5 Essential Flour Types and How to Use Them

Different flour types come with unique textures, characteristics, and flavors. When paired with other fresh ingredients, it is amazing how delicious your recipes can truly become.

Understanding the distinct roles of various flours can elevate your baking, transforming simple recipes into culinary masterpieces. At Farm2Flour, we’re passionate about helping both home bakers and professionals harness the power of these essential ingredients.

Our pure, organic, FRESH flour is from sustainably grown non-GMO heirloom crops. It is also free from pesticides, additives, and other harmful chemicals, ensuring you can create delicious and nutritious recipes that truly shine.

Are you ready to start baking with different types of flour? Embrace the rich possibilities of this essential ingredient and craft unforgettable masterpieces in your kitchen!

Why Use Different Types Of Flour?

Each flour type comes with subtle differences that make it well-suited to specific baking projects. Understanding these unique qualities can elevate your baking, allowing you to create everything from light, airy pastries to hearty, rustic bread with ease.

When it comes to choosing flour, it’s not just about picking any kind from the shelf. Each flour type has a distinct role, affecting the texture, rise, and flavor of your baked goods in unique ways. By choosing the right flour, you can transform a simple recipe into a show-stopping creation.

For instance, flours with higher protein content help develop a strong, elastic dough, making them ideal for bread that needs a chewy and structured crumb. On the other hand, lower-protein flours are perfect for creating tender, melt-in-your-mouth pastries. Before we dive deeper into each type, let's explore why these differences matter for your baking success.

The Difference Between Bleached And Unbleached Flour

Bleached flour goes through a chemical treatment process. Manufacturers chemically treat flour to age it more quickly and create a fine, almost powdery grain.

Unbleached flour doesn’t go through this process, resulting in a more noticeable texture and a slightly deeper color. It also doesn’t use harsh chemicals and bleaching agents that reduce the nutritional value.

Our flour is unbleached so you’re enjoying only the purest and healthiest ingredients.

The Difference Between Freshly Stone-Milled Flour And Store-Bought Flour

While store-bought flour is convenient, freshly stone-milled flour has a difference you can literally feel and taste. Our fresh milling process retains the nutrient profile of whole grains – this means more fiber, vitamins, and minerals in your recipes. The aroma and flavor of fresh flour are also much more powerful.

Processed flour frequently loses these nutrients and lacks the depth of flavor freshly milled varieties offer. This is, in part, due to the fact that many store-bought flour types use a roller mill that strips out portions of the wheat berry and then adds back synthetic ingredients to increase shelf-life.

5 Different Types Of Flour You Need To Know

Learning about different types of flour will expand your ability to make artisan-level loaves, cookies, rolls, and more. We’ll cover the most common types of flour below and why our offerings are a cut above the rest.

1. All-Purpose Flour

You’re likely familiar with this staple flour and for good reason. It’s dubbed ‘all purpose’ because it’s incredibly versatile for a wide variety of recipes thanks to its medium-level protein content. 

All-purpose flour has a protein content that hovers between 10% to 13%. It usually comes with a mixture of wheat varieties to adapt to several popular recipes, such as:

• Muffins
• Cupcakes
• Pies
• Biscuits
• Pastries

2. Bread Flour

This type of flour typically uses milled hard wheat, resulting in a higher amount of gluten that creates some deliciously stretchy dough. It comes with a protein content of 12% to 15% and is the go-to flour type for professional bakers.

Bread flour is well-suited to yeasted bread since it creates extra pockets of air for crispy, flaky crusts. Use it for recipes such as:

• Bread
• Pretzels
• Rolls
• Bagels
• Pizza

Our organic bread flour is unbleached and comes with a protein content between 12% to 13%, perfect for creating a satisfying texture every single time.

3. Einkorn Flour

With lower levels of gluten and a higher nutrient count, einkorn flour is quickly becoming a staple of health-conscious bakers. When you bake with einkorn, you will immediately notice a distinct flavor profile.

It boasts a delightful nuttiness with almost toasty undertones, transforming your recipes into something truly special. Its slightly denser texture makes it ideal for creating comforting baked goods like breads and muffins.

Use einkorn flour for classics such as:

• Banana bread
• Fruit-based muffins
• Waffles and pancakes
• Cakes
• Pastas

When you're ready to embrace rustic baking, our organic einkorn flour delivers the nutrients and rich flavor you’ve been seeking. Milled fresh, it offers a depth and quality that store-bought flours simply can't match.

4. Pastry Flour

If you're aiming to create decadent Danishes or tender croissants, pastry flour is your go-to choice for recreating that pastry shop experience right in your kitchen. This light and airy flour has a low protein content of approximately 7% to 9%, which contributes to its signature crisp texture.

Due to its delicate nature, pastry flour is not suitable for baking bread or any recipes that require a thicker, chewier bite. Instead, it pairs beautifully with recipes that utilize baking powder or baking soda, resulting in a flakier texture. Use pastry flour in classics like:

• Tarts
• Pies
• Biscuits
• Cinnamon rolls

Are you ready to indulge in some delicious cinnamon rolls or other tasty treats? Visit our pastry flour page—it’s a staple for many of our customers!

5. Pizza Flour Or "00" Flour

Mastering the art of the perfectly crisp and chewy pizza isn’t easy, but it becomes much simpler with high-quality pizza flour on your side. Commonly known as "00" flour, this type is milled to an exceptionally fine grind.

In addition to traditional pizza recipes, you can also use pizza flour for:

• Handmade pasta
• Artisan flatbreads
• Knots
• Handmade Pasta

Pizza flour comes with a higher gluten content to help you capture that classic pizza texture.

Our organic pizza flour has a protein content of 10% to 10.5% to give your recipes a balance between taut elasticity and delicate flakiness.