can I use all purpose flour in a bread machine instead of bread flour?

Question

I don't have bread flour but have tons of all purpose.

Answer 1

Sure you can...but don't forget to add yeast...or some other rising agent...or your bread won't rise :)

Answer 2

Hmm...okay I'm new to yahoo answers, but why do people answer questions when they have absolutely no clue?

Self rising flour has nothing to do with bread making. It has baking powder in it, so it can be used in cakes, biscuits and such.

You can make bread with AP flour, you probably won't be very happy with the results. Your bread isn't going to rise enough and you will end up with a very dense loaf. Using the correct flour type is even more important in a bread machine. When you make bread by hand you can gauge the gluten formation (by how stretchy the dough is getting) and work the dough until you get the consistency you're looking for. In the bread machine you don't have that luxury, so you have to ensure you have plenty of protein in the flour, so enough gluten can form. In the bread machine I prefer King Arthur bread flour and add 1-2 tsp of gluten (in some grocery stores or online)

Answer 3

guy is mostly right. self rising has baking powder added and bread flour has more protein than AP. AP is a mixture of bread flour and cake flour, each of which has different starch to protein ratios. Gluten is made by adding hydration, usually water, to a flour and mixing, the more protein in the flour the chewier the bread. so, make a trip to the store and get a bag of bread flour or for even higher protein get bread machine flour.

Answer 4

The only differences wil be in the amount of water you should use, in the handling of the dough and in browning. Bread flour can take up more water or liquid than all purpose flour can. the difference may not be enough to bother you, but hold back a couple of tablespoons of the water, just in case. Add it if the dough seems too firm. When you work the dough, be aware that all purpose flour builds a slightly weaker gluten structure, so handle the risen loaves very gently, lest they collapse. You may also notice the the loaves don't brown as well, but you can counter this by brushing the loaves with water before you bake them. You can also add a bit of sugar to the dough to give it more sugar to use in the browning reactions.

Answer 5

I always use regular flour, and it turns out fine. Tried the "bread" flour, but really didn't see a difference.

Answer 6

You can use all-purpose flour to make bread, but you will not end up with as good a bread if you were to use bread flour.

Answer 7

To other posters. Balogna.

You can use regular flour as long as you add your own yeast and gluten. Self-rising flour is not required. It contains it's own yeast. Neither is bread flour. Bread flour only differs in that it contains more gluten. You can always add your own gluten.

Answer 8

You need to use self-rising flour, or your bread won't rise. Baking flour is just another name for self-rising flour. All purpose is more for frying and breading.

Good luck!

Answer 9

we always used all purpose flour,and never had any issues
just be sure your yeast is fresh and active

Answer 10

I would not advise it. Your bread will not come out very well.