Homemade Pastry Flour

All-purpose flour is a common ingredient in the United States for most homemade cakes, cookies, pies, and pastries.

The gluten content of all-purpose flour can vary from brand to brand and even from region to region. One bakers success story is an others failure.

First, professional bakers measure ingredients by weight (ounces or grams) rather than by volume (cups). Measuring by weight is more consistent since 1 pound of flour or other ingredients is always one pound. It doesn’t matter if the flour is sifted or not.

Second, professional bakers have more choices when it comes to flour. Supermarkets sell major brands of all-purpose, bread, whole wheat, and cake flours. Professional bakers have access to other grain flours and lower gluten pastry flour that are not readily available to consumers.

If you find your cakes, pastries, and sweet breads made with all-purpose flour are tougher or denser than you expected or like, you can use lower gluten pastry flour in most recipes.

Simply combine 1 part cake flour with 2 parts all-purpose flour. It doesn’t matter if you measure by weight or volume, it is the same ratio of 1 to 2.

This recipe makes 6 cups (about 760 g) of pastry flour. Unbleached all-purpose flour is preferred for most recipes unless you are making white cakes.

Try Pastry Flour In These Recipes

Cinnamon Rolls

Double Chocolate Muffins

Lemon Tea Bread

Lemon Cookies

German Apple Pancake

Muffins

Pancakes & Waffles

Ingredients

• 2 cups (240 g) cake flour
• 4 cups (520 g) unbleached all-purpose flour

Method of Preparation