Wheatmeal flour - is made from white flour with the addition of bran husks.
Plain white flour
- Soft flour has 8% gluten and is used for fine cakes and
sponges.
- Plain flour has about 10% gluten and is useful for baking
scones, batters and pastry.
- Strong flour has 14% gluten and is best for bread making
and puff pastry.
- Durum flour is a mixture of wheat and semolina flour and
is ideal for pasta.
Self raising flour - is plain flour with 2% baking powder added. This type of flour has a short shelf life.
(Baking powder is made up of 1 part bicarbonate of soda and 2 parts of tartaric acid. They react slowly together and will degrade over time. baking powder should be used within 6 weeks of purchase for best results - or mix your own as needed.)
Spelt flour (Farro) - is a low protein, low gluten wheat flour which is easily digested.
Rye flour - is made from rye grass seed and is gluten free. It is used mixed with wheat flour.
Rice flour
- Polished rice flour is high in gluten and has a good binding
quality and moisture retention.
- Whole rice flour is also very high in gluten and good for making
dumplings.
Corn flour - is made from maize and is a good binding agent for thickening custard and stews.
Arrowroot - is a flour derived from the arrowroot plant, used as a thickening agent.
Buckwheat flour - is made from an Asian plant and is very low in gluten. Good for making noodles