{"id":26652,"date":"2016-05-04T06:50:35","date_gmt":"2016-05-04T10:50:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thecakeblog.com\/?p=26652"},"modified":"2017-02-16T13:18:17","modified_gmt":"2017-02-16T18:18:17","slug":"which-flour-is-best","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thecakeblog.com\/2016\/05\/which-flour-is-best.html","title":{"rendered":"Which Flour Is Best?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our contributor, Summer Stone Polzel of\u00a0Cake Paper Party<\/a><\/strong>, is back today with a new baking science experiment….<\/em><\/p>\n

\"flour-comparison-introB\"<\/p>\n

Flour is one of the most important ingredients in a cake recipe. It not only is the structural workhorse of a cake but provides important flavor and textural elements. Choosing the best flour for a cake recipe can be tricky. There are many options on the market and depending on where you are in the world, certain flours may or may not be available. Here I will try to clarify some of the differences between various types of wheat flours and show you how they translate to baked cakes.<\/p>\n

Wheat flour is commonly categorized for sale based on protein content. Flour is primarily composed of wheat starch but also contains protein molecules. Most of the protein in flour is the type which converts to gluten in the presence of water. The size of the flour granules can also play a role in the properties of a given flour and the resulting baked product. Finely ground flours create a smaller crumb and better texture in a cake.<\/p>\n

Flour can also differ because of the type of wheat grain of origin. Wheat flour comes from either hard wheat or soft wheat grain varieties. Hard wheat varieties cannot be ground as finely as soft wheat types and therefore do not work as well in cakes. Some flour manufacturers will label the type of wheat the flour originates from but often this information is not listed.<\/p>\n

Flour can also be divided into that which is bleached and that which is unbleached. Bleached flours are treated with chemicals to lighten the flour\u2019s color. These chemicals include potassium bromate, benzoyl peroxide or chlorine. Health concerns over potassium bromate have caused it to be banned from use in Canada and Europe but are able to be used in the Unites States. Benzoyl peroxide is used in all flour types and does not affect gluten strength. Chlorine is only used in cake flour because it weakens gluten and allows water to be absorbed more readily. Unbleached flours are not treated with whitening chemicals.<\/p>\n

Here are the typical wheat flours you can find in stores:<\/p>\n