All About Flour

[smlewis00]

I found a really interesting article that explains cake flour, pastry flour, all-purpose flour and bread flour.
Source: http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-cake-flou-74565
I've always wondered about flour. What is the difference between all of the different kinds? Here's what I've learned...
Cake, pastry, all-purpose and bread flour have one thing in common. They are made from wheat. The difference is what kind of wheat, where the wheat came from, the time of year it was harvested and how the wheat is milled.
Also, the article says that protein is related to how much gluten is in your flour. Protein and gluten can make a difference in the substancy of the cake.
"Flours with low protein contents will generate less gluten and flours with high protein content will create more. To get the light and airy structure of cakes, you want a flour with very little protein. But to form the dense chewy structure of bread, you want a flour with a lot of protein so that you can create as much gluten as possible."
Read more here: Source: http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-cake-flou-74565
What are other differences and similarities of flour? Have you noticed a difference when baking with different kinds of flour?

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

The other day my husband asked me for some plain flour for a pastry recipe he was making. I simply told him to look on the flour shelf. He came out sometime later complaining that I have too many different flour types... he counted something like 14 different flours on that shelf alone. They all have different uses, some are interchangeable (plain flour with self-raising flour if you add in baking powder) others can't be substituted with each other as easily/successfully (hemp flour won't substitute with say rice flour or maize meal or chapatti flour).

Currently I have the following in regular use in my 'flour shelf'

1. plain white flour
2. self raising (white) flour
3. wholemeal (plain) flour
4. strong white flour
5. wholemeal strong flour
6. light rye flour
7. buckwheat flour
8. soya flour
9. rice flour
10. potato flour/farina
11. hemp flour (very tasty)
12. maize meal/corn flour/fine polenta (not cornflour though...)
13. spelt flour
14. oatmeal
15. chapatti flour

All are in regular use except for the light rye flour which has a very specific purpose - one style of bread and nothing else.

 

[sillylucy]

Wow! I never knew someone could have so many different types of flour. I am impressed SatNavSays! I only use pastry and all purpose flour. I hope to one day try out some bread flour when I buy a bread maker.

 

[Lostvalleyguy]

One thing I have learned about flour is that the basic white flour sold in Canada is not the same as the equivalent product in the United States. A few recipe books published in Canada actually give different quantities for use if you use one or the other. I believe it has to do with the way that it is ground and not the part of the wheat kernel that is used.