|
ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
When we think of flour, we often think of all-purpose flour. It gets its name from being a very versatile flour, good for everything from thickening stews to baking cakes.
Points to Remember
Ÿ Flour settles as it is shipped to your grocery store. To aerate the flour before using it, sift it or fluff it in the bag with a fork before scooping it into the measuring cup.
Ÿ To measure flour, spoon it into the appropriate measuring cup. Level off the top with the flat edge of a knife or spatula.
Ÿ There are two basic ways to use flour as a thickener. You can combine it with a fat before adding any liquid, such as cooking butter and flour together as a roux. You also can combine it with a cold liquid before adding it to a hot liquid, such as you would with cornstarch. In this use, flour needs more cooking time than cornstarch, about 5 minutes.
Storing
Store flour in an airtight container in a cool and dry place. Flour keeps about 6 to 8 months. If insects are a concern, freeze a new bag of flour for 48 hours before using it. To keep flour indefinitely, store it in the freezer in an airtight and moisture-proof container.
If you buy flour in bulk, store a small amount in an airtight container such as a zipper-top plastic bag or canister. That way you don't expose the bulk amount to air and moisture frequently.
Substitutions
For best results, use the flour called for in the recipe. If a recipe calls for flour, without specifying which type of flour, it's a safe bet that you can use all-purpose flour.
Whether you use bleached or unbleached flour is up to you, although in a few recipes where you want them to be as white as possible, such as in a white cake, you may want to use bleached flour.
When a recipe calls for cake flour, substituting all-purpose flour will result in a less delicate product. When a bread recipe calls for bread flour, substituting all-purpose flour may result in a slightly softer and flatter bread. The differences are slight, so feel free to use all-purpose flour unless perfection is important.
|
|
