Flour Power: Pan-Searing Vs. All-Purpose

All-purpose flour and pan-searing flour are two different types of flour used for distinct purposes. All-purpose flour, as the name suggests, is a versatile flour suitable for most baking and cooking needs. It is made from a blend of hard and soft wheat and has a moderate protein content, typically ranging from 9% to 12%. This flour is ideal for baked goods like cookies, cakes, muffins, and bread, as well as thickening sauces and gravies. On the other hand, pan-searing flour is specifically designed for searing meats. It has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, resulting in a more tender and fluffy texture. This type of flour is often a blend of wheat flour, corn flour, and rice flour, seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic, giving meats a crispy, golden crust when pan-seared.

Protein content

The protein content of flour is one of the most important variables in flour. The more protein in the flour, the more gluten-forming potential it has. Gluten, formed when water is added to the proteins glutenin and gliadin, gives baked goods their structure.

All-purpose flour is a versatile flour that can be used in almost any baking application. It has a moderate amount of protein, typically ranging from 9% to 12%. The specific percentage depends on the brand of flour. For example, King Arthur's Unbleached All-Purpose Flour has a protein content of 11.7%, while Gold Medal's Unbleached All-Purpose Flour has 10.5% protein.

Bread flour, on the other hand, has a higher protein content, typically ranging from 11% to 14%. Again, the specific percentage can vary depending on the brand. For instance, King Arthur's Unbleached Bread Flour has a protein content of 12.7%, while some high-gluten bread flours can have up to 14.2% protein.

The difference in protein content between all-purpose and bread flour may seem small, but it can significantly impact the texture and rise of baked goods. All-purpose flour is suitable for a wide range of baked goods, from cookies and cakes to breads and muffins. Bread flour, with its higher protein content, is ideal for chewy or dense baked goods like bagels, sourdoughs, and pizza dough.

When choosing a flour, it is important to consider the protein content and select a brand that adheres closely to a specific protein percentage. This will ensure more consistent results in your baking.

Uses

All-purpose flour is a versatile flour used for a wide range of cooking and baking applications. It is made from a blend of hard and soft wheat, giving it a medium protein content. This makes it suitable for a range of uses, from baked goods to thickening sauces.

Baking

All-purpose flour is suitable for most baking needs. It can be used to make bread, although it will result in a slightly wetter dough and a less chewy texture than bread flour. It is ideal for tender, multipurpose baked goods such as muffins, cakes, biscuits, pie crusts, and banana bread. It can also be used for cookies, pastries, and some bread recipes.

Thickening Sauces and Gravies

All-purpose flour can be used as a thickening agent in sauces, gravies, and stews. It is added to the sauce or gravy and cooked until the desired thickness is achieved.

Coating Meats and Vegetables

All-purpose flour can be used as a coating for meats and vegetables before cooking. This helps to create a crispy, golden brown crust when pan-searing or frying.

Pancakes and Waffles

All-purpose flour is also suitable for making pancakes and waffles. It provides structure and helps create a fluffy texture.

Pan-Searing Flour

Pan-searing flour is specifically designed for searing meats and is less suitable for baking. It typically contains a blend of wheat flour, corn flour, and rice flour, along with seasonings like salt, pepper, and garlic. This blend gives meats a crispy, golden brown crust when pan-seared.

Differences in Uses

The main difference between all-purpose flour and pan-searing flour is their protein content. All-purpose flour has a higher protein content, making it more suitable for baking and creating a denser, chewier texture. On the other hand, pan-searing flour has a lower protein content, resulting in a more tender and fluffy texture, perfect for coating meats.

Taste

All-purpose flour is a blend of strong and weak flours formulated to be suitable for a wide range of baked goods. It is made from a mix of hard and soft wheat and has a moderate protein content of around 9-12%. Its flavour can be described as moderate, neutral, and slightly nutty, which is typical of wheat flour. The flavour can also vary depending on the brand and type of wheat used, with unbleached flour having a slightly stronger flavour.

Pan-searing flour, on the other hand, is a blend of wheat flour, barley flour, ground white pepper, and sea salt. It has a fluffy consistency and a noticeable salt and pepper flavour. It is used for pan-searing meats, such as chicken, and can also be used for thickening sauces.

