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Exam details
All-purpose flour is a medium-protein flour (10–12% protein) made from a blend of hard and soft wheat. It is versatile and suitable for most baking needs including cookies, cakes, muffins, and some breads. It is the most commonly used flour.
Bread flour has a high protein content (12–14%) made from hard wheat. The extra protein creates more gluten, giving bread its chewy texture and structure. It absorbs more water than all-purpose flour and produces a stronger, more elastic dough.
Cake flour has a low protein content (7–9%) made from soft wheat, finely milled and often bleached. It produces tender, fine-crumbed cakes with a soft texture. The bleaching process weakens gluten and allows the flour to absorb more sugar and fat.
Pastry flour has 8–10% protein content, falling between cake and all-purpose flour. It produces tender, flaky pastries like pie crusts, tarts, biscuits, and scones. It can be approximated by mixing equal parts cake flour and all-purpose flour.
Whole wheat flour is made from the entire wheat kernel (bran, germ, and endosperm). It has higher fiber, protein (13–14%), and nutrients but produces denser baked goods. The bran cuts through gluten strands, so it's often mixed with white flour.