Bread Flour Versus All-Purpose Flour | Bread Machine Recipes (2024)

Bread Flour Versus All-Purpose Flour | Bread Machine Recipes (1)

Last Updated on November 6, 2021 – Originally posted on September 21, 2009

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Many people use all-purpose flour in bread making instead of bread flour. I started wondering what the difference is. It turns out that the difference is gluten.

Gluten is a type of protein found in flour.

More gluten in the flour makes the bread slightly heavier, but more importantly, it makes it stronger. That means that as the yeast ferments, the bread will hold the carbon dioxide and rise.

If the dough isn’t strong, then the carbon dioxide will escape and the bread won’t rise as high.

Bread flour has more gluten than all-purpose flour. However, the amount of gluten in particular brands of flour varies.

In general, all-purpose flour has a gluten content of 9% to 12%.Bread flour typically has a gluten range of 10% to 13%. Note the overlapping areas.

If you’re using all-purpose flour in your bread machine and it works for you, that’s great. Your brand of flour must be in the upper range of the gluten levels.

What if You Only Have All-Purpose Flour?

Look at the packaging to see if the gluten content is high enough for use in the bread machine.

Check out the website of the manufacturer of the all-purpose flour. It may have the gluten percentage of the flour there.

If the gluten percentage isn’t listed or it gives a range, then make an experimental loaf of bread. The worst that will happen is that the bread won’t rise as high as normal.

Even if your all-purpose flour doesn’t have enough gluten, it’s okay to use it in the bread machine. Again, the worst that will happen is that your bread won’t rise as much as it would have with bread flour.

Vital Wheat Gluten to the Rescue!

If your all-purpose flour doesn’t have enough gluten, don’t worry. You can fix that by using vital wheat gluten.

At my grocery store vital wheat gluten is in the Bob’s Red Mill area. If you order it online, check out King Arthur Flour’s vital wheat gluten. (You can never go wrong with their products!)

Bread Flour Versus All-Purpose Flour | Bread Machine Recipes (2)

While vital wheat gluten looks like flour, it’s not. It’s basically powdered gluten.

Add one teaspoon of vital wheat gluten per cup of flour. For example, if the recipe calls for 4 cups of bread flour, then add 4 teaspoons of vital wheat gluten.

Note that you may need to experiment with the amount of vital wheat gluten needed.

If you add vital wheat gluten, be sure to take a look at your dough a few minutes after it starts kneading. You may need to add a little liquid. Also, if the bread doesn’t rise enough, you may need to add a little more vital wheat gluten on your next loaf of bread.

Wondering about other types of flour?

Cake Flourhas the lowest gluten content of all. Its gluten content is in the 5% to 8% range. Cake flour is generally bleached. The bleaching slightly damages the flour’s starches as well as weakening the gluten. This enables the flour to absorb more liquid and rise higher.

Cake flour is used for cakes and other baked goods that are soft and tender. Cake flour is not recommended for making bread.

Pastry Flour is sometimes called cookie flour. It has a gluten content of 8% to 9%. It’s frequently used for pies, tarts and many cookies.

Like cake flour, pastry flour is not recommended for making bread.

You can make your own pastry flour by mixing together 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour with 2/3 cup cake flour.

Self-Rising Flour contains baking powder and salt. This staple of Southern cooking is used for biscuits, muffins, and pancakes.

You can make your own self-rising flour by combining 1 cup all-purpose flour with 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Whole-Wheat Flour is called wholemeal flour in the UK. It’s made from the whole kernel of wheat.

Whole-wheat flours are high in protein but have problems forming gluten. That’s why many recipes for whole-wheat bread call for the addition of vital wheat gluten.

Gluten-Free Flour isn’t made from wheat. There are many types of gluten-free flour. Some of the most popular types are almond flour, buckwheat flour, and sorghum flour.

Since bread depends on gluten, making bread with gluten-free flours is a challenge. It’s a whole different type of baked good.

Bread Flour Versus All-Purpose Flour | Bread Machine Recipes (3)

Bread Flour Versus All-Purpose Flour | Bread Machine Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Can I use all-purpose flour in my bread machine instead of bread flour? ›

Yes! All-purpose flour has a 9% to 12% gluten content, while bread flour's gluten content falls in the 10% to 13% range. Even if your all-purpose flour lacks gluten, you can still use it in the bread machine. Again, the worst that will happen is that your bread will not rise as much as it would with bread flour.

