I was at Sam's Club and I was looking for cake flour.... However, all I found was Bread Flour....Is this the same or do I need to hunt again for cake flour?

Bread flour has a lot more gluten in it than all-purpose flour. The gluten is part of the stretch quality if bread dough. It will not work well for cakes.

This completes my knowledge of bread flour.

Michele

Not a stupid question! I've seen recipes that call for all purpose flour and cake flour I believe... so there has to be a difference there also? I've never been sure.

I don't know what the difference is, but I have seen cake flour in the baking aisle in Kroger. I've never used it though.

Well... I do know that cake flour is made with softer winter (I think) wheat. All-purpose flour is made with harder wheat. I also know that I love baking cakes using cake flour. The difference is amazing. The cakes are taller, the crumb is finer, and the texture is wonderful. I started out making cakes with AP flour, because that's what I had and knew. I had never heard of cake flour until someone mentioned how they like it. So I tried it. That was about 15 years ago and I still love it. I'm sorry I can't remember who told me about it so I can give them credit. I've slept since then.

Try contacting a food distributing company such as Ben E Keith. I used to buy all kinds of bulk items from them. They only deliver to businesses, but they have a will call window so that you can pick it up from the warehouse. Most of the time someone will load your car for you.

HTH

Michele

Thanks...I take deliveries at the kitchen I rent ... They have storage for us. So that would not be a problem.
I've seen cake flour in the regular grocery stores, I just know I can save money when I by in bulk. Most of my recipes calls for all purpose & a few call for cake flour that is why I was asking. I will look into the food distributing company.

Also thank you for the tip on the gluten.

IME cake flour is ridiculously expensive at the grocery store, we buy 50# bags at our local restaurant supply store for about the same price as AP flour (about $15). In fact we use exclusively cake flour for our cakes (except for gluten-free cakes). If you need AP flour you can just mix cake flour and bread flour, but I don't think we've ever had a need for AP flour in our professional recipes.

Is substitution of AP to Cake 1:1?

They sell it in cash and carry in like 25lb bags. Also they carry it at Smart and final.

Soft as Silk is the main grocery store brand - it's in a red box. Cake flour and pastry flour are the some thing if you can find one and not the other. Also try the bulk/natural foods section of the store.

Sugarflowers,
I'm curious. Most of my recipes call for a combination of cake & AP flour. Do you use all cake flour?

Also, I've never seen cake or pastry flour at Sam's.

The main difference between the different wheat flours is the gluten content.

Cake flour 7-9%
Pastry flour 9-10%
All purpose 10-12%
Bread 12-13.5%

Then there are other super high gluten blends that are refined gluten.

Amusing that I know all this considering I'm gluten free, but I used to bake a ton prior to my celiac diagnosis. I used to think gluten was a helpful good thing.

There's a lot of info in this little thread. thank you

Jeanne