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Ingredientbeginnerdraft

Flour

Also searched as: white flour, plain flour, bread flour, strong flour, spelt flour, rye flour, Manitoba

In short: Flour provides starch for the crumb and protein for the . How much protein it has decides what it is good for.

Picture it

Like building material in two kinds: starch is the filling, protein is the frame.

What Flour does
ROLEPROCESSforms the glutennetworkstarch becomes thecrumb when bakedthickens sauces in arouxGluten developmentStarch gelatinisationRoux

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What happens

Wheat flour with a lot of protein (Manitoba, bread flour) gives a strong network for bread and pizza. Lower-protein flour suits cakes. Darker flours contain more bran, take up more water and taste stronger. Rye forms hardly any gluten and needs acid.

What the ingredient does

forms the gluten networkGluten development
starch becomes the crumb when bakedStarch gelatinisation
thickens sauces in a rouxRoux

Rules of thumb

  1. For bread and pizza, flour with a lot of protein; for cakes, rather little.
  2. Darker flour needs more water.
Related entries
Starch gelatinisationRouxHydrationAmylase: starch turns into sugar
Sources · 1
  • Harold McGee: On Food and Cooking (2004), Kapitel Brot, Getreide