Wondering whether all-purpose flour the same as plain flour? All-purpose flour and plain flour aren't the same flour because of their different protein content. All-purpose is widely used in America, while plain has a primary role in the UK and Australia. They both don't contain any rising agent as self-rising does.
Is all-purpose flour the same as plain flour?
While you can use all-purpose flour instead of plain flour, they have different protein levels: 9% to 11% for AP flour and 8% to 9% for plain flour. All this means you can't expect the same texture and taste of the finished product.
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Finding the right flour can sometimes be challenging while traveling.
- All-purpose flour is regular flour in the United States. Plain flour is mainly found in the United Kingdom and Australia.
- American self-rising is called self-raising in the UK.
- Indian plain flour, Maida, differs from its British and American cousins.
All purpose flour vs. plain flour: a matter of protein
The distinction in protein content between all-purpose flour and plain flour has a significant impact on gluten formation, which is responsible for the texture and structure of baked goods.
All-purpose flour, with its moderate protein range of 9% to 11%, enables the development of sufficient gluten. This level of gluten provides elasticity and strength, making all-purpose flour a versatile choice for most recipes.
Plain flour has a protein content, usually about 8% to 9%. This reduced amount of protein translates to less gluten, which results in softer and lighter crumbs in pastries and cakes.
Understanding these nuances helps select the appropriate flour for the desired end product. For example, using all-purpose flour in delicate sponge cakes gives a denser crumb than desired. Plain flour might not offer the needed structure for bread loaves.
What is all-purpose flour?
All-purpose flour is a medium-gluten flour that falls between the two extremes of bread and pastry flour. It is usually made from hard red winter wheat and contains around 9 to 11% protein, depending on the brand.
All-purpose flour is usually abbreviated as AP flour or APF. The term "all-purpose" means that it can be used for all purposes, so you can also call it multi-purpose flour. However, it doesn’t work for baking all things.
The most versatile flour is perfect for making pie crusts, biscuits, and quick breads, including soda bread, different types of pastries, crepes, pancakes, etc. If a recipe calls for “flour,” it likely means all-purpose flour.
Some flour manufacturers mix in soft wheat to meet protein specifications, decreasing the flour protein content to 8 to 10%. Be aware that AP flour contains different amounts of protein in different countries.
For example, Canadian all-purpose flour (King Arthur, Pillsbury, or Gold Medal brands) has 11-12% protein, while Southern American flour (White Lily, Martha White, etc.) only contains 9% protein.
Interestingly, in some countries, such as Canada, it is mandatory to fortify white flour with folic acid, iron, and vitamin B, enriching the flour.
Note: American all-purpose flour is equivalent to French T55 flour, type 0 Italian flour, and Euro 550 flour.
What is plain flour?
Plain flour, also known as soft wheat flour, typically has a protein content of 8% to 9%. The lower protein means less gluten, giving the baked goods a tender and delicate crumb.
For instance, when I make pastries and cakes using plain flour, they come out soft and crumbly, precisely what you'd want in a melt-in-your-mouth dessert.
The reduced gluten development prevents the creation of an elastic dough, which is undesirable in such delicate confections. This specific characteristic distinguishes plain flour as the go-to option for pastry chefs.
Can you swap all-purpose flour for plain flour?
While possible, it is essential to remember that the finished results may differ. Substituting flours could result in a texture that isn't quite soft, turning your cupcakes into something more chewy.
Specialty flours
Self-rising flour
Self-rising flour is flour that has been mixed with a raising agent. It is milled from hard and soft types of wheat and has about 8.5% protein, depending on the brand. Some recipes specifically call for self-rising flour and don't require any additional leavening agent like baking powder or baking soda.
Cake flour
Cake flour (soft flour in the UK) is made from exceptionally finely milled soft wheat and contains the lowest protein content. The exact amount of protein varies between brands, usually around 9%. Cake flour contains more starch and, as the name suggests, is used to make cakes, cupcakes, muffins, etc.
Cake flour is the best for making cakes because it is bleached. This unique bleaching process increases the flour's acidity and changes its starches and fats. This results in the cake's ability to rise rather than collapse while baking.
Note: American cake flour is equivalent to French T45 flour, type 00 Italian flour, and Euro 450 flour.
Pastry flour
Pastry flour comes from soft wheat but sometimes is milled from durum wheat. It has a moderate protein content that falls between cake flour and all-purpose and plain flour.
Low in gluten, pastry flour is a very fine powder used to make pastries, cookies, or tender cakes. It also contains some baking powder and salt, saving time and giving you the best results in baking.
Prepared flour
Prepared flour is a cake and pastry flour that contains 1 ½ teaspoon of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of salt per 1 cup (125 g).
Bread flour
Bread flour, also known as strong or hard flour in the UK, contains one of the highest gluten contents of all the other types of flour. It is milled entirely from durum wheat, which provides a higher proportion of gluten and protein (11 – 14% protein, depending on the brand), which helps the bread rise.
Bread flour requires a lot of kneading to make good bread dough. The more you knead, the more the flour rises, which allows you to make good bread. Bread flour is used to make yeast breads, bagels, etc.
Note: American high-gluten bread flour is equivalent to French T65 flour, type 1 Italian flour, and Euro 650 flour.
Whole wheat flour
Whole wheat flour (wholemeal flour in the UK) is made by milling whole wheat and contains bran flakes. Wheat germ is often removed from this type of flour to prevent rancidity.
Although some stone-ground flours contain the germ, read the package information. Depending on the brand, it contained 9-10% protein, sometimes even 14% protein.
