What flour do professional bakers use for cakes?

1 All-Purpose Flour

This is the most versatile of them all. The protein level of all-purpose flour, which is made from hard or soft wheat or a mix of the two, ranges between nine and twelve percent, which is neither high nor low. Unbleached flour naturally whitens with age; bleached flour is processed to brighten it quicker. Unbleached flour may have a thicker texture than bleached flour, but the flours are interchangeable even with minor variances.

Use it for: Everyday baking and cooking—the options are limitless!

2. Whole Wheat Flour

It’s time to become scientific: Wheat kernels are broken down into three parts before being milled—the endosperm, germ and bran. Standard white flour is made up of milled endosperm, but whole wheat flour is comprised of all three parts. This results in a nutty taste and a thick texture. (Experiment with it in Ree’s mother’s muffins.) Whole wheat flour is also more perishable for this reason: It is recommended to keep the flour in the refrigerator or freezer.

Use it for: Try combining it with all-purpose flour for regular baking and cooking.

3. Bread Flour

Comparing bread flour versus all-purpose flour, the former has the highest protein content of the refined wheat flours, clocking in at up to 14 percent. The added protein helps to keep the porous, chewy texture and caramelized crisp exterior of yeasted breads together.

Use it for: Bagels, dinner rolls, pizza dough, and pretzels are examples of breads.

4.Cake Flour

Cake flour has the lowest protein level (five to eight percent) of any wheat flour and is milled to a very fine texture. This implies less gluten and structure, resulting in soft and moist outcomes. Ree actually names cake flour as an essential ingredient in her quest for perfect pancakes and uses it to make her red velvet sheet cake.

Use it for: biscuits, cakes, muffins, pancakes, and scones.

5.Pastry Flour

Pastry flour falls between between cake flour and all-purpose flour. Professional bakers love that it’s finely milled with a protein content that hovers around eight to nine percent, striking the perfect balance between flakiness and tenderness while maintaining structure.

Use it for: Cookies, crackers, croissants (puff pastry dough), pie crusts, and tarts are all examples of baked goods.

6. Self-Rising Flour

Self-rising flour is lower in protein than most all-purpose flours and contains baking powder and salt, which explains how Ree makes a blackberry cobbler with just five ingredients. Don’t use it as a swap for other flours, however—the leavening agents will alter the final result.

Use it for: biscuits, pancakes, and scones.

7. Instant Flour

Known on the market as Wondra, instant flour is a pre-cooked, low-protein and finely milled flour beloved for its ability to dissolve instantly in hot or cold liquids—think gravy without lumps! When pan-frying, a short dredge of almost anything with instant flour yields crisp results.

Use it for: coating, crepes, pie crusts and gravies.

8.”00″ Flour

Doppio zero (double zero) flour is an Italian-style flour with an exceedingly fine texture. It’s made from the toughest wheat and has a higher protein level than all-purpose flour. This flour allows dough to be stretched or rolled out extremely thinly without breaking.

Use it for: Pasta dough, pizza dough, crackers, flatbreads, focaccia, and gnocchi are all available.

9.Semolina Flour

Semolina flour, made from durum wheat, has a high protein level (close to that of bread flour at 13 percent). The gluten helps dough get stretched thin without breaking or shrinking back—a necessary trait when making fresh pasta!

Use it for: focaccia, gnocchi, and pasta dough.

10.Rye Flour

Milled from rye kernels, a cousin of wheat, rye flour has a lower protein content than standard all-purpose flour. Reduced gluten creates a denser loaf, and rye flour lends a unique, nutty flavor.

Use it for: bread and cookies.

12. Spelt Flour

This is whole wheat flour made from whole grains of spelt, an ancient wheat-related crop. Unlike standard whole wheat flour, spelt flour behaves more like all-purpose flour (no need to worry about dense, heavy results!) while adding its own unique flavor, often described as slightly sweet and tangy.

Use it for: Desserts such as cakes, cookies, crumbles, and muffins; for bread recipes, try using up to 50% all-purpose flour for extra nutritional value and taste.

12.Graham Flour

Graham crackers are made feasible thanks to this speciality flour consisting of coarsely crushed whole wheat. Named after its inventor Sylvester Graham, this is among the most rustic and natural of flours in that it’s unrefined and maintains a sweet, nutty flavor, which gets highlighted by the honey found in graham crackers.

Use it for: Graham crackers and any other recipes that call for whole wheat flour.

13. Gluten-Free Flour Blends

Individuals with dietary allergies or intolerances will appreciate the new gluten-free flour mixes on the market. Not all gluten-free flours work as a 1:1 swap for all-purpose flour, but these blends are balanced to behave as such using a variety of gluten-free flours made from grains, nuts and starches. For the greatest results, follow the package guidelines since each blend has its own unique recipe.

Use it for: everyday baking and cooking.

14. Almond Flour

This gluten-free flour, made from finely ground blanched almonds, may be used as a 1:1 substitute for all-purpose flour, although the results may vary. The absence of gluten in baking (especially non-yeasted recipes) will impact the overall form, typically resulting in less rising and more spreading. Almond flour, unsurprisingly, imparts a lovely almond taste as well as moisture and richness to the finished product, owing to the natural lipids contained in almonds.

Use it for: breading, cookies, and yeast-based baking recipes.

15. Buckwheat Flour

Buckwheat flour is not derived from wheat; it is a “pseudocereal,” since its grains have the same culinary uses as cereal grains and are naturally gluten-free. It should not be used solo in baking, unless you like edible hockey pucks, but swap some in to replace all-purpose flour for flavor and a serious boost in nutritional value or as part of a gluten-free baking blend.

Use it for: Crepes, gluten-free baking mixes, pancakes, soba noodles, and waffles are all options.

16. Chickpea Flour

Packed with protein, chickpea flour is one of those rare gluten-free stand-ins that happens to bind well once hydrated, making it ideal for quick-cooking batters. It also has a rich, nutty taste that complements both sweet and savory dishes.

Use it for: Crepes, flatbreads, fritters, gluten-free roux, and pancakes are all options.

17. Corn Flour

This flour is not to be confused with cornmeal or cornstarch. Whereas cornmeal is beloved for its gritty texture and cornstarch is a useful thickening agent, corn flour is a gluten-free flour that can produce tender baked goods full of delicious corn flavor. (It’s also good in Ree’s Frito chili pie.) Corn flour, like other gluten-free choices, will not provide the same rise in baked products as gluten-containing ones.

Use it for: Breading, gluten-free baking, pancakes, and waffles are all options.

18. Oat Flour

Oat flour is popular as an all-purpose flour substitute since it behaves similarly to wheat flour. Though naturally gluten-free, check the packaging to be sure—cross-contamination during production can be a concern.

Use it for: Gluten-free flour mixes and non-yeast recipes such as quick breads and cookies are available.

19. Potato Flour

This flour, not to be confused with potato starch, is prepared from boiled, dried, and ground peeled potatoes. Because of the natural starch found in potatoes, potato flour helps retain moisture when used in traditional baked goods (like potato rolls) and results in a more tender crumb when used in gluten-free recipes.

Use it for: flour mixes (gluten-free and regular), gravies, pancakes, sauces, soups, and waffles.

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20. Rice Flour

Rice flour is one of the most popular gluten-free baking flours because of its neutral taste and ability to create a light, crisp texture. (See this peach dutch baby, where a gluten-free flour trial revealed rice flour as the obvious victor!) Nevertheless, it is not a flour that should be used on its own in most baked items since it does not absorb liquid effectively and produces thick, gritty results.

Use it for: crepes, gluten-free baking blends, and pancakes.