Many new baking friends often ask me, baking in the most used is a variety of flour, what low gluten flour, high gluten flour, cake flour, bread flour, etc., these four in the end what is the difference between them? What is the difference between these four kinds of flour? Can they replace each other? Today, I will do an introduction to these four most commonly used flour, I hope to help more baking new friends.

First of all, these four types of flour can be collectively referred to as flour because they are all powdered from wheat. Flour, in turn, can be categorized as high-gluten, medium-gluten, low-gluten, and gluten-free, depending on how much protein it contains. (Gluten-free flour will not be involved, not to explain too much here)

The difference between high gluten flour and low gluten flour

Secondly, we often say that the flour that can be bought everywhere in the market without any specific description is generally medium gluten flour. This is the type of flour that is usually used in the home for making buns, dumplings, and so on.

Finally, we are a baking website, so we will mainly focus on high gluten flour and low gluten flour.

The difference between low gluten flour and cake flour

Low gluten flour is not necessarily cake flour, but cake flour is definitely low gluten flour. There are two reasons, first, in addition to cake flour in foreign low gluten flour, there is a kind of called pie flour, pie flour than cake flour gluten a little bit higher, but still belongs to the low gluten flour. But at home, there is no such clear distinction.

The main difference is the second point, some cake flour is added additives and some other ingredients, so that when you make a cake, you just need to add something according to its steps can be successful, almost never fail.

So, when you buy it, make sure you pay attention to the ratio of ingredients on the bag and whether there are any added things. If you can't buy gluten-free flour, you can also replace it with medium-gluten flour and 20% cornstarch, i.e., a blend of medium-gluten flour: cornstarch = 4:1, which reduces the gluten of the flour.

The difference between high gluten flour and bread flour

The difference between high gluten flour and bread flour is similar to the difference between gluten and cake flour, and the same is a containment relationship. High gluten flour is not necessarily bread flour, bread flour is definitely high gluten flour. Because the so-called bread flour, the actual is to add malt, vitamins, and gluten etc. to the high gluten flour, increase the protein content, convenient and easier to make bread. That's why there are flours on the market with up to 14-15% protein content.

There is also a type of flour called ready mix, which can be simply mixed with water and two or three other ingredients to make bread dough. (In the case of their own production, strongly do not recommend, a wave of additives and so on)

How to distinguish and choose the flour

High-gluten flour: darker in color, itself more active and smooth, not easy to grasp the hands of the dough; more suitable for bread, as well as part of the shortcrust pastry type of puff pastry, such as Danish pastry. In pastry, it is mostly used in muffins (lasagna) and cream hollow cake (puff). In cakes, it is limited to high-ingredient fruit cakes.

Medium gluten flour: milky white in color, between high and low flour, semi-loose in texture; generally used in Chinese dim sum, such as buns, steamed bread, noodles, etc. (Note: Commercially available gluten-free flour is not used in the production of bread. (Note: the general market without special instructions of the flour, can be regarded as gluten flour use. And this kind of flour package will generally be marked on the top, suitable for making buns, dumplings, steamed bread, noodles)

Low gluten flour: white in color, easy to form a ball with the hands; low gluten flour protein content of an average of 8.5%, low protein content, gluten is also less, so gluten is also weak, is more suitable for cakes, muffins, cookies, as well as tart crusts need to be fluffy and crispy texture of the Western-style desserts.

To put it more simply, you grab a handful of flour, then clench it into a ball with your fist, then release it and gently weigh the ball with your hand. If the ball falls apart quickly, it's a high-gluten flour; if the ball retains its shape when gently weighed, it's a low-gluten flour.

From the point of view of the factors affecting the quality of flour consumption protein content and quality is the most important factor in determining the quality of its consumption, processing quality and market value.

For example, the production of bread should use high-gluten wheat flour in order to bread volume and taste good

The production of noodles, dumplings should be used in the strong wheat flour in order to seek its "sinewy", smooth

Low-gluten wheat flour made of fluffy cakes, cookies crispy.