Flour contains a high proportion of
starches. The higher the protein content
the harder and stronger the flour, and the more it will produce crusty or chewy
breads. The lower the protein, the
softer the flour, which is better for cakes, cookies, and pie crusts.
To
ensure the flour is always at its best for use, store it in a cool, dry
cupboard, preferably in an airtight container.
It should only be brought in quantities that will last a maximum of two
to three months. This is particularly
applicable to wholemeal flour which contains the germ part of the grain as this
can go rancid with time. If it is
necessary to store flour for extended periods of time store the flour in the
freezer. Do not mix new flour with
old. Make sure the packaging is secured
to prevent infestation by weevils.
Unbleached
Flour
Unbleached flour is simply flour that has not undergone bleaching and therefore does not have the colour of “white” flour.
Unbleached flour is simply flour that has not undergone bleaching and therefore does not have the colour of “white” flour.
Bleached
Flour
Bleached flour is any refined flour with
a whitening agent added. Refined flour
has had the germ and bran removed and is typically referred to as “white flour”.
Plain
Flour / All-Purpose Flour
Plain flour or all-purpose flour does not
contain leavening agent. It is used for
most bread and pizza bases. Some
biscuits are also prepared using this type of flour. The protein level is 9-12%.
Self-rising
Flour
Self-rising flour is a low-protein flour
with added salt and leavening (baking powder). The added ingredients are evenly distributed
throughout the flour which aids a consistent rise in baked goods. This flour is generally used for preparing scones,
biscuits, muffins, etc.
If you do not have self-rising flour, you
may use plain flour to substitute using the below ratio :
1 cup (125 g) plain flour
1 teaspoon (3 g) baking powder
a pinch to ½ teaspoon (1 g or less) salt
Cake
Flour
Cake flour is a fine-textured, soft-wheat
flour with a high starch content. It has
the lowest protein content (8-10%) of any wheat flour. It is chlorinated (a bleaching process which
leaves the flour slightly acidic), sets a cake faster and distributes fat more
evenly through the batter to improve texture. When you are making baked goods with a high
ratio of sugar to flour, this flour will be better able to hold its rise and
will be less liable to collapse. It is
excellent for baking fine-textured cakes with greater volume and is used in
some quick breads, muffins and cookies.
If you cannot find cake flour, substitute
bleached all-purpose flour, but subtract 2 tablespoons of flour for each cup
used in the recipe.
Pastry
Flour
Pastry Flour (also known as cookie flour)
is made with soft wheat and falls somewhere between all-purpose and cake flour
in terms of protein content and baking properties. It has a protein level of 9-10%, used for
making biscuits, pie crusts, brownies, cookies and quick breads. Pastry flour makes a tender but crumbly
pastry. Do not use it for yeast breads. You can try to mimic it by using a 2-to-1
ratio of all-purpose flour to cake flour.
Bread
Flour
Bread flour is white flour made from
hard, high-protein wheat. It has more
gluten strength and protein content (12-14%) than all-purpose flour. It is unbleached and sometimes conditioned
with ascorbic acid, which increases volume and creates better texture. The increased protein binds to the flour to
entrap carbon dioxide released by the yeast fermentation process, resulting in
a stronger rise.
Whole-Wheat
Flour
Whole-wheat flour, also known as wholemeal
flour or graham flour, is a low gluten flour. It is made from the whole kernel of wheat and
is higher in dietary fiber and overall nutrient content than white flours. It is often mixed with all-purpose or bread flour
when making yeast breads.
Whole wheat flour is more absorbent than
white flour, thus requiring more liquid. This results in extra-sticky doughs that can
be challenging for beginning bakers to work with. If you’re interested in making whole wheat
bread, swap 25% of your white flour for whole wheat to start, and increase as
you become more skilled at kneading a wet dough. Depending on the grind, whole wheat flour can
be very coarse, with large pieces of bran. These sharp granules can slice through protein
chains, shredding gluten and making bread doughs crumbly, rather than elastic
and chewy. Avoid this by not overworking
the dough.
Semolina
Flour
Semolina Flour is used in making pasta
and Italian puddings. It is made from
durum wheat, the hardest type of wheat grown. The flour has the highest protein level.
Almond
Flour (Gluten Free)
Just a touch of this flour (about 1/4 of
the flour mixture) is all you need to add moistness, a little binding, light
almond flavour, and density to baked goods. It is especially good in pastry crusts,
cookies, and quick breads.
Corn
Flour (Gluten Free)
Corn flour is a powdery flour made of
finely-ground cornmeal and is milled from the whole kernel. It comes in yellow and white and is used for
breading and in combination with other flours in baked goods. White corn flour is used as a filler, binder
and thickener in cookie, pastry and meat.
Rice
Flour (Gluten Free)
Rice flour is a form of flour made from
finely milled rice. This flour can be
made from either white or brown rice and can be used interchangeably. White rice flour (also called Mochik) is
lighter, milder, and easier to digest than wheat flour. It is great as a thickener in sauces.
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Bread/FlourTypes.htm
http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/ingredients/article/guide-to-flour
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flour
References :
http://www.bakeinfo.co.nz/Facts/Wheat-Milling/Types-of-Flourhttp://whatscookingamerica.net/Bread/FlourTypes.htm
http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/ingredients/article/guide-to-flour
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flour
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