What is bleached flour?
- Thread starter catapono
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
AllenOK
Executive Chef
All-Purpose flour will work. "Bleached" flour was treated to make it white.
TexanFrench
Senior Cook
I believe that "bleached flour" is the standard white flour sold in U.S. markets. "Unbleached" flour is specially marked; otherwise it is "bleached" flour.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Bleached and unbleached AP flours can be used interchangeably for the most part. The bleaching process reduces the protein content a little.
I've got several old "Southern" recipes that call for bleached flour - it's just plain old everyday All-Purpose flour that isn't labeled "unbleached".
The bleaching process (exposing the flour to chlorine dioxide gas) does two things: (1) It bleaches out the yellowish-tan pigments and also (2) "ages" the flour which improves the gluten producing potential of the proteins. The down side is that it reduces the nutritional content of the flour (primarily Vitamin E) so you will notice most bags of flour will note that they are "enriched" - which replaces the vitamins lost in the bleaching process.
The bleaching process (exposing the flour to chlorine dioxide gas) does two things: (1) It bleaches out the yellowish-tan pigments and also (2) "ages" the flour which improves the gluten producing potential of the proteins. The down side is that it reduces the nutritional content of the flour (primarily Vitamin E) so you will notice most bags of flour will note that they are "enriched" - which replaces the vitamins lost in the bleaching process.