You can use whole wheat flour instead of a white flour cup for a cup in almost any recipe. But you should expect a darker crumb and a slightly heavier texture. To obtain lighter baked goods, it is recommended to sift the whole-wheat flour a few times before using it, not forgetting to reintegrate the bran collected in the sieve into the flour.
Whole-wheat flour is mainly used to make brown bread, wholemeal bread, shortbread, cookies, etc.
Note: wholemeal bread flour is equivalent to French T150 flour, type 2 Italian flour, and Euro 1150 flour.
00 Flour
Type 00 (pizza flour) is a staple of Italian baking for making pizzas and pasta. It is made from very hard wheat and has a protein content of 11-12.5%, depending on the brand.
00 flour is very refined flour, milled to the most delicate texture possible. As a result, it lends itself to doughs leavened quickly but naturally, especially in making pizza dough and fresh pasta.
Note: type 00 Italian flour is equivalent to Swiss-bake pizza flour and other imported pizza flour.
Semolina flour
Semolina flour is a coarse flour with 13% protein content made from very hard durum wheat. This flour is darker and more golden than all-purpose flour. It can be fortified when food manufacturers add back nutrients lost during the processing of durum wheat grain. Semolina flour is mainly used to make bread, pasta, focaccia, and porridge.
Six-grain flour
This type of flour is made with durum wheat, rye, corn, barley, millet, and brown rice. It enriches the taste of bread, muffins, and pancakes.
Gluten-free flour
Gluten-free flour (often written as GF flour) is flour without gluten. Since it is missing gluten, you will need to add other thickeners, such as xanthan gum or guar gum, while baking. These gluten substitutes are available online and in the baking aisle of your favorite grocery store.
Oat flour
Oat flour is a protein-rich flour made by grinding rolled oats or old-fashioned oats. It contained about 17% protein, depending on the brand.
Since it is gluten-free, baked goods do not rise as you desire, so mixing it with another flour is better. The most popular products are oatmeal pancakes, oatmeal muffins, cookies, and oatmeal bread.
Buckwheat flour
Buckwheat flour is ground from buckwheat and has a pronounced rustic and nutty flavor and taste. It is also a gluten-free flour that makes pancakes, crumbles, biscuits, pasta, and the famous Breton crêpes (aka galettes).
Buckwheat flour is challenging to work with to get a homogeneous and light preparation. Therefore, it is hard to replace wheat flour with buckwheat flour; it is better to combine it with other types of flour.
Rice flour
White and brown rice can be used to make a variety of flours. Rice flour is the most common gluten-free option. It is relatively inexpensive and neutral in flavor compared with other grains like wheat or rye - which many people who suffer from allergies may find themselves sensitive, too.
Rice flour is low in protein, which means it won't hold structure and shape in your baked goods like all-purpose flour. You should combine rice flour with other gluten-free flour for better baking results.
Corn flour
Corn flour is made by grinding dried corn kernels. It is one of the most used gluten-free flours, especially in pastry recipes.
It should not be confused with cornstarch, which has no exact composition and the same use. Likewise, corn flour is not the same as masa harina, a specific type of quick-cooking corn flour. Masa harina makes corn tortillas, crisps, bread, and other Latin American dishes.
Due to low protein content, you cannot use corn flour as a substitute for all-purpose flour. However, you can combine it with all-purpose flour for better results.
Almond flour
Almond flour is made after blanching and drying the almonds and grinding them into flour. It has a sweet and nutty flavor and is considered a versatile flour among gluten-free flours. You can buy it online or make it yourself.
Although there are many delicious recipes, for example, French macarons, explicitly designed for almond flour, most plain flour recipes can be adjusted with a few substitution tricks.
Almond flour doesn't contain gluten, so it will not work the same for bread recipes, for example, even if you use yeast. Working with this flour, you may add ingredients to help absorb liquid, such as flax eggs for vegans.
Still, if you want to adapt a recipe based on all-purpose flour, you must do some baking testing.
Coconut flour
Coconut flour is made by grinding the flesh of the coconut, previously dried and degreased by pressing. It is used for making shakes and smoothies. Very delicate and soft, this flour is ideal for gluten-free baking, but it isn't easy to work with due to its high protein content.
There are recipes specifically designed to use coconut flour, like this coconut dacquoise cake.
If you want to substitute it for all-purpose flour, the amount of this flour is significant. Being very absorbent, only ¼ quantity of coconut flour is acceptable to replace one all-purpose amount of flour.
But you can easily replace ground almonds or oat bran with coconut flour in certain gluten-free preparations.
Always measure the flour
A kitchen scale is one of the best and most precise flour weighing methods. If you are used to measuring your flour with the spoon and level method, please aerate it first, then spoon it into a measuring cup and level it with a butter knife.
Please avoid sinking the cup directly into the bag of flour, shaking it, or pressing it down. Otherwise, you risk adding up to 1 oz. (30 g) per cup. And it is enough to ruin any recipe!
FAQ
Cream flour is plain flour produced by the Irish brand Odlums. It contains a low level of additional raising agents and is used for home baking to make different pastries and biscuits.
All-purpose flour and self-rising flour are not the same but have similar properties. For example, all-purpose flour only contains ground endosperm, while self-rising flour contains all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt (American version).
Maida is refined wheat flour, which is not the same as plain flour. Finely milled with less protein than all-purpose four, Maida is identical to cake flour in the US. It is used to make bread, cakes, chapatis, parathas, and puris.
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