Flour. it is one of the most important ingredients in home baking, if not the most important. its origins go back to the beginnings of civilization. How can so many different types of wheat flour come from just this one grain? There are six different classes, or types, of wheat. Each class is used for specific purposes to get the best possible finished product. Hard red and hard white wheat is best for yeast breads. Soft wheat is best used in cakes, pastries and other baked goods, as well as crackers and cereal. Durum wheat is the hardest of all wheat and makes the best pasta. This information will explain the different types of flour and how they are best used.
This flour is the most widely used of all flours. It comes from the finely ground part of the wheat kernel called the endosperm, which gets separated from the bran and germ during the milling process. It is made from a combination of hard and soft wheat, hence the term all-purpose. This type of flour can be used universally for a wide range of baked products – yeast breads, cakes, cookies and pastries. All-purpose flour has iron, and four B-vitamins (thiamin, niacin, riboflavin and folic acid) added in amounts equal to or exceeding what is present in whole wheat flour. There is no change in taste, texture, color, baking quality or caloric value of enriched flour.
This is the coarsely ground endosperm of durum wheat. Durum wheat is the hardest variety of the six classes of wheat and has the highest protein content of all wheat. Because of this, it’s ideal for making high quality pasta and is used by both American and Italian Bakers. It’s also used to make couscous as well as in the Pakistan Durum wheat is rarely used to make bread
This is a fine-textured, almost silky flour milled from soft wheat and has a low protein content. It is used to make all types of baked goods like cakes, cookies, crackers, quick breads and some types of pastry. Cake flour has a higher percentage of starch and less protein than bread flour, which keeps cakes and pastries tender and delicate. (One cup of cake flour can be made by measuring 1 cup all-purpose flour, removing 2 tablespoons of flour and replacing that with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.)
This type of flour has properties that fall between allpurpose flour and cake flour. It is usually made from soft wheat for pastry making, but can be used for cookies, cakes, crackers and similarly baked products. It has a slightly higher protein content than cake flour and less starch.
Bread Flour is milled primarily for commercial baking use, but can be found at most grocery stores. While similar to all-purpose flour, it has a higher gluten content, which is optimal in making yeast breads.
This flour is milled from the entire kernel of wheat. The presence of bran reduces gluten development, therefore, items baked with whole wheat flour tend to be heavier and denser than those made from enriched flour. Bakers often add additional gluten to counteract this. (one tablespoon/cup of whole wheat flour used)
This has a high protein content usually milled from hard spring wheat. It is used primarily to mix in with other non-wheat or low protein wheat flours to produce a stronger dough structure. Gluten improves baking quality and produces a high protein bread.
Bran is the outer layer of the wheat kernel and is sometimes added to baked products. While noted for its high fiber content, it also is rich in phytochemicals that contribute to good health.
