipes that use it because you can’t substitute it for any other flours.
Rice flour is used in a lot of baked goods, including muffins, cakes, and sweet baked goods. You can use the rice flour at home or find packaged rice flour at grocery stores.
11. Self-Rising Flour
Background: Self-rising flour starts with a cup of all-purpose flour and adds one-quarter teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of baking powder. You can buy self-rising flour ready made or make your own if it is not a type of flour you will regularly use.
It’s best used to make biscuits, pizza crusts, different kinds of pancakes, and dumplings. For best results, keep it in a cool, dry place.
Most baking powders lose effectiveness over a period of time so it’s always best to be sure they are fresh when called for in a recipe.
12. White-Wheat Flour and Whole-Wheat Flour
There’s no need to choose between white and whole wheat flour. Both types of flour are considered whole wheat. The difference between them is that white whole wheat flour comes from winter wheat or hard spring wheat while whole-wheat flour is 100% whole wheat.
When substituting one type of flour for another, try to choose one that will not cause your baked goods to taste like cardboard.
Whole wheat flour and light or white wheat flour are typically interchangeable, except that whole wheat will yield a heavier texture and darker appearance.
Wheat flour can be used in a variety of recipes for pancakes, banana bread, waffles, and muffins. Store it in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to three months.
If you don’t want a shorter shelf life, freeze the container and it will last up to a year.
How Should You Store Your Flour?
There are a few different ways that you can store your flour. One way is to keep it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
Another way is to freeze it. You can freeze it in an airtight container or you can freeze it in a freezer bag. If you freeze it in a freezer bag, be sure to squeeze out all of the air before sealing the bag.
What is the Most Accurate Way to Measure Flour?
Measuring flour is important if you are going to bake. There are several different ways to measure flour. You can use a measuring cup or spoon to level off the flour. When mixing, you want to make sure the flour is uniform throughout the bowl.
If you are a more serious baking enthusiast, you might want to consider buying a small baking scale. One cup of flour weighs in at about 120 grams and is 4 1/4 ounces. This type of measurement will give you consistent and precise measurements for your recipes every time.
Related FAQ
What is plain flour used for?
Plain flour, also known as all-purpose flour, is a type of flour that is made from wheat. It is the most common type of flour and can be used for a variety of different things.
Plain flour can be used to make bread, pasta, pizza dough, and other types of baked goods. It can also be used to make pancakes, waffles, and other types of breakfast foods.
Can I use plain flour for cakes?
Yes, you can use plain flour for cakes. However, it is not as good as cake flour because it doesn’t have the same amount of gluten. This means that the cake might be a little bit tougher than if you used cake flour.
Can I use plain flour instead of self-raising flour for a cake?
Self-raising flour contains baking powder, so if you use plain flour instead, you will need to add some baking powder to your cake mixture. This is because baking powder helps cakes rise and gives them a light texture.
Another thing to consider is that self-raising flour usually contains a lower amount of gluten than plain flour. Gluten is the protein in wheat that helps breads and cakes rise, so if you don’t add any baking powder to your cake mixture, it may not rise as much as you would like it to.
If you’re not sure how much baking powder to add, start with 1 teaspoon per cup of plain flour that you are using. If your cake still doesn’t rise enough, then add more baking powder until it does.
What is a cake flour?
A cake flour is a finely milled flour that is used for making cakes and other delicate baked goods. It is made from soft wheat and has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, which makes it ideal for cakes and other pastries that require a finer texture.
Cake flour can be found in most supermarkets, and there are also specialty brands that sell only cake flour.
What is cake flour used for?
Cake flour is a finely ground flour that is specifically designed for making cakes and other delicate desserts. It is made from soft wheat, which results in a flour that is light and has a low gluten content.
This makes it ideal for cakes, which can be easily over-worked and become tough if using a high-gluten flour. Cake flour is also bleached, which helps to produce a whiter cake crumb.
Can I use cake flour for bread?
There is a lot of confusion about whether or not cake flour can be substituted for bread flour when making bread. Cake flour is made from a softer wheat than bread flour and has a lower protein content.
This means that it doesn’t form gluten as easily as bread flour, so it is not ideal for use in bread recipes.
However, if you are desperate to make a loaf of bread with cake flour, you can try using half cake flour and half all-purpose flour.
This will give you a loaf that is not quite as chewy as one made with only bread flour, but it will be more successful than using only cake flour.
Is cake flour best for cake baking?
There are all sorts of different types of flour on the market these days. It can be confusing to know which one to use for a specific recipe. Cake flour is often recommended for cake baking, but is it really the best option?
Cake flour is made from a softer wheat than all-purpose flour. This makes it ideal for cakes, which tend to be light and fluffy. All-purpose flour is made from a harder wheat, so it has more gluten. This makes it better for breads and other denser baked goods.
So, should you use cake flour when baking a cake? If you want a light and fluffy cake, then yes – cake flour is your best bet. However, if you are looking for something with a little more texture, then all-purpose flour may be a better choice.
Is there a difference between cake flour and regular flour?
There is a big difference between cake flour and regular flour. Cake flour is made from soft wheat and it has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour.
This makes it ideal for cakes and other delicate desserts, because the low protein content will result in a more tender cake.
All-purpose flour is made from hard wheat, which has a higher protein content. This makes all-purpose flour better for breads and other baked goods that need to be sturdy.
Can cake flour be used for cookies?
There is a lot of debate over whether or not cake flour can be used for cookies. Some say that it produces a tougher cookie, while others insist that there is no difference at all. In my experience, I have found that cake flour produces a slightly tougher cookie than all-purpose flour.
However, this difference is very minor and most people will not be able to tell the difference. If you are looking for a slightly more chewy cookie, then cake flour is the way to go.