Your Guide To All-Purpose Flour, Bread Flour, and Bread Mixes (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between bread flour and bread mix? ›

A Bread Flour will need the addition of other ingredients for a good loaf such as salt, sugar and bread improvers together with yeast and water. The alternative is a Bread Mix which is a bread flour which has everything already blended to the correct proportions and simply needs the addition of yeast and water.

Yes you can mix them at a one to one ratio. Bread flour has a higher protein content then winter wheat used in all purpose flour.

You can always substitute all-purpose flour for bread flour one for one in any recipe that calls for it. Your bread might not raise quite as high or have quite as much chew, if you are using all-purpose flour, but it will still be delicious and homemade and all the good things.

While bread flour is more than adequate for everyday breads, some professional bakers use high-gluten flour with a 14% protein content to provide extra strength to dense, chewy doughs like bagels and pizza dough. High-gluten bread flour gives milk bread it's taut structure and compact (but tender) crumb.

While bread flour is the best option, it can sometimes be used if you don't have bread flour. “Check the protein content,” advises Chef Jürgen, since it can vary from brand to brand, and an all-purpose flour that contains protein on the higher end of the range, 12 to 13 percent, will produce a better outcome.

If you make a bread dough with all-purpose flour, the gluten network won't be as strong because of the lower protein content; this means the dough won't be able to stretch as much to accommodate those bubbles, resulting in smaller bubbles and bread with a tighter crumb.

Lots of baking sites disagree about how to turn all-purpose flour into bread flour. Some people recommend adding just 1 teaspoon of vital wheat gluten per cup of all-purpose, while others recommend 1 to 3 tablespoons per recipe. I guess the variation depends on the baker's preferences and budget.

King Arthur Flour contains no bleach, no bromate, and no artificial preservatives of any kind. What you get—instead of those chemical bleaching agents—is flour from superior grains grown by farmers we trust.

When originally created, bread flour was designed to be paired with yeast in order to produce the perfect baked good (usually breads). The amount of protein found in bread flour is higher, in order to contain and produce more gluten and achieve the desired rise in bread.

Using bread flour in place of all-purpose flour is tricker. If you're baking high-hydration bread—like a sourdough boule or pan de cristal—which requires a high protein content to develop its gluten network, Shilpa doesn't recommend it. “The resulting loaf will be tight-crumbed and a bit squat,” she says.

What happens if you accidentally use bread flour instead of all-purpose? ›

Substitution Note: Since bread flour absorbs more water than all purpose flour, I always recommend reducing water/liquid slightly when substituting. Be aware that the dough may be stickier and less elastic by nature, and won't hold its structure or rise quite as well.

This recipe calls for light brown sugar, but if you want a richer molasses flavor, use dark brown sugar. All-purpose flour. For the best results I recommend using all-purpose flour. However bread flour also works well in this banana bread recipe.

The healthiest bread flour is 100% whole grain flour. Whole grain flour could be rye, barley, spelt, oat, or wheat flour - the key is that the flour is made from 100% whole grains. Whole grain breads provide essential nutrients that are lacking in bread made from white flour.

The French typically use Type 55 flour for their baguettes, which has a lower protein content than All-Purpose flour (usually 11.5% protein). I know that's not found in your standard supermarket, but you can buy it online from King Arthur Flour.

Wheat flours are usually the first choice of most bakers. This is due to the lightness and high rise created by higher levels of gluten content. However, if you're intolerant of wheat or looking for gluten-free bread options, there are a wide range of low gluten and gluten-free flour options available.

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.

Made from a mix of hard and soft wheat, all-purpose flour has a moderate amount of protein (9–11%). Meanwhile, the protein content of bread flour—made from hard wheat only—ranges from 11–13%. That small percentage jump might not seem significant, but it makes a big difference in the texture of your baked goods.

Yes! All-purpose flour has a 9% to 12% gluten content, while bread flour's gluten content falls in the 10% to 13% range. Even if your all-purpose flour lacks gluten, you can still use it in the bread machine. Again, the worst that will happen is that your bread will not rise as much as it would with bread flour.

what's a bread flour cookie? Well, it's exactly what it sounds like – a normal cookie, but made with bread flour. This may not sound like an interesting switch-up, but let me tell you, these cookies are so perfectly dense, chewy and crispy on the edges that your cookie game will be changed forever.