TYPES OF FLOUR & ITS USES
1. TYPES OF FLOUR & ITS USES
Flour used in bakeries and biscuit factories which is obtained by milling wheat.
as flour is the principal ingredient for baked products.
There are various types of flour used which are mentioned below:
1. All Purpose Flour
2. Cake Flour
3. Pastry Flour
4. Bread Flour
5. Self-Rising Flour
6. Whole Wheat Flour
7. Gluten Free Flour
8. Oat Flour
9. Semolina
All-Purpose Flour: If a recipe calls simply for “flour,” it’s calling for all-
purpose flour. Milled from a mixture of soft and hard wheat, with a moderate
protein content in the 10 to 12 percent range, all-purpose flour is a staple among
staples. While not necessarily good for all purposes, it is the most versatile of
flours, capable of producing flaky pie crusts, fluffy biscuits and chewy breads.
A-P flour is sold bleached or unbleached; the two are largely interchangeable,
but it’s always best to match your flour to your recipe.
Cake Flour: The flour with the lowest protein content (5 to 8 percent). The
relative lack of gluten-forming proteins makes cake flour ideal for tender baked
goods, such as cakes (of course), but also biscuits, muffins and scones. Cake
flour is generally chlorinated, a bleaching process that further weakens the
gluten proteins and, just as important, alters the flour’s starch to increase its
capacity to absorb more liquid and sugar, and thus ensure a moist cake.
Pastry Flour: An unbleached flour made from soft wheat, with protein levels
somewhere between cake flour and all-purpose flour (8 to 9 percent). Pastry
flour strikes the ideal balance between flakiness and tenderness, making it
perfect for pies, tarts and many cookies. To make your own pastry flour, mix
together 1 1/3 cups A-P flour and 2/3 cup cake flour.
Bread Flour: With a protein content of 12 to 14 percent, bread flour is the
strongest of all flours, providing the most structural support. This is especially
important in yeasted breads, where a strong gluten network is required to
contain the CO2 gases produced during fermentation. The extra protein doesn’t
just make for better volume and a chewier crumb; it also results in more
browning in the crust. Bread flour can be found in white or whole wheat,
bleached or unbleached. Unbleached all-purpose flour can generally be
substituted for bread flour with good results.
Self-Rising Flour: Flour to which baking powder and salt have been added
during milling. Long a Southern staple, self-rising flour is generally made from
the low-protein wheat traditionally grown in the South. It’s best for tender
biscuits, muffins, pancakes and some cakes. Self-rising flour is best stored
tightly wrapped in its original box and used within six months of purchase —
longer than that and the baking powder in it begins to lose its oomph.
To make your own self-rising flour, combine 1 cup pastry flour with 1 1/2
teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Whole-Wheat Flour: During milling, the wheat kernel is separated into its
three components: the endosperm, the germ (the embryo) and the bran (the
outer coating). In whole-wheat flours, varying amounts of the germ and bran are
added back into the flour. Whole-wheat flour tends to be high in protein, but its
gluten-forming ability is compromised by the bran and germ — just one of the
reasons whole-wheat flour tends to produce heavier, denser baked goods.
In most recipes, whole-wheat flour can be substituted for up to half of the all-
purpose flour. Because wheat germ is high in oils prone to rancidity, whole-
wheat flour is far more perishable than white. Store it for up to three months at
cool room temperature, and then transfer it to the freezer.
Gluten-Free Flours: There is a wide variety of gluten-free flours available
today, made from all sorts of grains, nuts and starches. Some of the most widely
available are based on rice flour blended with tapioca and potato starch. A small
proportion of xanthan gum is sometimes added to help simulate the chewiness
normally associated with gluten. Consult the specific recipe or packaging for
information on how to substitute gluten-free flour for wheat flour in your
favorite baking recipes.
Oat flour: Oat flour doesn’t come from wheat. Oat flour is gluten-free and
therefore perfect for people on a gluten-free diet. This variety can leave your
baked goods heavy or crumbly. So you might need to add more liquid or rising
ingredients to your recipe. You can make it at home. Just grind dried oats in
your food processor or blender until they become a fine powder. Each 1¼ cups
of oats will yield 1 cup of oat flour.
Semolina: Semolina, which you might run across in recipes for pasta and
Italian puddings, is made from the coarsely ground endosperm of durum
wheat. semolina flour labeled as 00 flour, a finely ground pasta flour that has a
mid-range protein content of about 11% to 12%. The gluten from durum wheat
flour tends to be strong but not very elastic. In contrast, the gluten in flours
made from red wheat is both strong and elastic.
USES OF FLOUR:
Used as a thickening agent
Used for preparing pastries, biscuits and cakes etc.
used for making various types of pasta such as macaroni, penne etc.
used for preparing pancakes.
used for making various types of bread.
Major Categories of Flour
1.Unbleached Flour
Unbleached flour is simply flour that has not undergone bleaching and therefore
does not have the colour of “white” flour.
2.Bleached Flour
“Refined flour” has had the germ and bran removed and is typically referred to
as “white flour”. “Bleached flour” is any refined flour with a whitening agent
added.
3.Plain Flour
Flour that does not have a leavening agent is called plain or all-purpose flour. It
is appropriate for most bread and pizza bases. Some biscuits are also prepared
using this type of flour. Bread flour is high in gluten protein, with 12.5-14%
protein compared to 10-12% protein in all-purpose flour. The increased protein
binds to the flour to entrap carbon dioxide released by the yeast fermentation
process, resulting in a stronger rise.
4.Self Rising Flour
Leavening agents are used with some varieties of flour, especially those with
significant gluten content, to produce lighter and softer baked products by
embedding small gas bubbles. Self-rising (or self-raising) flour is sold premixed
with chemical leavening agents. The added ingredients are evenly distributed
throughout the flour which aids a consistent rise in baked goods. This flour is
generally used for preparing scones, biscuits, muffins, etc.
5.Enriched Flour
During the process of making flour nutrients are lost. Some of these nutrients
are replaced during refining and the result is “enriched flour”.
