Flour-milled wheat- can be used in baked goods such as breads, cakes, biscuits and pastries. Flour helps add structure to your baked goods, so it is important to choose the right kind of flour for the baking you intend to do.
Different types of flour have different amounts of protein, with high protein wheats (hard wheat) having up to 14% protein and low protein wheats (soft wheat) that range from 5-10% protein. The higher the protein percentage, the more gluten the flour will have and therefore will add volume and a chewy texture to baked goods.
With the exception of whole wheat flour, all white flour is milled from the endosperm, which is the innermost part of a wheat kernel.
- All purpose flour: the most versatile flour with a protein content ranging from 10-12%. Can be used in breads, pastry and cookies.
- Cake flour: Cake flour has a protein content ranging from 5-8% and is also chlorinated (bleaching process) which alters the flour and allows increased absorption of sugar and liquids: think tender, moist cake.
- Pastry flour: is an unbleached flour with a protein content ranging from 8-9%. Pastry flour is made from soft wheat and is ideal for making flaky and tender pastry.
- Bread flour: there are white, whole wheat, bleached and unbleached bread flour options with a protein content ranging from 12-14%. The higher protein and gluten content allows for increased volume, chewiness and browning of the bread.
- Self rising flour: Low protein flour that is milled and pre-mixed with baking powder and salt. Generally used in biscuits and pancakes.
- Whole wheat flour: flour that includes the wheat endosperm, germ and bran with a high protein content, but weaker gluten- forming ability due to the addition of the germ and bran. Up to 5% of the wheat kernel can be removed during processing and can still be labelled whole wheat. Using whole wheat flour produces denser baked goods.
- Whole grain flour: flour that is 100% whole grain and contains the bran, germ and endosperm.
Sources: foodnetwork, goodineverygrain, whataboutwheat