How to Use Bread Flour: 3 Bread Flour Substitutes

Bread flour is a high-protein flour made from hard spring wheat. The flour is primarily used for bread baking due to its high-protein content, which gives structure and elasticity to yeasted bread. (Bread flour typically contains 10 to 13 percent protein compared to all-purpose flour, which has nine to 11 percent.) Protein content in flour is informed both by the type of wheat grain used and whether the flour has been enriched. The amount of protein in the flour determines how much gluten can develop in the flour when kneaded and baked. During the kneading process, two key proteins within the flour, gliadin and glutenin, combine to form gluten strands. Kneading warms up those strands, which allows the proteins to expand during fermentation and encourages the molecules to bond, making for a more elastic dough with better structure.

Bread flour is the best flour to use for baking bread because its high-protein content produces copious amounts of gluten that gives the loaf its signature chewy texture. You can use bread flour to make:

• Loaves of bread: Bread flour is great for making rustic loaves like levain, baguettes, dinner rolls, artisan breads, and crackly loaves of sourdough.
• Bagels and pretzels: The high-protein flour is essential for building the strong gluten network that creates the chewy texture associated with pretzels and bagels.
• Pizza dough: Swapping bread flour for the AP flour in pizza dough recipes creates crust with a light, springy texture. Learn how to make homemade pizza dough using one of our 12 recipe ideas.

There are a couple of key differences between bread flour and all-purpose flour (AP flour). Bread flour is made from hard wheat, while AP flour is a processed white flour containing only the wheat grain’s endosperm. Bread flour has a protein content range of 10 to 13 percent, ideal for bagels and chewy sourdough breads with crackling crusts. AP flour has a slightly lower protein content of nine to 11 percent.

The most compatible substitute for bread flour is all-purpose flour because it has a similar protein content. Conversely, specialty flours like self-rising flour, pastry flour, or cake flour don’t contain enough protein to produce the right structure and elasticity for yeasted bread recipes. The following flour alternatives are the best substitute for bread flour in a pinch:

1. 1. Spelt: Also known as dinkel or hulled wheat, spelt is an ancient grain that’s been around since 5,000 BCE. Nuttier and more complex in flavor than standard whole wheat flour, spelt is a great addition to all-purpose flour. While spelt has a high-protein content, it has different ratios of gliadin and glutenin than the standard hard wheat used to make bread flour, which results in a weaker elasticity. Spelt gluten is generally more fragile, so it’s usually recommended to only swap up to 50 percent of a recipe.
2. 2. 00: 00 flour, a fine flour graded on an Italian milling system and intended for pizza crust and pasta making will also work as a substitute for bread flour. It has a softer texture than bread flour but packs a 12.5 percent protein level and corresponding gluten content that gives perfect pizza dough and silky noodles an ideal amount of stretch and snap.
3. 3. Whole wheat: When choosing whole-grain substitutes for bread baking, it’s important to note that the types of flour you select will determine your loaf’s overall density and texture. Using whole wheat flour to make a yeast bread may require slightly more liquid and a longer resting period than the recipe calls for when using white flour to accommodate its absorbency.

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