Confused in the baking aisle? Here's what you need to know.
Published on April 2, 2020
All-purpose flour is all-purpose flour, right? Well, yes and no. Stroll down the baking aisle at your supermarket and take a closer look at the those sacks of flour and you'll see that this pantry staple actually comes in two forms: bleached and unbleached.
If you've spent your entire life cooking and baking without realizing that there are different types of all-purpose flour, don't worry! Your secret is safe with us. For the most part, you can use them interchangeably with good results. Both flours have a medium level of protein, which makes either of them ideal for baking cakes, cookies, and pie crusts, thickening sauces and gravies, breading cutlets, and all of the usual suspects.
So what's the difference between the two? True to its name, bleached flour is mixed with chemical additives (chlorine dioxide and benzoyl peroxide), which give it the bright white color that we're all familiar with. These additives also assist in aging the flour, which helps it produce lighter and more tender baked goods.
Unbleached flour is aged naturally (with no or fewer chemical additives) by being exposed to oxygen over a longer period of time. It has a slightly darker color than bleached flour and has a texture that is a bit more dense. Because it takes more time to age the flour naturally, it is usually more expensive than bleached flour. Bleaching flour the natural way also preserves more of the nutrients found in wheat.
Unless you are making a vanilla cake that needs to look very white in appearance or a cake that needs to be exceptionally tender (like an angel food cake), you can use all-purpose bleached or unbleached flour for all of your cooking and baking needs, unless the recipe calls for a specialty flour. (Just as you did before you learned about this information!)
Are they really that different?
If you’ve ever found yourself staring blankly at the rows of seemingly identical (but somehow impossibly different) bags of flour in the baking aisle, you’ve probably wondered: “What the heck is the difference between bleached and unbleached flour?” You’ve come to the right place.
How Is Flour Made?
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Credit: danchooalex/Getty Images
danchooalex/Getty Images
Flour can be made from a variety of plants (see: "A Practical Guide to Alternative Flours"), but you’re likely most familiar with wheat flour. Flour is made by milling wheat grains into a fine powder.
People have been producing flour for more than 6,000 years. Early civilizations likely used stone, or a mortar and pestle, to grind the grains. We now have technologically advanced flour mills, but the process remains essentially the same.
Bleached vs. Unbleached Flour
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Credit: Elizabeth Laseter
Elizabeth Laseter
You might be surprised to learn that flour is a pale yellow color when it’s first milled. It’s actually the aging process—and exposure to atmospheric elements—that turns the flour white, usually after a few months. Aging doesn’t just affect the flour’s color—aged flour bakes better, too.
On Food and Cooking author Harold McGee notes that “aging affects the bonding characteristics of the gluten proteins in such a way that they form stronger, more elastic doughs.”
So … wait a minute: If flour turns white naturally over time, what’s the point of bleaching it?
Bleached flour is simply flour that was aged chemically (usually with peroxide) to speed up the process, rather than naturally over time. Benzoyl peroxide (yes, that benzoyl peroxide—the one from your acne cream) is one of the most commonly used bleaching agents during flour processing.
Unbleached flour, meanwhile, has been naturally aged after being milled. That’s not to say it hasn’t been treated with chemicals—potassium bromate is often added—but it usually has been treated with fewer chemicals.
Is Bleached Flour Bad for You?
Maybe, maybe not. The European Union, Canada, and China have banned peroxides in flour processing because of health concerns, but American manufacturers can still use them. It’s up for debate how ingesting small quantities of peroxides can affect your health in the long run, but the bleaching process does cause the flour to lose a lot of nutrients—namely protein and calcium. Do with that information what you will.
When Should You Use Bleached Flour?
All Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies
Credit: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck; Food Styling: Pam Lolley
Bleached flour is slightly softer than its unbleached counterpart. Foods made with bleached flour tend to be softer and have more volume than those that aren’t. It can improve the texture of soft baked goods like cookies, cakes, quick breads, muffins, etc.
Try these recipes:
- All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Fudge Sheet Cake With Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting
- Customizable Quick Bread
- Carrot-Apple Muffins With Orange Glaze
When Should You Use Unbleached Flour?
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Credit: Photo by Rebecca Firkser
Unbleached flour is denser than bleached flour, so it works well for sturdy desserts like pastries. Note: Unbleached flour takes longer to produce, so it is typically more expensive than bleached flour.
Try these recipes:
- Brie-and-Fig Puffed Pastry Bites
- Cinnamon-Orange Rolls
- Cinnamon Bun Eclairs
- Sea Salt Soft Pretzels
- Basic Rugelach
Does It Really Make a Difference?
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Credit: sandoclr/Getty Images
sandoclr/Getty Images
Yes, choosing one flour over the other can have a very subtle effect on how your recipe tastes. Should you lose sleep over it? Probably not. The differences will be so slight, only someone with a very refined palate will be able to detect it. In the end, it’s all about personal preference.