Is All-purpose Flour The Same As Soft Flour?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Since all-purpose flour is a

combination of soft and hard flours

, a good substitution is a mixture of a soft flour, like cake flour, with a hard flour such as bread flour. To calculate how much you need of each, start with 1 cup of all-purpose flour, which weighs 130 grams.

Is all-purpose flour hard or soft?

Wheat kernels are comprised of three components: endosperm, bran, and germ. These flours are all milled without the bran and germ of the grain. All-purpose flour

combines hard and soft wheats

and thus lives in the middle on the protein scale, at 10 to 12 percent.

What is soft flour?

Soft wheat flour is typically packaged as

cake flour or pastry flour

, and is best used for cakes, cookies, and pastries that should be tender and crumbly. … Soft wheat flour has less protein, and therefore weaker gluten, which allows baked goods to have a more delicate texture.

What can I use instead of soft flour?


Pastry flour

is a softer flour that substitutes well for all-purpose in any recipe where tenderness is the goal, like muffins, quick breads and cakes. If you can find it, whole-wheat pastry flour is an even better swap for all-purpose.

How do I convert soft flour to all-purpose flour?

  1. Measure 1 cup cake flour into a bowl.
  2. Add 2 tbsp. additional cake flour to the bowl for a total measurement of 1 1/8 cup flour.
  3. Repeat this process if more than 1 cup of all-purpose flour is called for in your recipe. Tip.

What type of flour is soft flour?

Soft wheat flour is typically packaged as

cake flour or pastry flour

, and is best used for cakes, cookies, and pastries that should be tender and crumbly. It can also be used in fresh pasta, and produces a tender noodle.

What’s the best substitute for all-purpose flour?

  • Chickpea Flour. Relatively new to American households, chickpea flour (also called garbanzo bean flour or besan in Indian kitchens) is arguably one of my favorite ingredients. …
  • Rice Flour. …
  • Almond Flour. …
  • Buckwheat Flour. …
  • Buckwheat Flour Flapjacks.

What can I use if I don’t have all-purpose flour?


Either cake flour or pastry flour

can be used as a 1:1 substitute for all-purpose flour in most baking recipes. Steer away from cake flour for chewy bread baking, though, and opt instead for bread or whole-wheat flour for your no-knead and sourdough loaves.

Is self raising flour all-purpose flour?

Self-rising flour is

a combination of all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt

. Chances are high that you already have those staples in your pantry already too. The blend is typically comprised of 1 cup of all-purpose flour plus 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt.

What’s the difference between bread flour and all purpose flour?

The main difference between bread flour and all-purpose flour is

a matter of protein

. Bread flour, which comes in white and whole wheat varieties, has a higher protein content than all-purpose, usually 11-13%. It’s called “bread flour” because most bread requires higher amounts of protein to produce lots of gluten.

Can I use self raising flour instead of all-purpose flour?

To substitute self-rising for all-purpose flour, look for recipes that use

baking powder

: about 1⁄2 teaspoon per cup of flour, minimum. … Self-rising flour will work just fine in recipes using about 1/2 teaspoon (and up to 1 teaspoon*) baking powder per cup of flour.

Which flour is best for baking?

When baking a cake from scratch,

cake flour

makes your best choice. All-purpose flour works in many baking situations, but it’s not the best flour for cakes. Flour contains protein, which forms gluten when mixed or kneaded. Gluten gives yeast breads their chewy, rustic texture, but it makes cakes tough and dry.

Which flour is best for biscuits?

Any southern baker will tell you that to make the best biscuits, you need special flour–specifically

White Lily All-Purpose Flour milled from extra-fine, soft, red-winter wheat

. Because, it’s low in both protein and gluten, this flour makes baked goods rise higher and come out lighter.

What flour do professional bakers use?

Professionally and even for home bakers,

pastry flour

is the way to go for flaky pie dough, Danish pastry and cookies. It absorbs a bit less water so you will get a better blend of ingredients and less toughness.

Carlos Perez
Author
Carlos Perez
Carlos Perez is an education expert and teacher with over 20 years of experience working with youth. He holds a degree in education and has taught in both public and private schools, as well as in community-based organizations. Carlos is passionate about empowering young people and helping them reach their full potential through education and mentorship.