Can Someone Please Educate Me On Types Of Flour???
Decorating By tanyap Updated 22 Jan 2006 , 3:57pm by eema2four
What are the differences between all the different types of flour available at the grocery store and how do you know which to purchase to make what? For example, what is the difference between enriched flour vs. non-enriched flour vs. self-rising flour (I think this is for breads?) vs. bleached flour vs. non-bleached flour?
By the way, I made the Chocolate Layer Cake recipe on here at CC....YUM!!! I think this will be the ONLY way I make chocolate cakes from now on!
What are the differences between all the different types of flour available at the grocery store and how do you know which to purchase to make what? For example, what is the difference between enriched flour vs. non-enriched flour vs. self-rising flour (I think this is for breads?) vs. bleached flour vs. non-bleached flour?
By the way, I made the Chocolate Layer Cake recipe on here at CC....YUM!!! I think this will be the ONLY way I make chocolate cakes from now on!
Well, bleached flour vs. non-bleached flour--Bleached all-purpose flour has been bleached, of course, but I believe if you make a "white" cake, it will be more white than if you use unbleached all-purpose flour. I always prefer unbleached though just because it's more natural & not chemically bleached.
As for enriched vs. non-enriched flour--I've heard non-enriched flour is more natural & better for you. I don't really know, that's just what I was told. 
Self-rising flour has leavening already added to it, so you wouldn't use it if the recipe calls for baking soda and/or baking powder. For instance, you can make biscuits by cutting in your shortening/butter & stirring in your milk--you don't need any baking powder, soda or salt.
Bread flour is only for baking bread as far as I know.
HTH,
bakersofcakes 
Also, unbleached flour has a slightly higher gluten* content than bleached flour. Something to do with the bleaching process.
Enriched flour has all the stuff (vitamins etc) that was striped away when it was turned from whole wheat to white, put back. Non enriched has practically no nutritional value.
Bread flour has a MUCH higher gluten content than All purpose or Cake flour. Which is necessary since glutein* is what makes bread bready, instead of cakey.
Cake flour (I've seen it mostly as softasilk around here) has the lest of all gluten*, which makes beautifully light and airy cakes possible. Especially important for things like Angelfood.
*Gluten is the Protein found in wheat flour. It is 'activated' by moisture and stirring to form long strands of protein and structure in baked goods. When you knead bread dough, gluten is what makes it elastic. And makes for a nice chewy bread. But you don't want tough chewy cakes. So a lower gluten flour such as all purpose or, even better, cake flour is usually used instead, the strands of gluten protein would inhibit rising and make for a much courser bread. But if you used those lower gluten flours for bread you would end up with a flat loaf with no structure.
HI
Try this link, there is some really good info here.
Julia
\\http://www.baking911.com/pantry/flour,grains.htm#WHEAT%20FLOUR%20TYPES:
Thanks you guys!!! It's amazing the wealth of knowledge that can be shared due to the internet....and CC!!
So, I'm taking it then that it's okay to use the bleached, enriched flour for cake-baking purposes....is there a time that you would prefer unbleached but enriched flour???
Also, I'll have to look around for a brand that sells "cake flour" as one of you mentioned!
I always use unbleached.
I don't like the idea of all the chemicals that were used to make it pure white, when frankly; a normal person wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a cakes made with bleached vs. unbleached. And viewed on its own, it's hard to tell either.
check out
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/search/index.php
it's a great resource!
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