Bake Bread Like A Pro: Flour Types and Tips

You want to make your own bread instead of fighting to buy the Gardenia Bread at stores. But you are stumped, not even sure which flour to buy.

I gotchu.

Types of Flour for Bread Baking

All-Purpose Flour

You can get the reliable All-Purpose Flour to bake a lot of things including bread. It comes in two variations, Bleached and Unbleached All-Purpose Flour.

Wait, what are those?

Bleached and Unbleached Flour

Actually all flours are bleached, what varies is the length of the process. Bleached Flour goes through a process where chemicals are used to speed up it’s aging process. Unbleached flour on the other hand, ages naturally. 

Bleached Flour has a whiter color and finer texture whereas Unbleached flour is off-white and has a denser grains.

It is recommended to use Unbleached Flour to bake bread and Bleached Flour to bake cakes

Self-Rising Flour

Self Rising Flour is a type of flour that makes bread rise in the absence of yeast. It consists of a combination of all purpose flour, baking powder and salt. 

It’s convenient as you can skip the step of adding leaving agents.

Whole-wheat flour

The most dense type of flour there is. Whole-wheat flour is made of the entire wheat kernel the bran, endosperm and the germ, making it 100% natural. This flour will make your bread coarse and dense with a slightly nutty flavor.

Gluten-free Flour

Now if you are gluten intolerant, this flour is going to be your go-to. You can still enjoy baking many types of cake by substituting the flour in it with Gluten-free flour.

Furthermore, Gluten-free flour is not just for Celiacs, because it has tons of benefits in other areas:

1. Skin
   1. Reduces acne
   2. Improves complexion
2. Digestive
   1. Manages acid reflux
   2. Reduces bloating
3. Muscular
   1. Manages joint pains
   2. Reduces swelling
4. Other
   1. Regulates weight
   2. Reduces migraine
   3. Reduces blood pressure and sugar

So yeah, this is an incredibly healthy choice of flour.

Almond Flour

On a diet and still craving bread? Almond Flour is the answer.

Almond Flour is low in carbs, making it a great choice of flour for health conscious folks.

Coconut Flour

A soft, naturally grain, gluten-free flour that is produced from dried coconut. Another popular choice among health freaks because it is relatively low in carbs but high in proteins and fibre.

Bread Flour

Of course Bread Flour is going to be the best flour for baking bread. It has high protein content making it easy to work with because of its flexibility and elasticity. 

Just imagine how your croissant is going to turn out. Yum! Oh yeah, the ‘t’ in croissant is silent, try saying it hehe!

Bread Baking Tips

You can’t lie about measurements like how you lie about your weight.

You probably already know that when baking, you must, and I mean MUST follow the measurements accurately. The same applies when baking bread. Otherwise, you could end up with a bread that doesn’t even look like bread. Use a digital scale for extra precision. 

Make sure you have massaged your bread dough enough.

‘Massaging’ or kneading your dough adequately is critical. Do not over or under knead your bread dough. If you can stretch your bread dough up to 2 or 4 inches without tearing it, it’s then a happily massaged dough.

How is your Yeast?

Know the type of Yeast you are using, to ensure you get the best results:

1. Active Yeast: You need to ‘activate’ the yeast in a warm liquid before combining it with the dry ingredients
2. Instant Yeast: You can directly combine it with dry ingredients

Besides that, ensure your yeast has been stored properly and is not too old or expired. If it is, then your bread won’t turn out well. *cries*

Have you been a ‘Salt Bae’?

Be sure to sprinkle not too much or too little salt. You don’t want your bread to taste overly salty or bland, so use the right amount. (Sprinkling it with style helps)

Don’t leave your dough ‘naked’.

Dough and Air are not buddies. Leaving it exposed will cause a ‘skin’ to form. 

Imagine the ‘skin’ is like your girlfriend blocking you from getting extra drinks. 

The ‘skin’ will also block the dough from proofing. So your dough might not rise sufficiently.

Solution? Wrap the dough with a cling wrap, then place a kitchen towel over it.

Solution for your girlfriend? You can’t wrap her with a cling wrap, so I don’t have one hahaha!

Steamy Affairs.

Failure to create a steam in your oven will result in dry cracked bread.

So how to ensure a ‘steamy affair’? You got two options:

• Place a baking pan with water on the bottom part of your oven during the preheating stage
• Spray water on the dough and the insides of the oven with a spray bottle

This will ensure you get a nice chewy crust.

Is your bread done?

You gotta take the bread out at the right time – when it is golden brown.

A tip for testing if your bread is done, is by tapping the bottom part of the bread, if it sounds hollow – it’s ready!

Jot down.

Every pro baker knows this. You should make notes about how your bread turned out, from the amount of flour used, to the time spent baking, as it all helps you to create better bread in the future. 

In addition, this vital information will allow you to customize the crispiness of your bread crust. So don’t be lazy alright!

You’re ready to go bake your own bread now. Tell me how it tastes!

New to baking? Check out our quick and easy 30 Day Guide for Beginner Bakers

Want to know more about flour? Check out The Ultimate Flour Guide for Baking

Want to know about the best flour for cakes? Check out Cake Flour Or Some Other Flour, Help Me!