What is mixing flour?
Dough mixing is a process in which flour and water are mixed until gluten is developed, a result of the enhanced interaction between dispersed and hydrated gluten-forming proteins.
What does flour add to a recipe?
The main function of flour in baking is to build structure. When the proteins found in wheat flour are hydrated, they interact with each other forming what is known as gluten. As dough or batter containing wheat flour is worked, an elastic network is developed.
What are the basic flour mixtures?
The simplest flour mixture is one made from flour and water. Other ingredients that may be added include milk, fat, eggs, sugar, salt, flavoring, and leavening agents. Yeast bread: Bread made with yeast, which produces carbon dioxide gas through the process of fermentation, causing the bread to rise.
Can I use self rising flour in a recipe that calls for all-purpose flour?
To substitute self-rising for all-purpose flour, look for recipes that use baking powder: about ½ teaspoon per cup of flour, minimum. Self-rising flour will work just fine in recipes using about 1/2 teaspoon (and up to 1 teaspoon*) baking powder per cup of flour.
Is yeast needed with self rising flour?
Like all-purpose flour, self-rising flour is made from wheat, although it’s a wheat that is low in protein. It also contains salt and baking powder that has been distributed evenly throughout the flour and acts as a leavening agent. This raising agent helps dough to rise without having to add yeast.
Can self rising flour be used to make bread?
Self-rising flour can be used to make a type of bread called a “quick bread” but it cannot be used as a substitute for yeast in a traditional yeast bread. Yeast needs time, fermentation, to feed and make the dough rise, while baking powder begins working as soon as it is hydrated.
Can I use self rising flour instead of all-purpose for cookies?
While it won’t work as a substitute in all baked goods, you can use self-rising flour to make cookies, as long as you understand the necessary adjustments. Unlike all-purpose flour, self-rising flour contains more than just the wheat. It also has salt and baking powder, which makes it similar to baking mixes.