Common Flour Types: Demystified

Justine writes:

Hey, Ashley and Stephen! I'm getting ready to try your vegan challah recipe, and I guess before I start, I have a question: Do I need to use the two different flours you have in the recipe, or could I use all regular bread flour? I'm confused about all the different kinds and what they are used for. Thanks!"

Great question, Justine! We're definitely not experts, but through our baking adventures, we've become familiar with various types of flours and their "best" uses. We've come up with this quick guide to help you distinguish between the 5 kinds we use most often in our recipes . . .

• Wheat Pastry Flour is likely familiar to you all. We make a lot of cookies, cakes, brownies, and other dessert-y (and breakfast-y) items . . . and in most of those recipes we either totally or partially use the stuff. Wheat pastry flour is just a light form of whole wheat flour made -- here's that word again -- lighter for fluffier results. I like using wheat pastry flour instead of regular pastry (or white) flour because it add nutrition to baked goods. A slight heartiness, along with fiber, vitamins and minerals and other heart-healthy goodness.
• Wheat Flour is something we mostly use when baking bread. If we want to add all that goodness we listed above (instead of simple bulk that white bread flour provides), we mix in some wheat flour with unbleached bread flour. It adds extra texture, weight, and protein as well. Again, our use of this type is mostly for health reasons.
• Bread Flour is great for yeasted baked goods (like breads and pizza crusts, etc.), and though we very much like the health benefits of wheat (and even whole wheat bread flour), there's just something about the white stuff that has us coming back again and again. Bread flour has a high gluten content, which is essential to the bread baking process. Even if you're making a "wheat" bread a little unbleached will do your recipe some good -- it allows the yeast to rise to its highest.
• All-Purpose Flour is really just as the name suggests: it's for all purposes. It's a good type to have around in a pinch because you can use it for cookies, breads, and -- again -- pretty much anything if you need to (think thickening agent in sauces, soups, etc.). It's made from a blend of both high- and low-gluten flours . . . so if you use it to make, say, bread -- be prepared, because it won't necessarily be prize-winning (you're using a more general ingredient than a specific one, if that makes sense).
• Coconut Flour is something we use on occasion, mostly in cookies and other baked goods. Though we've also used it to thicken soups. It's gluten-free, which is attractive to those of you who have restricted diets, and is full of dietary fiber. We're trying to learn about using gluten-free flours in baking -- so if you're at all interested in guest posting on this topic, we'd like to find out more (just email us).

Bleached versus unbleached? Unbleached flour is not treated with any color changers (i.e. BAD stuff like peroxides, dioxides, and chlorine). It is more a cream color than bright white. Bleached flour has been treated with the "BAD stuff" and is as white as it can be. After the bleaching is done, it's also missing some of the nutrition it had in its original state. I could be wrong, but I think the primary reason flour is bleached is for aesthetics. We stick with unbleached whenever possible.

Our favorite flour brands are Bob's Red Mill (for Wheat Pastry and Coconut) and King Arthur (for everything else). What do we have on hand right now? A full bag of all-purpose flour, a small bag (half-used) of wheat pastry, an unopened bag of wheat flour, and 3/4 a full bag of unbleached bread flour.


We're constantly using different kinds -- so it's key to keep ourselves well stocked. Plus, it's way healthier and more satisfying to bake up bread at the beginning of the week than purchase boring store-bought varieties.

If you're looking to try your hand at some recipes, here are some of our favorites:

• Red Quinoa Bread
• Rosemary Salt Loaves
• No-Knead Chocolate Walnut Bread
• Vegan Challah
• Homemade Tortillas
• Spelt Cornbread
• No-Knead Tuscan Garlic Loaf
• Cinnamon Raisin Bread
• Homemade Bagels

What kind of flour do you use most often in the kitchen? We'd love to know if there are any regulars on your shelves that we may no have covered above (like spelt, rye, etc.). Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Yet Another Pancake Recipe

What is it with me and tangerine juice? We bought a ton of the pretty fruits a couple week ago at like 76 cents a pound. Let me type that again: seventy-six cents a pound. Why not use them in absolutely everything? This recipe is wicked fast . . . so even on the busiest morning, you can enjoy some hearty pancakes.

What you'll need . . . for two big pancakes!

• Juice of two tangerines (or oranges)
• 1 large banana
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 2/3 cup wheat pastry flour
• 1 tablespoon flax meal
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• Chocolate chips (Bittersweet works beautifully -- but entirely optional)

Method . . .

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the tangerine juice, banana, and flax meal -- mix together until well combined (and not lumpy).
2. With a spatula, mix in the rolled oats, wheat pastry flour, and baking powder. Fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Cook the way you'd cook any other pancakes. Over some medium heat with a bit of oil.
4. Serve warm with maple syrup and Earth Balance.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...

Kitchen Adventures: Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookie

I decided to some some experimentation last week with one of my favorite cookie recipes. And so, the vegan pb-chocolate chipper was born. I may have already made a similar cookie, but this one's better. I pulled from BabyCakes wisdom -- using coconut oil in place of butter and applesauce instead of eggs. I incorporated some white whole wheat flour I received as a gift in place of the unforgiving bleached all-purpose. I used peanut butter we bought in bulk. And dark brown sugar for some extra taste.

These cookies are fancy and tasty. Versatile and chewy. Just look at 'em:



What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup peanut butter (I used the kind you buy in bulk, but Skippy Natural will work well, too)
• 1 cup coconut oil
• 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups while whole wheat flour
• 1-1/4 cups wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup flax meal
  
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• vegan chocolate chips (1 cup -- I used Sunspire)
  

Method . . .

1. Preheat the oven to 315 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment.
2. Cream together the peanut butter, coconut oil, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the applesauce and mix until well incorporated. Stir in vanilla.
3. Sift together flours, flax meal, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Fold dry ingredients into the wet.
4. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls and form 2-inch balls that you place 2-inches apart on the cookie sheets. Gently press down with the heel of your hand to flatten slightly.
5. Bake for between 12 and 15 minutes -- until lightly golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack.

It's important to have a lower cooking temperature with the coconut oil. At first, I had set my oven for the "normal" recipes 350 degrees F setting. But soon realized I would have a burn-fest on my hands. How I figured that out . . . well, experience. The week before I had used some coconut oil in brownies that I planned to bake in my new bundt pan. I set the oven temp too high and a couple minutes after placing them in the oven, I smelled burning.

I have to quickly take them out of the oven, scoop them into cupcake wrappers and bring the temp down low (by holding the oven door open and setting it for 315 degrees F). Here's how they turned out. (They were the worst vegan brownies ever, so you won't be seeing this recipe anytime soon...)



Psssst: Welcome to neverhomemaker.com! Your surfing should be relatively unaffected, but if you aren't receiving updates in your favorite feed reader, you may want to re-subscribe.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

Read more...