Pastry Flour
A flour obtained from soft wheat. Either straight or clear flour grades may be used because color is not an essential requirement. It is used in white sauces and pastry.
Pastry flour contains 8.5% - 9.5% protein, which is low relative to
all purpose flour (10% - 12% protein) and
bread flour (12% - 13% protein). It is
used in delicate
cakes and pastries, pie crusts, cookies and muffins. Absorbs less liquid in recipes. It is from soft red winter or
soft white winter wheat for use in biscuits, pancakes, pie crust, cookies, muffins and brownies, pound and sheet cakes.Pastry flour is similar to, but not the same as,
cake flour. It is often used in pastry and other baking applications where a very tender finished product is desired, as low
protein flours will develop less gluten when worked.
Substitute for Pastry Flour:You can easily make pastry flour by mixing half cake flour and half all purpose flour in a recipe. It should not be directly substituted for or with
cake flour (lower protein, less gluten) or all purpose flour (higher protein, more gluten), as it will change the texture of your finished product.
Recipe using
Pastry Flour.
Read more about
Pastry flour, here and here.
