You probably already know that all flours are not created equal. The main types of wheat flour—bread flour vs all-purpose, pastry flour vs cake flour—vary primarily by the type of wheat they're made from and their protein content. We take a closer look at each of these flours—from high to low protein content—to determine their best uses and how to substitute for each.
Protein content determines how much gluten forms in a particular type of flour, which in turn affects the textural quality of your baked good:
- A high protein content creates more gluten, providing a strong, dense structure.
- A low protein content forms less gluten, resulting in a light and airy structure.
Bread Flour
Bread flour is your go-to for yeast breads—such as brioche, croissant, French bread, and sourdough—which use yeast as a leavening agent. With a protein content of 12 to 16 percent, this high-gluten flour is made of 99.8 percent hard-wheat flour. A touch of malt barley may be added to improve yeast activity, as well as vitamin C or potassium bromate, which increases gluten's elasticity.
Substitutions
You can use all-purpose flour as a 1:1 substitute for bread flour and vice-versa. For example, for 1 cup of bread flour, you can use 1 cup of all-purpose flour. Bread and pizza crust made with all-purpose flour may have a little less chew than those made with bread flour, but the results will still be good.
All-Purpose Flour
This is the flour type you probably know and love. Made from a blend of high-gluten hard wheat and low-gluten soft wheat, all-purpose flour—or AP flour, as it's known in chef speak—is fine-textured and has a protein content of 10 to 12 percent.
As its name implies, all-purpose flour is suitable for just about anything from pancakes, cookies, and biscuits to homemade pasta to dredging chicken. If a recipe doesn't stipulate otherwise, AP flour is the one to reach for.
Substitutions
Generally speaking, recipes that call for all-purpose flour are best made with such. If you happen to have leftover bread flour, you can use it in place of AP flour (at a 1:1 ratio) for yeast doughs, resulting in breads and pastries with an extra little lift. (Try using bread flour as a substitute for all-purpose in our No-Knead Onion Rolls.)
Cake flour can also sub for AP 1:1. It results in a similar taste but a less chewy texture.
If all you have is self-rising flour, you may be able to make it work as a substitute for AP flour, provided your recipe calls for at least ½ teaspoon of baking powder per cup of flour. If so, you can swap 1:1 and then adjust the quantities of baking powder and/or salt as the recipe warrants.
Self-Rising Flour
Self-rising flour is merely all-purpose flour with the addition of a leavening agent (baking soda or baking powder) and salt. To make self-rising flour, just add 1½ teaspoons baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt to each cup of AP flour.
For anyone on a gluten-free diet, any type of wheat flour is a non-starter because they all contain gluten. There's a wide variety of flours with non-wheat origins—among them almond, buckwheat, cassava, coconut, corn, millet, rice, sorghum, and tapioca—but each yields different results as far as taste and texture, and few are suitable as a 1:1 sub for AP flour in all applications.
For the best substitute, look for a gluten-free flour mix at your grocer's. Available in several brands, these blends of non-wheat flours closely resemble the taste and texture you expect from using AP flour.
Pastry Flour
Pastry flour is a fine-textured soft flour with a low protein content: 8 to 9 percent. This finely ground flour with a low gluten content is ideal for baked goods with a chewy, flakey, or crumbly texture such aspie crust, croissants, scones, tarts, andquick breads.
Substitutions
If you don't have pastry flour on hand, you can substitute 1:1 with cake flour, which will result in a slight difference in texture. For better results, for every cup of pastry flour cited in a baking recipe, use ½ cup of all-purpose flour and ½ cup of cake flour. (For a more precise match, use ⅜ cup of all-purpose flour and ⅝ cup of cake flour.)
If you don't have pastry or cake flour, you can substitute with AP flour and a bit of cornstarch for a close match. For every 1 cup of pastry flour called for in a recipe, measure 1 cup of AP flour minus 2 tablespoons (leaving you with ⅞ cup, also known as a "scant cup") and then add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
Cake Flour
Cake flour has the lowest of the main four types of flour—6 to 8 percent—and comes from soft wheat varieties. It's ground extra-fine, resulting in a lighter, loosely structured crumb and fluffy texture. Aptly named, cake flour is best suited for baked goods with a lighter, tender texture like delicate sponges, pound cakes, layer cakes, and cupcakes.
Substitutions
In most cases, all-purpose flour makes a suitable 1:1 substitution for cake flour. This may result in a denser cake with a slightly larger crumb than one made with cake flour.
A slightly better substitute for cake flour is AP flour with a bit of cornstarch (the same as described as a substitute for pastry flour). For an alternative (and perhaps easier) way to measure this combo, for every 1 cup of cake flour, pour 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into a 1-cup measuring cup, and then spoon AP flour in to fill the rest of the cup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is bleached flour?
Most types of refined flour come in two forms, bleached and unbleached:
- Bleached flour undergoes a chemical bleaching process. It has a whiter color, finer grain, and softer texture,
- Unbleached flour is actually bleached but via a natural aging process. It has a denser grain and tougher texture.
Essentially, chemical bleaching simply speeds up flour's natural aging process, which improves certain characteristics for baking.
Nutritionally, both flour types are identical and, as far as taste, those with a sensitive palate may detect a bit more bitterness in bleached flour.
Bleached flour is well-suited for cookies, pancakes, waffles, quick breads, and pie crusts; while unbleached flour is better for lighter baked goods such as puff pastries, eclairs, yeast breads, and popovers.
What is enriched flour?
Any type of refined flour (that is, not whole grain) can be enriched, which means vitamins and minerals—such as iron, folic acid, and vitamin B—have been added to boost its nutritional value.
Enriched flour generally has a whiter color, finer texture, and higher protein content compared to the same flour type that is not enriched.
Enriched flour is often more expensive but has a longer shelf life than unenriched flour.
Can I substitute whole wheat flour for AP flour?
In most cases, you can substitute whole wheat flour for AP flour. Whole wheat flour is closest to bread flour but more fibrous. It also requires more liquid than AP flour, so if you make a 1:1 swap, you may need to add a bit more liquid to the recipe.
Ideally, mix a combo of equal parts whole wheat flour and AP flour for your dish,
