Bread Flour?

[Chef Munky]

Can all purpose flour be substituted for bread flour?

Thanks.

Munky.

 

[jim262]

Generally, the answer is yes. The results will be slightly different because of the different protein content and if you measure with cups you might need a little bit more AP than the recipe calls for. If flour is weighed, I find that the two flours can be interchanged freely by weight with very little adjustment needed. If there is a fair amount whole wheat flour in the recipe [25% or more], the substitution will be a less successful than if the recipe calls for all white flour.

 

[Russellkhan]

In most cases, yes, though there will be differences in the end product.

If you tell us more about the recipe you're trying to alter, we are more likely to be able to give you a definite answer.

 

[miniman]

I would tend to the no, you need the bigger clout of gluten to make the bread work well. You could always have a go as an experiment.

 

[justplainbill]

AP tends to result in more cake-like breads. ie it's ok if you want to make hamburger buns.

 

[MexicoKaren]

Because there is simply no such thing as bread flour here in Mexico, I always use all purpose flour and make absolutely delectable breads. My loaves are nice and chewy, never cake-like. Of course, the standard Mexican flour may have more gluten in it; I just don't know.

 

[Chef Munky]

Here's what I was up to yesterday.I'm not allowed to post links yet.I used Joe's Italian Sub Sammich Bread recipe.

Directions were followed,only switched out the flour for all purpose.

I was uncertain about how many loaves it would make.Went ahead and made 4 loaves shaped just like Joe's. It would have been better if I had just made 2.Mine were pretty puny looking.They just didn't rise enough the second time around.That's letting it rise in a warm kitchen for 2 hrs,and then baked.

After reading all the posts here.I see why it's called for. The loaves had an outstanding flavor.All of us here loved it.Thanks Joe!
I'll be making it again.But only as a special occasion.Bread flour here is $5 for 5lbs..I can't afford that.We've been furloughed...Not good.

On the bright side I did learn something. It's nice to know that my end products consistency is ok, acceptable considering the flour I used.

You guys were a tremendous help.Thank you.




Munky.

 

[jasonr]

The terms "all purpose flour" and "bread flour" are generally very poorly defined, and the products are often times synonymous.

Typically, a bread flour may have anywhere from 10% to 13% gluten, depending on the brand. All purpose flour will generally be in the 8% to 12% range, again depending on brand. There are huge regional differences. In certain areas, flours may be much softer with lower protein content, whereas in other areas you may not be able to find anything but high protein flours.

 

[ellakav]

when I first started baking my own bread, I used a mix of a/p flour and
whole wheat. I discovered bread flour and did notice a difference in the
texture and density of the finished product. over the years I have found
out that I get better results with the bread flour by kneading for 10 minutes
instead of the usual 6 to 8. and lets face it-sometimes I just didn't have
it on hand so I tracked down what the exact difference was. as everyone
else has said, it has a higher gluten content and when I did a little more
research I learned how to make my own. now I just keep a box of wheat
gluten in my cabinet and add 1 T. to 1 C. of unbleached a/p flour. it
actually works better for me doing it this way. I get a consistent result
and I know exactly what I am getting by doing it myself.
I also save money to boot, so that works for me!