The main difference in taste between the two types of flour is that all-purpose flour has a more neutral flavour, while pan-searing flour has a more distinct salty and peppery taste. All-purpose flour is designed to complement a variety of other ingredients without dominating them, while pan-searing flour is meant to add flavour to the exterior of meats.

In terms of appearance, all-purpose flour has a fine, powdery texture, while pan-searing flour is described as fluffier and less likely to settle.

When it comes to baking, all-purpose flour is a versatile option that can be used for a wide range of recipes, from bread and pasta to cakes and cookies. It provides a well-balanced flavour profile and a tender, soft, and smooth texture to baked goods. On the other hand, pan-searing flour is not typically used for baking, but rather for coating meats before pan-searing or for thickening sauces.

Texture

All-purpose flour is a versatile flour that can be used for most baking and cooking needs. It is made from a mix of hard and soft wheat and has a moderate protein content, typically ranging from 9% to 12%. This gives it a medium strength and makes it suitable for a wide range of applications, from bread and biscuits to sauces and gravies.

On the other hand, pan-searing flour is specifically designed for searing meats. It typically contains a blend of wheat flour, corn flour, and rice flour, along with seasonings like salt, pepper, and garlic. The key difference between all-purpose flour and pan-searing flour lies in their protein content. All-purpose flour has a higher protein content, resulting in a denser and chewier texture when used in baking. In contrast, pan-searing flour has a lower protein content, yielding a more tender and fluffy texture, ideal for creating a crispy, golden brown crust on meats.

The texture of all-purpose flour can vary depending on whether it is bleached or unbleached. Bleached all-purpose flour undergoes a process where bleaching agents are used to speed up the flour's ageing process. This results in a softer texture, making it suitable for baked goods like cookies, pie crusts, muffins, and pancakes. Unbleached all-purpose flour, on the other hand, ages naturally and has a denser texture, making it a better choice for pastry, cakes, and sauces.

The texture of baked goods made with all-purpose flour will also depend on the type of wheat used. Hard wheat has a higher protein content, contributing to a chewier texture, while soft wheat contains more starch and less protein, resulting in a softer and fluffier texture.

Additionally, the texture of all-purpose flour can be influenced by the milling process. The ancient Egyptians used hand sieves to get a finer texture, and traditional mills were later used by the Ancient Greeks and Romans. Today, steel rollers are commonly used in industrial milling, resulting in finely-milled white flour.

Gluten content

Gluten is a family of proteins found in wheat, rye, and barley. It improves the texture, flavour, and moistness of many baked goods. The more gluten in a particular flour, the more structure or shape it gives to the resulting baked good. Gluten is formed from flour when water is added. That bag of all-purpose flour sitting on your counter contains two proteins necessary to form gluten: glutenin and gliadin. When water (or a liquid including water, like milk) is added to these two proteins, they link together, forming gluten.

All-purpose flour is formulated to have a medium gluten content of around 12% or so. This makes it a good middle-of-the-road flour that can be used for a whole range of baking, from crusty bread to cookies to fine cakes and pastries. Even though all-purpose flour is a good general flour, most professional bakers don't use it. Instead, they use either bread flour, cake flour, or pastry flour, depending on what they are baking.

Bread flour has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour, ranging from 12% to 14%. This makes this type of flour ideal for all kinds of bread recipes, including hearty sourdoughs, tender brioche, and lacy English muffins. As these doughs proof, the strength and elasticity provided by the high protein content allow the doughs to expand and trap carbon dioxide bubbles produced during fermentation.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), high gluten flour contains the highest amount of protein among wheat flours, at 12.5–14.5%. In comparison, all-purpose flour has a gluten content of 8.7–11.8%.

Cake flour, which is perfect for making cupcakes and sponge cakes, has a lower gluten content—around 7.5 to 9 percent. Its grains are visibly finer than bread flour, and it is much whiter in colour. Its fine, soft texture makes it preferable for tender cakes and pastries.

Pastry flour is slightly stronger than cake flour, at around 9 to 10 percent gluten. It can be used for biscuits, muffins, cookies, pie doughs, and softer yeast doughs. It has a slightly more off-white colour than cake flour.

High gluten flour is high in protein and is often used to retain moisture and provide shape to baked goods like artisan breads, pizza crusts, and pretzels.

Frequently asked questions