Bread flour It is similar to flour with all purposes, with a significant difference: protein content. Due to the type of wheat from which it is grinded, bread flour has a higher percentage of protein (King Arthur's is 12.7%) than all goals (11.7%). (For the context, paste and cake flour have less, respectively about 8% to 10%.)
Exactly what exactly does protein content mean? When we are talking about protein in flour, we are talking about two very specific types of protein found in wheat: glutenin and gliadin. These two proteins are gluten building blocks. So, in essence, the higher the protein content in a flour, the more gluten formative potential that has flour. The more gluten develops, the stronger the dough. In addition, flour with higher protein content will absorb more liquid than those with less protein. (Learn more here: Protein percentage in flour: Why does it matter.)
The highest bread flour protein enables strong, elastic bread doughs, resulting in high growing bread. This is great for a recipe like Oatmeal; Oat in the dough prevents gluten formation, so the use of bread flour ensures that the bread is still high. Also also important for a high hydration bread as Crystalline bread – When the dough is first mixed, it is so wet that it looks more like the goal of the pan than the bread dough. But the high protein content in the bread flour turns the mixture into a strong, soft dough with just a few series of folds.
Finally, you may ask yourself: is it good to replace the bread flour for the flour with all purposes, or vice versa? We always recommend using flour that requires a recipe, but on a top, it is best to replace in a bread recipe. The consistency of the dough and the bread structure may change, but you will be rewarded with a wonderful household bread. See more here: How to replace the bread flour for the flour with all the goals.
Learn more about different flour and how they are best suited for your baking in our Flour 101 guiding
Photo covered by Patrick Marinello; Food styling by Lydia Fournier.