15 Different Types of Flour and When to Use Them
Bakers, keep this list handy.
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Whether it's for a crusty loaf of bread or a tender slice of homemade cake, every home baker should have flour in their pantry. But knowing which type of flour to keep handy isn't always easy—especially when the baking aisle is stocked with so many different varieties these days. For instance, should you use bread flour versus all-purpose flour to make a fluffy pull-apart garlic loaf? And what's the deal with self-rising flour in Ree Drummond's recipe for easy biscuits? Plus, there are whole wheat flours, gluten-free flours, and nut-based flours. Knowing the flavor and texture of these flours is vital for making your baked goods a success. So before you break out the measuring cups, check out this guide to different types of flour.
It's worth noting that wheat flours are milled from hard wheat, soft wheat, or a combo. Hard wheat has a higher protein content for strong gluten bonds, ideal for making pasta and bread basket goodies. Soft wheat has a lower protein content that turns out light and tender baked goods like biscuits and cakes. Gluten-free flours do not contain wheat proteins at all. As a rule of thumb, store any specialty or whole wheat flours in the refrigerator or freezer to prolong their shelf life—they naturally contain oils, which can go rancid. It's safe to chill any and all flours, but most white flour—including all-purpose, cake, pastry, bread or self-rising—is shelf-stable and can be stored in a cool, dry area. (Check out this guide on how to store baking staples.)
Many of these flours can be substituted for one other, but here's a list of the most common types of flours. Find the one that best suit your needs, baking goals, and personal taste!
Stock up and become a bonafide baker:
All-Purpose Flour
This is the most versatile of them all. Made from hard or soft wheat or a combination of both, the protein content of all-purpose flour hovers around nine to 12 percent, which is neither high nor low. Unbleached flour has whitened naturally with age; bleached flour is treated to lighten it faster. Unbleached flour may also yield a denser texture than bleached, but even with trace differences, the flours are interchangeable.
What is all-purpose flour used for? Everyday baking and cooking—the possibilities are endless! Keep it handy for making cookies, muffins, pies, or breading for fried meats.
Whole Wheat Flour
Time to get a little scientific: Wheat kernels are broken down into three parts before being milled—the endosperm, germ and bran. Standard white flour is made up of milled endosperm, but whole wheat flour is comprised of all three parts. This makes for a nutty flavor and nutrient-rich flour. (Try it in Ree's mom's muffins.) It's also for this reason whole wheat flour is more perishable: It's best to store the flour in the fridge or freezer.
What is whole wheat flour used for? Everyday baking and cooking; try using in combination with all-purpose flour to help lighten up the dense wheat. It can be used for bagels, rolls, crackers, pancakes, or even pasta dough.
Bread Flour
Comparing bread flour versus all-purpose flour, the former has the highest protein content of the refined wheat flours, clocking in at up to 14 percent. The extra protein holds together the porous, chewy texture and browned crisp crust beloved in yeasted breads.
What is bread flour used for? Breads like bagels, sourdough, dinner rolls, pizza dough, pretzels, and English muffins.
Cake Flour
Of all the wheat flours, cake flour has the lowest protein content (five to eight percent) and is milled to a very fine texture. This means less gluten and less structure—and, thus, tender and moist results. Ree actually names cake flour as an essential ingredient in her quest for perfect pancakes and uses it to make her red velvet sheet cake.
What is cake flour used for? Biscuits, angel food cake, layer cakes, muffins, pancakes, and scones.
Pastry Flour
Pastry flour is the middle ground between cake flour and all-purpose flour. Professional bakers love that it's finely milled with a protein content that hovers around eight to nine percent, striking the perfect balance between flakiness and tenderness while maintaining structure.
What is pastry flour used for? Cookies, crackers, croissants (puff pastry dough), pie crusts, and tarts.
