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The real question here is what makes all flours different from each other, and the answer is protein content. Protein in flour translates to gluten development, and the more gluten formed, the tougher the product will be. The higher the protein content of a flour, the lower the starch content, and vice versa. A few commonly found flours are:
High Gluten flour, coming in at the top of the list with 13% or more protein. High gluten flour is used almost exclusively for bread products and is good for yeast raised products that also contain a great deal of fat, like croissants.
Bread flour has 11.5-13% protein. That percentage varies from brand to brand and because flour is a natural product and can be unpredictable. High gluten and bread flours are made from hard wheat. Because of this, they absorb water easily and produce strong gluten. As the name implies, bread flour is good for breads and yeast-raised products.
All-purpose flour contains 9-11.5% protein and just as the name implies is a good for a wide range of products, though not strong enough for good bread and a little too strong for light cakes.
Pastry flour has 8-9.5% protein. These flours are made from soft wheat, which absorbs less water and in turn develops a weaker gluten structure. This means product will spread and rise more readily, making it great for cookies and many pastries.
Cake flour has the lowest protein percentage, between 6-8% and the highest concentration of starch. It also generally treated with cholrine, which improves the starch’s ability to absorb water and weakens the ability of the protein to form gluten. This combination of characteristics is what makes cake flour ideal for light, highly aerated products.
