Instructions: What flour should you use? Easy bread flour, bread flour contains more of the protein called gluten. It is this gluten protein that allows the dough to capture and trap more of the gases given off by the yeast. Gluten when activated with moisture becomes rubbery and elastic. It is this rubbery structure that allows it to stretch and keep trapped the yeast gases. Without an ample supply of gluten in your bread dough your bread will not rise as high, be as light or as tender. All-Purpose flour has between 3 to 4 grams less gluten protein in it than bread flour. Bread flour is made from hard winter wheat and it is this type of wheat that gives bread flour its ability to make good bread.

All-Purpose Flour is usually made up of hard winter wheat and soft spring wheat. That is why it works so well for so many different types of baked goods. It has just enough gluten to work for a number of baked good, but not really enough for good bread. If you wish to use all-purpose flour you may do so. However, you should add a tablespoon of Vital Wheat Gluten (not Gluten Flour) to your dough for every cup of all-purpose used. You can get the Vital Wheat Gluten at most large grocery stores and health food stores. The best and the cheapest way to go is to by bread flour. If you live in Canada your flour is even higher in Gluten and you should have no problems using all-purpose type flours. Robin Hood flour is excellent quality and works very well. In the US, I like the bread flour I get at my local Costco wholesale club, 25 pounds for $4.50. Any US sold bread flour will do.

There are times when you will want to use a combination of bread flour and all-purpose flour. Pizza crust, dinner or sandwich rolls are very good candidates for a 50/50 mix. The all-purpose prevents the dough from becoming too rubbery so it makes a more tender flexible dough. This can be very important when making pizza crust. With a 50/50 mix the crust will be much easier to roll out. For the ultimate pizza crust use 50% bread flour and 50% pastry or cake flour, this will give you an easy to shape, light tender crust.

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