Cake Flour, Bread Flour, regular Flour?

Question

Whats the difference and can these all be interchanged?

Answer 1

no bread flour has more gluten (wheat protein) in it which is what makes the bread "chewy" cake flour has very little gluten so you get a tender result. regular flour is probably all purpse flour which is combination of both flours so that in can be used for either application. I keep all 3 flours on hand but if you don't bake a lot I would just get all purpose flour.

Answer 2

You'd be surprise to know how many flour types there really are. Here is a list not sure if I left any out.

Bread flour: Gluten, the seemingly magical ingredient that lends height and texture to a loaf, is in good supply in this flour. You can’t find better flour for a good loaf of white sandwich bread.
Buckwheat flour: This strongly flavored flour lends a grayish tan tint to bread. The tartness of the flour can overwhelm any number of other flavors so use it sparingly.
Millet flour: When ground into flour yellow millet seeds can give bread a real nutritional boost – especially in the diet of vegetarians, who need to look for ways to complete their protein intake. But, Too much of it will make your breads dry and crumbly.
Rye flour: The heady flavor of rye easily makes up for the troublesome sticky dough this low gluten flour produces. If you want a loaf with any height at all, you will need to mix it with bread flour.
Soy flour: Few people really enjoy the taste of soy flour but it’s among the best for adding protein value to a loaf. Try adding just a few tablespoons to each recipe. That way you can sneak in a little extra nutrition without compromising the taste at all.
Whole Wheat flour: This is exactly what it says … all the wheat including the bran, the germ and the berry. It’s sweet and nutty flavor has contributed to the ever rising popularity of wheat bread. Since it’s lower in gluten than bread and all-purpose flours, it’s a good choice for quick breads and loaves made with fruits and nuts.
Cake flour has the least amount of gluten of all wheat flours, making it best for light, delicate products such as sponge cakes, genoise, and some cookie batters. Cake flour often comes bleached, which gives it a bright, white appearance.
Spelt flour contains gluten. It can, however, be tolerated by people with gluten allergies. When making bread with spelt flour, the bread is not kneaded as long as other breads. The gluten is not as durable as other wheat’s. Spelt flour may be frozen, if not used right away.

Answer 3

Bread flour is made from hard wheat and has a high gluten content. Gluten is a complex protein found in varying levels in different varieties of wheat. This gluten, when worked, becomes strong and elastic. These qualities make it perfect to support the structure of bread and other rich pastries and doughs.

All-purpose flour is made from soft wheat or a combination of soft and hard wheat. it has a lower gluten content which results in a softer, more crumbly texture, perfect for cookies.

Cake flour is the same as all-purpose flour, only ground slightly finer to give a lighter texture to your cakes.

Answer 4

Bread flour has a high gluten content, made from one kind of wheat, perhaps winter wheat, and pastry flour, or all purpose, made from another kind and has less gluten. Trying to make pastries and cakes with gluten flour will make them tough and rubbery. All purpose unbleached will work for most things. Hi Gluten flour or bread flour for pretty much bread alone.