Types of Flour

Unbleached flour is not refined or treated with chemicals during processing, which results in a rougher texture than bleached flour. Furthermore, it undergoes a natural aging process to prepare it for baking, which takes much longer than the sped-up aging process of bleached flour. As a result, unbleached flour has an off-white color and is rich in fiber, vitamin E, antioxidants, and manganese in addition to standard flour's nutritional value.

Used for: pastries, cream puffs, yeast bread, eclairs

Characteristics: Tough, dense, grainy, off-white

During processing, bleached flour is refined by removing the wheat kernel’s bran and germ before milling the wheat. Then, the flour is bleached using chemical agents like benzoyl peroxide, potassium bromate, or chlorine to increase the speed of the aging process. This procedure results in a white color and malleable texture for the flour, making it excellent for many baking endeavors.

Used for: pie crusts, pancakes, waffles, muffins, quick bread, cookies

Characteristics: Soft, fine grain, white

For soft, moist baked goods, cake flour is the ideal choice. It has the lowest protein content of gluten-based flour, making it less structured than the others. Additionally, it is milled extra-fine and bleached, allowing it to absorb more liquids and fats to make a deliciously moist cake. This flour is easily the best to make different cakes, so be careful when using substitutes while baking cakes.

Used for: Cake, chiffon, muffins, scones

Characteristics: Soft flour, fine, extra-absorbent. Creates a moist, spongey final product.

Bread flour has a high protein content compared to all-purpose flour to create the ideal chewy texture for loaves of bread. Due to the amount of protein, the mixing process forms more gluten and helps the bread rise without collapsing. This gluten structure results in a porous, chewy texture for your bread.

Used for: Bread, sourdough, cookies, pretzels, bagels, pizza dough

Characteristics: Hard flour, coarse, elastic. Creates an airy, chewy final product.

Semolina flour is milled from durum wheat, which gives it a nutty flavor and yellow hue. Its high protein content keeps it intact when stretched and kneaded, making it perfect for homemade pasta. However, semolina flour is also found in bread, biscuits, and other baked goods.

Used for: Pasta, couscous, bread, gnocchi, puddings

Characteristics: Hard flour, sandy, easily thickens. Creates an elastic dough that holds its shape under cooking conditions.

Also known as doppio zero flour, 00 flour is a popular choice for many Italian dishes. Durum wheat is milled to an extremely fine consistency to form the flour. This quality and the flour's high protein content allow it to be rolled and stretched thin to make pasta without breaking, maintaining its shape during cooking.

Used for: Pasta, pizza dough, flatbreads, focaccia, gnocchi, crackers

Characteristics: Hard flour, super-fine grain, easy to blend and roll. Creates a strong, chewy final product.

Named for the wheat it’s made from, spelt flour is milled from entire grains rather than part of the grain. It has medium protein content, making it an ideal substitute for all-purpose flour. However, the most unique aspect of spelt flour is its flavor, which many describe as slightly sweet, tangy, and nutty.

Used for: Desserts like cookies, cakes, and muffins, combined with other flours to make bread

Characteristics: Soft, sticky, medium protein content. Creates a soft, airy final product.

Unlike other types of flour, whole wheat flour is milled from the endosperm, germ, and bran of the wheat kernel. These extra elements give goods baked with whole wheat a dense, nutty quality, but they make the flour challenging to use during baking. While this flour is high in protein, it does not form gluten well. Additionally, whole wheat flour is more perishable than other flour, so store it in a freezer or refrigerator to increase its shelf life.

Used for: Bread, cookies, pancakes, pasta

Characteristics: Hard flour, grainy, coarse. Creates sticky dough and a dense final product.

Rye flour comes from rye, not the typical red or white wheat used to make flour. It has a low protein content and less gluten than all-purpose flour, creating a unique density in bread baked from it. Additionally, rye flour has a unique, nutty flavor and distinct texture that adds flair to baked goods.

Used for: Bread, cookies, pie crust

Characteristics: Soft flour, dark, doesn’t rise as well. Creates a moist and dense final product.

As the happy medium between cake flour and all-purpose flour, pastry flour has low protein content and is bleached during processing. Its fine texture makes it easy to blend with other ingredients. Due to these qualities, pastry flour creates flaky, tender, mouthwatering goods. Pastry flour also has a lot of substitutes due to its similarities to all-purpose flour and cake flour.

Used for: Pie crusts, tarts, croissants, cookies, muffins, biscuits, pound cakes, and other pastries

Characteristics: Soft flour, bleached, fine texture. Creates a flaky, tender final product.

Many people consider white whole wheat flour the unhealthy version of whole wheat flour, but this is not the case. The primary differentiator of white whole wheat flour is that it’s milled from a light variant of white hard winter wheat, which causes a softer texture and sweeter taste. Like whole wheat bread, it uses all three parts of the wheat kernel and contains the same high protein content and nutritional value as its counterpart.

Used for: Bread, cookies, muffins

Characteristics: Hard flour, grainy texture, sweet and mild taste. Creates a sticky dough and dense final product.

The distinctive feature of self-rising flour is the addition of salt and baking powder during the milling process. These elements act as leavening agents, providing an easy shortcut while baking. However, do not substitute self-rising flour for other flour because the salt and baking powder will cause problems in those recipes.

Used for: Biscuits, scones, pancakes,

Characteristics: Soft flour, finely milled. Creates a light, airy final product.

A staple of every kitchen in bakeries, restaurants, and cafes, all-purpose flour is precisely what its name implies. Its versatility is due to its average protein content, containing a combination of hard and soft wheat with a remarkably stable shelf-life. Capable of creating flaky pie crusts and chewy cookies, all-purpose flour is the ideal flour for nearly any task.

Used for: Everything

Characteristics: Neutral texture that varies based on bleached or unbleached nature.

Often referred to by the popular brand name Wondra, instant flour is a low protein, finely milled, pre-cooked flour. Due to this, the flour dissolves instantly in hot liquids without clumping and saves you time since it is not raw. Check the recipe carefully for instructions on how to use instant flour and possible substitutes.

Used for: Thickening sauces and gravies, battering, crepes, pie crusts

Characteristics: Soft flour, pre-cooked, easily dissolved. Creates a smooth, thick final product.