6 Types of Flour and Their Differences

When baking at home, you might come across a recipe that asks for a different flour from the one you’re used to. Learn more about types of flour in this post by the bread pros at Great Harvest Bread Co. in Newtonville.

All-Purpose Flour

All-purpose flour, also known as plain flour,  might be the most common flour out there, and it certainly is what most recipes ask for when they ask for flour. All-purpose flour can be bleached or unbleached; this refers to the process that flour goes through to give it its white color. Bleached flour goes through a process that makes it lighter in color and finer in texture. Bleached flour is the best for cakes, pie crusts, cookies, and pancakes. Unbleached flour works best for making bread.

Whole Wheat Flour

Whole wheat flour is that which is much less processed than all-purpose flour and, in turn, contains much more wheat bran and germ. This type of flour is coarse in texture, and it’s rich in protein and minerals, making it have a chewy texture. This type of flour is best used for baking bread because of its properties. Usually, you can substitute all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour 1:1 in most recipes, but recipes will come out denser and with less moisture.

Enjoy freshly-made bread from the best bakery in Newtonville. Speak with a bread pro at Great Harvest Bread Co., Newtonville MA, and ask about their bread and goodies menu, or lunch menu. For more information, call 617-928-1162 today.

Cake Flour

Since 1894 when cake flour was created, bakers have been using it for baking cakes with the perfect crumb. Cake flour is finer and lighter than all-purpose flour, and it’s excellent for baking light and soft cakes. Cake flour is also lower in protein than all-purpose and whole wheat flour, which means that it will create less gluten when mixing, making your cake bread less chewy. Cake flour Pro tip: If your recipe asks for cake flour, but you don’t have it in your pantry, substitute it by removing two tablespoons of all-purpose flour from each cup the recipe asks for. Then, add in two tablespoons of cornstarch to help the flower become lighter and act similar to cake flour.

Bread Flour

As said before, to create chewy bread, you need flour with a lot of protein to promote the development of gluten. That’s why bread flour is made out of high protein wheat, and it contains around 12% to 14% protein; usually, all-purpose flour has approximately 11% protein. Besides a loaf of bread, you can also bake things like pretzels, dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, and bagels.

Are you looking for bread in Newtonville? Visit the best bakery in Newtonville. With pure, simple ingredients, the bread at Great Harvest Bread Co., Newtonville MA is made the way bread ought to be from the beginning. Call them today at 617-928-1162 to ask about their entire menu!

Self-Rising Flour

Self-rising flour is made out of all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder. This type of flour has a lower protein content than bread and all-purpose flour, and it bakes flakier and tender bread. Also, keep in mind that as this flour already has a leavening agent mixed into it, you won’t have to add it to your mixture. You can use self-rising flour when baking muffins, pizza dough, and some bread that is supposed to be flaky and light, like biscuits. Fun fact: Box cake mixes usually contain self-rising flour to cut down on ingredients and steps in baking a cake. Box cake mixes have been around for almost a hundred years, since 1933.

Gluten-Free Flour

Gluten-free flour is the only type of flour in this list that doesn’t contain wheat. This is because people with gluten allergies or intolerances, such as celiac disease, can’t process wheat-based products. The good news is that gluten-free flours have become much more available in recent years. Flour can be made of many grains and nuts like amaranth, quinoa, rice, soy, and almond. Some brands mix alternative flours and starches to create gluten-free flour that resembles all-purpose flour. Tip: Be careful with oat flour as it���s sometimes made in facilities that also process wheat and might contain some. For peace of mind, look for gluten-free oat flour.

Enjoy freshly-made bread as a family from the best bakery in Newtonville. Call today at 617-928-1162 and ask about the products Great Harvest Bread Co., Newtonville MA has to offer.