What Flour to Use?

Ever feel stuck choosing the right flour at high altitude?

 Cake? Pastry? Bread? When do you use AP Flour with so many other choices? As a kid, all we could get in the store was "regular flour"!

Welcome to the never ending hands-on research of high-altitude baking

Here are some solid facts:

The more delicate your bake, the lower the protein (gluten) you want:

• Cake flour: 7–9%

• Pastry flour: 8–9%

• AP flour: 10–11%

• Bread flour: 12–13%+

BAKING AT ALTITUDE CHANGES HOW THE DIFFERENT FLOURS REACT:

Cakes rise FAST before the structure sets which is why you may find the center of your cake has collapsed and is “gummy/unbaked”

HOW TO CONTROL YOUR STRUCTURE BETTER?

USE THE RIGHT FLOUR AND BLEND WITH AP FLOUR FOR EXTRA NEEDED STABILITY

Cakes (Delicate, like genoise and other ‘tender” cakes)

70% Cake Flour + 30% AP

Muffins / Scones / Pie Dough:

75% Pastry Flour + 25% AP Flour

Bread / Focaccia/Pizza Dough:

Bread Flour

75% Bread Flour + 25% AP Flour only if you want it softer

Cookies:

AP Flour

Note: add some Bread Flour for extra chewiness