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- Flour is finely ground and sifted meal of various edible grains.
- Wheat is the most common source of flours used in baking.
- Wheat flour contains gluten, a protein that forms an elastic network. This network helps contain the gases that makes mixtures such as doughs and batters, rise as they bake. Different flours vary by level of protein, which determines the applications for which that flour is used.
- All-purpose flour is made from a blend of high-gluten hard wheat and low-gluten soft wheat and contains 10-11% protein. It is used for a wide variety of recipes, from breads to cookies and cakes. .
- All-purpose flour comes in 2 basic forms: Bleached and unbleached,which can be used interchangeably.
- Bread flour is an unbleached, specially formulated, high-gluten hard-wheat flour.
- Whole Wheat Flour contains the wheat germ, meaning it is higher in fiber, nutritional and fat content.
- Cake or pastry flour – fine-textured soft wheat flour with a high starch content. Makes very tender cakes and pastry.
- Self-rising Flour – an all-purpose flour to which baking powder and salt have been added
- Store all-purpose or bread flour at room temperature for up to 12 months. Temperatures higher than room temperature invite bugs and mold. Store flour indefinitely in the freezer. Flour may dry out with long storage and so at the maximum storage time may lose baking quality and the same results may not be realized as with fresher flour.
- All flour should be stored in an airtight container. If flour is stored in the refrigerator, the flour should be brought to room temperature before using.
- The amount of moisture in flour will affect the results of your baked product. Flour absorbs moisture during high humidity; it loses moisture in high altitude, cold weather or during long storage. Moisture in the flour can change quickly, so if the amount of flour to use is listed as a range, begin with the least amount and add additional flour as needed.
- Store whole wheat flour in the freezer to prevent rancidity. When whole wheat flour is rancid it smells old or stale. Whole wheat flour may be frozen, tightly wrapped, for up to one year, as compared to one to four months at room temperature.
- Store cake flour in an airtight container to maintain freshness. To
keep cake flour longer than 6 to 8 months, place cake flour into a resealable
plastic freezer food bag and freeze for up to 12 months.
- Substitute self-rising flour for the all-purpose flour in yeast breads by omitting the salt, and in quick breads by omitting the salt and baking powder.
- You may substitute 20% of all-purpose flour with another grain, such as rye or buckwheat, or soy flour in certain recipes such as quick breads, muffins, or pancakes without a dramatic change in the end product. These flours provide flavor, but little to no gluten.
- Substitute for 1cup all-purpose flour: use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour.
- Substitute for 1 cup cake flour: use 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour.
- Substitute for 1 cup self-rising flour: use 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour plus 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
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