In Defence of All-Purpose Flour
>> Saturday, 24 April 2010
Walk into a supermarket these days and check out the baking or flour aisle and you'll see that the speciality flours are at hand reach and eye level; all-purpose flour is relegated to the floor shelf or it is placed on a separate part of the shelf as if it does not belong. It has taken a back seat to the newer kids - the ones at are singular in purpose.
I am a proud sack-carrying all-purpose flour user. I use it for everything - from dumplings to doughnuts, from breads to bakes, from cookies to cakes, from scones to pastries to roti! And I have to say, I am yet to be disappointed by the outcome of anything that I've made and shared, because I used all-purpose flour instead of the speciality flour prescribed by a recipe. Read this week's column to learn more about flour and why cake flour, pastry flour and bread flour are different from each other. And see why all-purpose flour is still the better choice, in more ways than one.
This is a tiny snapshot of the things I've made over the years with good ole all-purpose flour. Be sure to check out my breads and sweet stuff albums for more items made with all-purpose flour.
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36 comments:
nice article Cynthia...
the all purpose flour is surely a must have but i never make rotis with it....whole wheat and multi grain is a way of life at my place....for baking of course i depend on APF , but often mixed with other kids :)
great information on gluten content of all the flours.
In Germany, flours are labelled with numbers, which indicate the amount of mineral content that remains after a sample was incinerated in a laboratory oven. I like to use #405 (similar to pastry flour)to make Chinese buns or Asian dimsum and #550...that's your AP flour, for bread.
great post and thank you for the information about glutten content, etc.
btw. i love the new look... how long did you have the "facelift" it's refreshing... i just love it!
I don't feel sorry for the APF being relegated to the bottom aisle. Bakes done with whole wheat flour are just as tasty. But I do agree the variations of the APF is just another way for manufacturers to pry out a few more bills from the wallet.
Like you, I use a lot of all-purpose flour. It is a must in ever kitchen! Your creations are wonderful!
Cheers,
Rosa
I think everything in supermarkets is out of control (if I want herbs in with my tinned tomatoes I'll put them in myself!) but the normal plain flour seems to be very prominent still here in Australia.
I use normal (all-purpose) flour and bakers' (bread) flour for bread. You have a photo of bread on your blog - do you sometimes use plain flour to make bread, Cynthia?
Me, too! I love all purpose flour.. There are many delicious things you can make with it... although I've been experimenting more with whole wheat and multi grain flour these days. :)
Mmmmmm... those baguettes look fabulous... wish I could share one with you!
Cos' I don't bake, I am not a frequent user of flour.
The other specialty flours are front an centre but I will always stick to all-purpose flour for the most part:D
Very unusual, in this day and age, to see someone advocating for APF. :)
Yes, APF does give one the lightest texture in bakes. Beyond that its a matter of preference.
Here in India, I get only APF so that's my to-go flour. I use whole wheat (freshly milled) for rotis, puris, etc.
I also make a ot of my breads with a 1:3 ratio of WW to APF flours.
so true. i have always felt suspicious when people knock AP
I am still trying to figurre out all the types of flours, so its good to read someone is sticking to all purpose, I use it quite often.
very nice picture.
loves from Turkey...bye.
You know, I use it for very little. The only things which get AP are cakes which need to be eaten by people who are afraid of whole grains. Everything else gets a whole wheat flour, frequently with heavy additions of flax-seed (ground or whole).
It's a lifestyle choice, really: once you get used to whole wheat, coarsely stone-ground, anything else is just frighteningly processed.
Hi Cynthia - your photomontage is fabulous!
LL
P.S. I'm not a baker, I'll take you word for it!
That was such a interesting article, Cynthia. I'm going to keep it for reference.
And all those pictures!!! It just reminds me of how extraordinary you are and how much work and effort you put into Tastes Like Home. Thank you!
Oh man! Lovely photos!! I use AP flour for most of my baked goods, too. I, however, do use cake, semolina, and bread flour when a recipe calls for it or if I want a more tender bread, for example. I have wheat flour, but I'm not crazy about how even a little of it changes the texture of breads.
Great post, Cynthia!
Great article Cynthia! I always have 4 types of flour in my pantry at all times, APF, masa harina,rice flour and durum wheat/bran flour. The APF does get used most often though.
I too prefer the all purpose flour, especially unbleached. I tried many other flours to get the best Sicilian Bread I could get and I finally stopped at the all purpose, unbleached flour. I also use it for just about anything and I think because it's not as stylish the price is better. So I recommend it highly also.
hello Cynthia!!
I loved your atrticle too!
Your sweet stuff & your breads do look absolutely lovely & so tasty too!
Nice post Cynthia I use a lot All purpose flour.
Love your blog always look awesome, gloria
I am with you Cynthia! I actually do not veen glance at other flours because I know they are going to st on my shelf for a long time after one use. I use all purpose flour even in my Indian cooking, substituing for maida. Nicely expressed article!
I'm also an avid user of all-purpose flour. I only use bread flour for the breadmaker. Good post!
Cynthia...love your post and the info in it...the pictures of the goodies sure look yummie ;-)
i'm now getting into baking quite a bit and your article was very informative for me! Thanks!
oh what would life be without flour! i do like cake flour of baking, but find that different brands give different results.
Great article. I recently bought robin hood flour for the first time but haven't used it yet.
Siempre es un placer el visitar tu blog. El disfrutar de tus recetas y el saber que te han gustado los embutidos.
Besotes
Ana y Víctor.
I agree with you Cynthia! Plain all purpose flour is fabulous for cooking almost anything. :)
I love using different flours. They are more of a treat than a staple as they are not readily available here. I wish they were.
Wonderful post.. thank you soo much
I swear by all purpose flour. Hold it dearly to my heart and find it hard to get out my comfort zone to use anything else.
What is that awesome looking slice of cake drizzled with what looks like a strawberry sauce? May I get the recipe for that? Thank you
for rotis and breads it is always whole wheat flour...but for cakes,it is only all purpose flour!
Cynthia, I'm with you. All-purpose flour is just that.....'all-purpose'. It suits my cooking needs perfectly. Cheers!
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