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Flour: Bread Vs. All-Purpose

Flour: Bread Vs. All-Purpose — a community recipe on Potlikkr.

Ingredients

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Method (preview)

1. 1

   It is all a matter of gluten, a protein

2. 2

   constituent of grains quite prevalent in wheat flour. The reason that bread is kneaded is to develop the gluten into a "net-like" substance that traps the gas (carbon dioxide) bubbles) made by the yeast. That's the rising side of gluten... but, it also has a tough side. The more the gluten is developed (which helps your loaf to rise) the "tougher" the finished product becomes (which makes hard crusts and chewier crumb). So, cakes us a flour that is lower in protein that makes the "gluten-net" when mixed and should not be over mixed to develop what "gluten-net" there is to work. That is why some pancake and waffle batters turn out tough results when over mixed. Of course, with breads, a strong "gluten-net" is needed to help their heavier doughs rise above the pull of earthly gravity. A "moon pie" would be much fluffier if baked in the moon's low gravitational pull.