Unbleached Vs. Bleached All-Purpose Flour
Have you ever wondered what the difference between unbleached and bleached flour is? Quite often a recipe won’t decipher which one to use, so which one should you stock your pantry with as a good baseline? There are so many questions around the difference and which one is “better” that I hope I can help bring some clarity.
Unbleached All-Purpose Flour:
Unbleached all-purpose flour is the most versatile flour for the home kitchen and can be used in everything from dredging chicken to making muffins and even pie-crust. It’s a great staple to have on hand. My absolutely favorite brand, and the only one I stock my pantry with, is King Arthurs!
Bleached All-Purpose Flour:
In this case, as the name may suggest, a bleaching agent (chemicals like chlorine) are added to brighten the color. If you look at them side by side, bleached flour is whiter. The process of bleaching flour also lowers the protein count, which results in a softer and tenderer product when used in baked goods. Some recipes specifically call for “bleached,” but unless the recipe specially calls for it, I always use “unbleached.” King Arthurs doesn’t carry “bleached” flour and you may have a hard time finding it, especially at places like Whole Foods.
Want to know more? Check out King Arthur’s website, and this link in particular:
Cheers to starting a new tradition around the table together!
Sincerely,
Tiffany Lewis
Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!