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Flour Power: Learn about Different Kinds of Flours

Once upon a time, the typical American pantry included a single canister of flour. Today, supermarkets stock myriad milled options—reflecting increased consumer demand for diversity in the baking aisle. Whether exploring health trends, culinary interests or ethnic cuisines, here is some information your clients can use as they foray into the world of flours.

Flour is the finely-ground, sifted meal of grains, nuts, seeds, legumes or certain vegetables—and each kind of flour has a different nutrition profile and cooking or baking qualities.

Wheat Flours
Traditionally, the most prevalent flours are milled from wheat. Refined wheat flours are, by law, enriched with thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and iron, and fortified with folic acid. Whole-wheat flours naturally contain B vitamins and iron, in addition to selenium, potassium and magnesium. They also are good sources of fiber; however, whole-wheat flours may not be enriched with folic acid.

The wheat flour category alone is extensive. Ideal for bread making, flour from "hard" wheat is higher in protein—including gluten, which makes dough sticky, elastic and able to hold air bubbles formed by a leavening agent as the dough rises. Flours from "soft" wheat have less protein and less elastic quality, so they are better for delicate pastries and cakes.

All purpose flour.
Refined blend of high-gluten hard wheat and low-gluten soft wheat. Milled with only the endosperm— not bran or germ. used for baking, thickening and breading. usually sold pre-sifted. Some fortified with calcium and vitamins A or D.
100% whole-wheat flour. Made from hulled red wheat grain (wheatberries). Provides more fiber and other nutrients. Used in place of all-purpose flour. Makes a heavier bread; in baked goods, often mixed with all-purpose flour for a lighter texture and better rising. Has a shorter shelf-life than all-purpose flour. WG
White whole-wheat flour.
Made from hulled white spring wheat. Use instead of regular whole-wheat flour in baked goods for a milder taste and a light color. WG
Self-rising flour. All-purpose flour with added salt and baking soda. Convenience product not generally used for yeast breads. Leavening action of baking soda can diminish if stored too long
Cake or pastry flour.
Fine-textured refined flour made from soft wheat. High in starch. Used for tender cakes and pastries.
Bread flour. Refined flour made from hard wheat and a small amount of barley flour. Very high gluten content. Used for bread making.