Self-Rising Flour
Lower in protein than most all-purpose flours, self-rising flour has baking powder and salt mixed in—which explains how Ree pulls off a blackberry cobbler with five ingredients. Don't use it as a swap for other flours, however—the leavening agents will alter the final result.
What is self-rising flour used for? Biscuits, pancakes, quick breads, and scones.
Instant Flour
Known on the market as Wondra, instant flour is a pre-cooked, low-protein and finely milled flour beloved for its ability to dissolve instantly in hot or cold liquids—think gravy without lumps! A quick dredging of just about anything in instant flour will also yield crisp results when pan-frying.
What is instant flour used for? Coating meats, crepes, pie crusts and gravies.
"00" Flour
The Italian-style flour known as doppio zero (double zero) has an extremely fine texture. It's milled from the hardest type of wheat for a protein content more akin to all-purpose flour. Dough made with this kind of flour can be stretched or rolled out very thin without breaking.
What is "00" flour used for? Pasta dough, pizza dough, crackers, flatbreads, focaccia and gnocchi.
Semolina Flour
Made from durum wheat, semolina flour has a high protein content (close to that of bread flour at 13 percent). The gluten helps dough get stretched thin without breaking or shrinking back—a necessary trait when making fresh pasta!
What is semolina flour used for? Focaccia, gnocchi, and pasta dough.
Rye Flour
Milled from rye kernels, a cousin of wheat, rye flour has a lower protein content than standard all-purpose flour. Less gluten means a denser loaf; rye flour also adds a distinctive, nutty taste.
What is rye flour used for? Rye bread, bagels, crackers, and cookies.
Spelt Flour
This is a whole wheat flour milled from whole grains of spelt, an ancient grain that is a type of wheat. Unlike standard whole wheat flour, spelt flour behaves more like all-purpose flour (no need to worry about dense, heavy results!) while adding its own unique flavor, often described as slightly sweet and tangy.
What is spelt flour used for? Desserts like cakes, cookies, crumbles, and muffins; for bread recipes, experiment by swapping in up to 50 percent of the all-purpose flour for added nutritional value and flavor.
Gluten-Free Flour Blends
Those with food sensitivities or intolerances will love the new swath of gluten-free flour blends that have hit the market. Not all gluten-free flours work as a 1:1 swap for all-purpose flour, but these blends are balanced to behave as such using a variety of gluten-free flours made from grains, nuts and starches.
What are gluten-free flour blends used for? Everyday baking and cooking. Follow the package directions for the best results, as each blend features its own unique formulation.
Almond Flour
Made out of finely ground blanched almonds, this gluten-free flour can be used as a 1:1 swap for all-purpose flour, but the results may vary. With baking (particularly non-yeasted recipes), the lack of gluten will affect the overall shape, usually resulting in less rising and more spreading. Unsurprisingly, almond flour also adds a pleasant almond flavor to the final product as well as moisture and richness, thanks to the natural fats found in nuts.
What is almond flour used for? Breading, cookies, cakes (like this Fig Almond Cake), and yeast-based baking recipes.
Buckwheat Flour
Buckwheat flour isn't made from wheat at all—it's what's known as a "pseudocereal," as its grains have the same culinary use as the cereal family and it is naturally gluten-free. It should not be used solo in baking, unless you like edible hockey pucks, but swap some in to replace all-purpose flour for flavor and a serious boost in nutritional value or as part of a gluten-free baking blend.
What is buckwheat flour used for? Crepes, gluten-free baking blends, pancakes, soba noodles, and waffles.
Corn Flour
Don't confuse this flour with cornmeal or cornstarch. Whereas cornmeal is beloved for its gritty texture and cornstarch is a useful thickening agent, corn flour is a gluten-free flour that can produce tender baked goods full of delicious corn flavor. (You can also use it to make Ree's Frito chili pie.) As with most gluten-free options, corn flour will not yield the same rise in baked goods as gluten-full options.
What is corn flour used for? Breading, gluten-free baking, tortillas, pancakes, and waffles.
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