Tip - Choosing Flour For Baking

Choosing Flour for Baking


A stroll down the supermarket's baking aisle reminds me that there are more 
than a few kinds of flour to choose from. To decide which type is best for 
the kind of baking you do, it helps to understand that flour is made up of 
carbohydrates (or starch), proteins, and in the case of whole-wheat flour, 
a bit of fat. Of these three nutrients, protein matters most to the baker. 
The proteins in wheat are called gluten-forming proteins, and the quantity 
and quality of these proteins determines how a flour will perform in the 
kitchen.


"Hard" flours, including bread and whole-wheat flours, range in protein 
from 12% to 15%. Bread flour is specially formulated to enhance gluten 
elasticity. Whole-wheat flour, however, despite its high protein, will 
produce a dense loaf unless mixed with all-purpose flour.


A high percentage of protein means a harder (stronger) flour best suited to 
chewy, crusty breads and other yeast-risen products. Less protein means a 
softer flour, best for tender and chemically leavened baked goods, like pie 
crusts, cakes, cookies, and biscuits.


Since the protein content of wheat can range from 5% to 15%, the flour 
industry has established labeling standards that help us find the right 
flour for our needs (see the chart below.)


Unless you're an avid bread or cake baker, an all-purpose flour is probably 
your best choice. It's made with an average protein content to be versatile 
enough for everything from cakes to breads. In general, you may find that 
cakes made with all-purpose flour are a bit tougher and less delicate than 
those made with a softer pastry or cake flour. Likewise, breads made with 
all-purpose flour may be a bit softer and flatter than those made with 
bread flour. But overall, these differences should be slight for the casual 
baker.


If a recipe calls for a certain type of flour and all you have is 
all-purpose, some manufacturers recommend using 1 tablespoon more per cup 
when making breads and 1 tablespoon less per cup for cookies and biscuits. 
This will increase or decrease the total amount of protein going into the 
batter or dough.


All-purpose flours have a protein range between 9% and 12%. King Arthur 
flour has a protein content of 11.7%, while Pillsbury and Gold Medal are 
both 10.5%


Within categories of flour, there's also a range in amount of protein 
between different brands. It's also important to know that, despite its 
high protein content, whole-wheat flour has to be mixed with all-purpose 
flour to form a light loaf (the bran in whole-wheat flour tends to cut 
gluten strands, reducing elasticity).


Flours with a low protein content include Softasilk cake flour and White 
Lily all-purpose flour (which is made from a softer wheat, making it lower 
in protein than most all-purpose brands; White Lily is often referred to as 
a pastry flour, even though it's labeled all-purpose). Self-rising flour, 
which has leavening added to it, ranges from 9% to 11% protein.


Beyond the differences in protein content, there are also a few distinct 
specialty flours. Cake flour, the lowest protein flour, has undergone a 
special bleaching process (distinct from the process used for other white 
flours) that increases the flour's ability to hold water and sugar. This 
means that when you're making baked goods with a high ratio of sugar to 
flour, the flour will be better able to hold its rise and will be less 
likely to collapse.


Self-rising flour is a relatively soft all-purpose flour to which baking 
powder and salt have been added. Manufacturers suggest using it for 
biscuits, quick breads, and cookies and eliminating the baking powder and 
salt called for in the recipe.


--Molly Stevens is a contributing editor to Fine Cooking.