Recipe(tried): Flour Types, Protein Percentages and Best Uses

I created this list I find useful for baking.

FLOUR TYPES AND BEST USES:

Flour Protein:
"Protein percentage indicates the amount of gluten available in the a given flour. Gluten is the substance which develops when the flour protein, which occurs naturally in wheat flour, is combined with liquid. Because gluten is able to stretch elastically, it is desirable to have a higher gluten flour for yeast-raised products, which have doughs that are stretched extensively; like pizza, most breads, and bagels. For pie crusts, cookies, and pastry to be short and crumbly, a lower protein flour is better. Protein levels range from 7% in pastry and cake flours to as high as 15% in high-gluten bread flour." - King Arthur Flour.

CAKE FLOUR, 7 to 8% protein - cakes, blend with all-purpose flour to make pastry flour or Southern flour substitute.

PASTRY FLOUR, 8 to 9% protein - biscuits, cookies, pastries, pancakes, pie crusts, waffles.

ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, SOUTHERN, 8 to 9% protein - biscuits, cookies, muffins, pancakes, pie crusts, quick breads, waffles.

SELF-RISING FLOUR, 8 to 10.5% protein - biscuits, cookies, pancakes, muffins, quick breads, waffles.

INSTANT FLOUR, 10.5 to 12.5% protein - thicken gravies, sauces, and soups without lumps.

ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, NATIONAL BRANDS, 10 to 11.5% protein - everyday cooking, makes average biscuits, cookies, muffins, pancakes, pie crusts, quick breads, waffles. Makes average yeast breads, pizza crusts.

ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, NORTHERN, 11.5 to 12% protein - cream puffs, puff pastry, yeast breads, pizza crusts.

BREAD FLOUR, 12 to 13.3% protein - traditional yeast breads, bread machine, pizza crusts, pasta.

DURUM WHEAT, (Semolina), 13 to 13.5% protein - Pasta.

WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, 14% protein - hearth breads, blending with other flours.

HIGH-GLUTEN FLOUR, 14 to 15% protein - bagels, pizza crusts, blending with other flours.

VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN FLOUR, 65 to 77% protein - Supplement mixed with other flour to raise gluten. Provides extra gluten for low-gluten whole grain flours, such as rye, oat, teff, spelt, or buckwheat.

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FLOUR PROTEIN BY TYPES AND BRANDS (retail flour):

CAKE FLOUR - 7% to 9.4% protein
-King Arthur Queen Guinevere Cake Flour, 7.0%
-King Arthur Unbleached Cake Flour Blend, 9.4%
-Pillsbury Softasilk Bleached Cake Flour, 6.9%
-Presto Self Rising Cake Flour, 7.4%
-Swans Down Bleached Cake Flour, 7.1%

PASTRY FLOUR - 8 to 9% protein
-King Arthur Unbleached Pastry Flour, 8%
-King Arthur Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, 9%

ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, SOUTHERN - 8 to 9% protein
-Martha White Bleached All-Purpose Flour, 9%
-Red Band All-Purpose Flour - Out of Business
-White Lily Bleached All-Purpose Flour, 8 to 9%

SELF-RISING FLOUR - 8 to 10.5% protein
-Gold Medal Bleached Self-Rising Flour, 10.5%
-King Arthur Unbleached Self-Rising Flour, 8.5%
-Martha White Bleached Self-Rising Flour, 9.4%
-Pillsbury Best Bleached Self-Rising Flour, 9.7%
-Presto Self Rising Cake Flour, 7.4%
-White Lily Bleached Self-Rising Flour, 8 to 9%

INSTANT FLOUR 10.5 to 12.6% protein
-Gold Medal Wondra Quick Mixing Flour, 10.5%
-Pillsbury Best Shake & Blend Flour, 12.6%

ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, BLEACHED & UNBLEACHED, NATIONAL BRANDS - 10 to 11.5% protein
-Gold Medal All-Purpose Flour, 10.5%
-Pillsbury Best All-Purpose Flour, 10 to 11.5%

ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, NORTHERN, BLEACHED & UNBLEACHED - 11.5 to 12% protein
-Heckers and Ceresota All-Purpose Flour, 11.5 to 11.9 %
-King Arthur All-Purpose Flour, 11.7%
-Robin Hood All-Purpose Flour, 12.0%

BREAD FLOUR - 12 to 13.3% protein
-Gold Medal Better For Bread, 12%
-King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour, 12.7%
-Pillsbury Best Bread Flour, 12.9%
-White Lily Unbleached Bread Flour, 13.3%

DURUM WHEAT (Semolina) 13 to 13.5% protein
-Hodgson Mill Golden Semolina & Extra Fancy Durum Pasta Flour, 13.3%
-King Arthur Extra Fancy Durum Flour, 13.3%

WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR - 12.9 to 14% protein
-Gold Medal Whole Wheat Flour, 13.3%
-King Arthur 100% Whole Wheat Flour, 14%
-King Arthur 100% White Whole Wheat Flour, 14%
-Pillsbury Best Whole Wheat Flour, 12.9%

HIGH-GLUTEN FLOUR 14 to 15% protein
-King Arthur Organic Hi-Gluten Flour, 14%
-King Arthur Sir Lancelot Unbleached Hi-Gluten Flour, 14.2%

VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN FLOUR, Breadmaking Supplement - 65 to 77% protein
-Arrowhead Mills Vital Wheat Gluten Flour, 65.0%
-Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten Flour, 75.0%
-Gillco Vital Wheat Gluten Flour, 75.0%
-Hodgson Mill Vital Wheat Gluten Flour, 66.6%
-King Arthur Vital Wheat Gluten Flour, 77.8%

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SUBSTITUTIONS:
- To make self-rising flour, add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp table salt to each cup of flour.

- To make a lower protein flour (similar to White Lily or Pastry flour), mix half cake flour with half all-purpose flour.

- Another substitute for soft Southern flour, not quite as tender, for each cup of regular all-purpose flour, replace 2 Tablespoons of flour with cornstarch, mix well.
(1 cup lightened all-purpose flour = 14 Tbsp flour and 2 Tbsp cornstarch.)

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Version 6-19-2013