What are the results of bread flour vs all-purpose? ›

Bread flour produces baked goods with more structure and chew than all-purpose flour, as all-purpose only has a protein content of 10 to 12 percent, versus the 12 to 14 percent of bread. All-purpose flour produces tender baked goods (as opposed to chewy ones) and is ideal for cakes, muffins, biscuits, piecrust, etc.

What happens if you use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour? ›

If you make a bread dough with all-purpose flour, the gluten network won't be as strong because of the lower protein content; this means the dough won't be able to stretch as much to accommodate those bubbles, resulting in smaller bubbles and bread with a tighter crumb.

How do you adjust all-purpose flour to bread flour? ›

Lots of baking sites disagree about how to turn all-purpose flour into bread flour. Some people recommend adding just 1 teaspoon of vital wheat gluten per cup of all-purpose, while others recommend 1 to 3 tablespoons per recipe. I guess the variation depends on the baker's preferences and budget.

What is the best flour for bread making machine? ›

Nelstrops traditional wholemeal flour is the perfect whole grain flour to use in your bread machine. Whether you are looking to bake good bread or rolls, by hand or in a bread machine, this is a perfect choice.

What is the best yeast to use in a bread machine? ›

The Very Best: Instant Yeast

Instant yeast is the only yeast I ever use in my baking. Always have and always will. The yeast of choice in most restaurant kitchens and commercial bakeries, it's easy and convenient.

Is it better to make bread with all-purpose flour or bread flour? ›

Since bread flour has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour, it's able to develop more gluten. This leads to bread with more chew—a desirable characteristic in pizza dough, flatbread, or sourdough.

Is bread flour more dense than all-purpose? ›

All purpose flour has a lower protein content, resulting in lighter, shorter breads, which makes it an ideal flour for cookies, cakes and more. All purpose flour contains less gluten than bread flour. The higher content of gluten in bread flour makes it ideal for airy, chewy bread, rather than dense bread.

How does bread flour differ from all-purpose flour and why is it recommended quizlet? ›

Bread flour contains larger amounts of gliadin and glutenin than all-purpose flour. Its recommend when preparing breads in a bread machine actions of a bread machine.

Why is King Arthur flour better? ›

King Arthur Flour contains no bleach, no bromate, and no artificial preservatives of any kind. What you get—instead of those chemical bleaching agents—is flour from superior grains grown by farmers we trust.

Is bread flour good for cinnamon rolls? ›

Bread flour is a common choice when baking cinnamon rolls because it helps them to hold their shape. This not only creates beautifully swirled cinnamon rolls, it keeps them soft and pillowy after they have been baked.

Can I use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour for banana bread? ›

All-purpose flour.

However bread flour also works well.

Does bread flour need less kneading? ›

he reason bread flour is different is the higher protein content, which translates to more gluten if you work the dough more than necessary. This is a good thing for making bread, because gluten is what gives the bread rise and structure.

Does more flour make bread fluffier? ›

Well it's simple, bread flour has an increased amount of protein or more gluten which results in a lighter, fluffier dough which produces a less dense finished product. All-purpose flour can be used for bread but bread flour is always better if your goal is a “fluffier” bread.

Does bread flour need more kneading? ›

The high protein content means that bread flour has more gluten in it, which makes the dough more elastic and light. It requires significant kneading to create a good gluten structure, which gives bread its chewy, airy texture when baked.

What can you use instead of bread flour in a bread machine? ›

All you'll need is some all-purpose flour. Simply replace the bread flour called for in your recipe with an equal amount of all-purpose flour, and proceed as usual.

Is there a difference in bread flour and bread machine flour? ›

"Bread machine bread flour" is the same thing as bread flour; both contain more gluten than all-purpose flour. If you don't have bread flour, you can make a substitution: 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 teaspoon wheat gluten (available at health food stores & some supermarkets) to make 1 cup of bread flour.

Why is my bread so heavy and dense? ›

There may be several reasons for a dense, cake like texture in bread. It may indicate the kneading wasn't enough for the gluten to develop properly, or the dough was proved for too short a time or the dough may have been too dry. It is also worth checking the flour you used.

Can you use regular self-rising flour in a bread machine? ›

Self-rising flour is a combination of salt, flour and a leavening agent. While not traditionally used in conjunction with bread machines, self-rising flour can be used as a substitute for bread flour.

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