- Gluten is a protein found in wheat that forms long strands when mixed with wet ingredients like water. Yeast breads are best made with high-gluten flours that provide plenty of chewy texture. Cakes and pastries, on the other hand, require low-gluten flours.
- Gluten captures carbon dioxide, which is released by yeast during baking.Image by Fotolia.com, courtesy of MONIQUE POUZET
Flours with high levels of gluten (up to 14 percent) are made from "hard wheat" and are often labeled "Bread Flour" in supermarkets. Hard wheat can be harvested either in the winter or spring, depending on where it is grown. Purchase this flour to prepare bread recipes. - Quick breads, like muffins, will be more tender when made with low-gluten flour.Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of yomi yomi
Low-gluten flours are made from "soft wheat" and are often labeled "Pastry Flour" or "Cake Flour." Pastry flour contains slightly more gluten than cake flour, and is best for muffins, scones and other pastries. Cake flour, of course, is best for cakes. Soft wheat almost always comes from winter wheat. - All-purpose flour is perfect for cookies and brownies.Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Lara
As the name suggests, all-purpose flour can be used for a wide variety of recipes. It is usually made from a hard wheat, so its gluten content is closer to that of bread flour than that of pastry flour. All-purpose flour is the most widely available variety in the U.S. - If you only bake once in a while, you don't need to buy a whole bag of cake flour. Just use all-purpose flour and subtract 2 tbsp. of flour for each cup the recipe calls for. If you don't want to buy bread flour, you can add a few spoonfuls of vital wheat gluten (available at most supermarkets) to achieve the proper consistency in your bread.
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