It’s often said that food brings people together. From the stories shared around a table to the memories associated with favorite meals, food creates a specific, special bond, and few foods do this better than baked goods. At the heart of so many of these moments is flour, which combines with other ingredients to create nutritious, delicious foods that fuel everyday life and bring joy to people around the world.
Just as flour is used to make a broad variety of goods, the diversity of flour offers bakers the opportunity for creativity. The type of wheat and how it is milled gives each flour distinct characteristics. Protein content, gluten development, texture and flavor all influence how flour performs in a recipe. Understanding these differences can help bakers choose the right flour.
Learn more about the six classes of wheat grown in the U.S. in this article.
Refined vs. Whole Wheat
Perhaps the most distinct designation between flour types is refined (white) flour compared to whole wheat flour. Whole wheat flour is made from the entire wheat kernel, including the bran, germ and endosperm. Because it contains all three parts of the kernel, whole wheat flour provides additional dietary fiber along with vitamins and minerals.
Refined flour is made primarily from the endosperm. During milling, the bran and germ are separated from the endosperm. Removing the germ improves shelf stability because the germ contains oil that can become rancid over time. The endosperm provides much of the starch and protein found in flour and is responsible for the light color and texture associated with refined white flour.
Read this article to learn more about the parts of the wheat kernel.
Enriched & Fortified Flour
Refined flour is often enriched and fortified with essential vitamins and minerals. This is done not only to replace nutrients lost in the milling process, but also to increase the overall nutritional value of flour and wheat-based products. B vitamins (riboflavin, niacin, thiamin) and iron are added to enriched flour to enhance nutrients, while still maintaining the shelf stability of the flour. The enrichment of flour began in the early 1900s when diseases like pellagra, beriberi and riboflavin deficiency were prevalent across the U.S., but today are only seen occasionally in specific, at-risk populations.
Folic acid fortification of flour dates back to the 1980s and ‘90s when the medical community connected folate deficiency to neural tube defects (NTDs), such as spina bifida and anencephaly. Because wheat-based products are popular and cost-effective, flour and other cereal grains were fortified with folic acid beginning in the 1990s. Fortification is recognized as one of the most significant public health accomplishments, as the prevalence of NTDs decreased by 19% after the efforts began in the 1990s.
Check out this white paper from the Grain Foods Foundation to learn more about the history and impact of fortification and enrichment.
Bleached vs. Unbleached Flour
During the milling process, safe, FDA-approved bleaching agents, such as benzoyl peroxide or chlorine gas, are used to chemically whiten flour. This is done to appeal to consumer tastes and enhance baking quality. The bleaching treatment makes the flour softer than untreated flour and slightly reduces the protein content. The use of these chemical agents is heavily regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and does not impact the safety of bleached flour.
Comparatively, unbleached flour naturally oxidizes (whitens) over time, which also changes the flour’s chemistry and makes a more elastic dough.
Types of Flour
Flour |
Wheat |
Protein |
Texture |
Common Uses |
| All-purpose | Hard, soft or blend | Moderate | Fine | Variety of uses |
| Whole wheat | Hard or white wheat | Moderate to high | Coarser | Variety of uses |
| Bread | Hard wheat | High | Fine | Bread, baguettes, sourdough, dinner rolls, bagels and pretzels |
| Cake | Soft wheat | Low | Very fine | Cakes, cupcakes, doughnuts, brownies and pancakes |
| Pastry | Soft Wheat | Low to moderate | Fine | Croissants, cookies, crackers, pies, tarts and cinnamon rolls |
| Self-Rising | Hard, soft or blend | Moderate | Fine | Quick breads, biscuits, scones and muffins |
| Semolina | Durum | High | Coarse | Pasta, couscous |
Using Different Types of Flour
Each type of flour has a unique purpose, consistency and flavor, creating a different eating experience. Whether all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour is used in home baking for a variety of products or advanced and professional bakers are using product-specific flours for their creations, flour brings unlimited opportunities to the kitchen and beyond.
Learn More About Types of Flour
Download the Types of Wheat & Flour Fact Sheet to learn more about different types of flour.
Learn More
