Bread flour vs. all purpose flour?

[Carmen]

So I've read that you can usually substitute bread flour for all purpose flour, except for things like cake. I don't have much intention of making cake, I'm wanting to make like pizza crusts, bread, tortillas, etc with my flour. Does bread flour work for all those things?

 

 

At costco I've seen the HUGE bags of flour for sale and they are a much better deal than the smaller bags. Where/how do you guys store that much flour?

[Violet]

I would not use bread flour for tortillas. Normally for bread I use half bread flour and half all purpose. Pizza I use all purpose flour.

You get big buckets, that are food grade , and put flour in them, use some oxygen absorbers and put in the buckets before putting the lid on for long term storage. That, or buy mylar bags and put oxygen absorbers in them. That, or you put the flour in airtight and moisture proof containers or bags and freeze the flour. The buckets you can get cheap or free from bakeries or restaurants. I would not get ones that had pickles or strong smelling food, though. Even big sun tea jars can be used with the O2 absorbers put in. Learning to store like that is another thing to learn.

You can do a search online and read about using the mylar bags, buckets, and oxygen absorbers.

Just type mylar bags and oxygen absorbers into your search engine. You will come up with some help there.

Big Rubbermaid food storage things will work, too, but more expensive. Just never use non food grade plastic for putting food in. The chemicals can leach into your food. Not a healthy thing to do ! No plastic trash cans, trash bags, etc. for storing foods.

[Carmen]

Thanks for the ideas Violet! Well I'm not meaning for LONG term storage, so no mylar or O2 absorbers. I'm just meaning, if I buy a 50 lb bag of flour, what to keep it in so my dog, cats, husband, don't go messing with it. I"m just trying to think of a nice, clean place to put it. My "pantry" is just a big cabinet so I couldn't fit in there, it'd essentially have to be sitting out in my kitchen.

[Violet]

Carmen,

I have big Tupperware containers stacked in my entry way closet with flour and sugar.

I have food under my beds, too. Anyplace you can hide things away will work ! Just be creative. Who else will know if you have flour stashed like that ?

I use pretty covered hatboxes for storing toiletries. They just look pretty and no body knows they have deodorant and toothpaste in them but me.

If you can find some of those big metal popcorn tins, they would work, too.

[bibliomane]

I only ever use All Purpose and I use flour several times a day for home, trading, and social purposes. Bread flour has more gluten than white flour and therefore doesn't do as well in things like biscuits, cakes, or 'lighter' baked items. You would want to use a pinch extra yeast or levening if using it.

 

Flour substitutions:

 

For each cup of the flour desired, put in the substitution, then enough all purpose flour leveled off to make 1 cup.

 

Bread Flour: Add a tablespoon of wheat gluten

Cake Flour: 2T corn starch and 1T wheat gluten

Pastry Flour: 1T cornstarch and 1/2 T wheat gluten

Self Rising Flour: 1 1/2 t baking powder and 1/2 t salt

 

For specialty flours that I use less often (rye, soy flour, millet flour, etc.) I just put them in overlarge bags in a deep freeze. I have some soy flour that is 3 years old and still works/tastes great from the freezer.

 

Cheryl

[Leah]

http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article/63/Wheat-Flour

Lot's of information on flour here.