| Wheat flour is classified as "hard" or "soft" according to the amount of gluten (protein) in it. Winter wheat produces "hard" flour with 13% to 15% gluten. Wheat grown in hot months produces "soft" flour with 4% to 9% gluten. High gluten content flour gives bread its elasticity. Low gluten content flour is used for the tender texture of cakes and pastries. |
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| All-purpose: |
A blend of hard and soft wheat flour that results in an elastic and porous product. Available bleached, either naturally by aging or chemically, or unbleached and can be used interchangeably. Contains 11% to 12% gluten and is suitable for all uses. |
| Bran: |
Used with all-purpose flour. Results in a dry product unless the moist bread mixture is allowed to sit for several hours before adding yeast and rising. |
| Bread flour: |
Unbleached with a high gluten content which allows the absoption of moisture and provides the elasticity needed to expand and trap gas released by yeast. |
| Buckwheat: |
Made from the seeds of a native Russian herb. Strong favor, used to make buckwheat pancakes and blini. |
| Cake flour: |
Very finely ground soft wheat flour with a high starch content that bakes to a crumbly, tender texture. |
| Corn flour: |
Finely ground cornmeal from the whole kernel. Available white and yellow. Used as breading and mixed with other flours in baking. |
| Cornmeal: |
Dried corn kernels that have been water-ground or stone-ground with water-ground more nutrious. Available white, yellow, and blue. To eliminate graininess in corn bread, bring the cornmeal and liquid to a boil, cool, and mix with remaining ingredients. |
| Cornstarch: |
Dense flour from the endosperm of the corn kernel. Used as a thickener. In British recipes, cornstarch is called cornflour. |
| Cracked wheat: |
Use mixed with all-purpose flour. Cracked wheat is cut rather than ground and provides little starch in baking. |
| Enriched: |
White wheat flour, except for cake flour, that has nutrients added equivalent to whole-wheat flour. These nutrients include iron, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, and sometimes calcium plus vitamins A and D. |
| Farina: |
Made from cereal grains, including barley, corn, rice, oats, and hard wheat. High in protein. |
| Gluten flour: |
Hard wheat flour treated to remove most of the starch. High in protein. Used as an additive to low-gluten flours such as rye flour. |
| Graham: |
Also known as whole-wheat or whole-grain flour. Milled with the wheat germ and bran. Protein percentage is lower than white flour, but it has richer flavor and is higher in fiber, fat, and nutritional content. |
| Masa harina: |
Dried corn kernels that are cooked and then soaked in limewater. The wet corn is ground into masa and used to make tortillas. |
| Pastry flour: |
Finely milled, soft wheat flour with a high starch content that bakes to a tender texture. Cake flour is more finely ground. |
| Rice flour: |
Powdery flour made from white rice. Used in baking. Glutinous or sweet rice flour, such as mochi, is made from short-grain high-starch rice and is used as a thickener. |
| Rye: |
Contains less gluten and is heavier and darker than all-purpose or whole-wheat flour. Must be mixed with higher-gluten flours to bake bread. Available as light, medium, dark, and pumpernickel, which is coarsely ground. |
| Self-rising: |
All-purpose flour with salt and baking powder added. It can be used for yeast breads by omitting the salt. |
| Soy flour: |
Also called kinako. Made from soybeans, low in carbohydrates, and twice as high in protein as wheat flour. Used for baking, in sauces, and to make Japanese confections. |
| Tapioca flour: |
Made from the cassava root. Used as a thickener. |
| Triticale: |
Hybrid of wheat and rye. High protein, nutty, sweet flavor. Used in cereals, casseroles, and mixed with wheat flour for breads. |
| Whole-wheat or Whole-grain: |
Also called graham flour. Milled with the wheat germ and bran. Protein percentage is lower than white flour, but it has richer flavor and is higher in fiber, fat, and nutritional content. |