All About Flour

Thanks to Barry Farm for this tutorial:

All-purpose flour: A blend of hard and soft wheat flours. Designed for general baking use. Depending on the source, this flour can vary in proportions of hard to soft wheat. In the South, where more quick breads, cakes and biscuits are usually baked, this flour contains a higher proportion of soft wheat flour. In the North, where more breads are baked, a higher proportion of hard wheat flour is incorporated in this flour.

Amaranth flour: From Amaranth grain, considered to be gluten-free it has a sweet taste.

Barley flour: Made by removing the outer coat and pearled to make flour. It has a pleasant, malty after-taste.

Bean flours: Baked goods made with bean flours have a desirable texture, are moist, have higher levels of protein and fiber.

Black Bean Flour: Gluten free used for bean dips, fillings in Mexican dishes and other foods.

White Bean Flour: A variety of flour most often used in gluten free baking in combinations with other beans. This flour is an excellent mild flour to use with breads, cookies, muffins and other baked goods.

Fava Bean Flour: Made from ground Fava beans, this light colored flour is often used in combination with Garbanzo flour in gluten free baking.

Garbanzo Bean Flour: A variety of flour that is most often used in East Indian and Gluten-free cooking. Garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas, are processed into a flour that is very similar to millet providing a rich sweet flavor to baked foods.

Garfava flour: This flour is a blend of chick-pea flour and fava bean flour and can be used like chick-pea flour.

Bread flour: Made by milling hard wheat and has a higher protein percentage than all purpose flour and a lower starch percentage than soft wheat flours. Best for bread making, dinner rolls, etc.

Buckwheat flour: Considered gluten-free. Musty, robust flavor.

Cake flour: Milled from soft wheat. It contains the lowest percentage of protein and gluten.

Cassava Flour: Ground from the cassava root, this flour is creamy-white with a slightly fermented flavor and sour taste. Gluten free, it is used to replace wheat flour, and is so-used by some people with allergies to other grain crops.

Corn flour: Finely ground corn. Gluten-free and bland slightly sweet flavor.

Graham flour: Ground from the whole hard wheat. Tends to be a coarser grind than other whole wheat flours.

Gluten flour: A special flour originally designed for diabetics. It is very high in gluten, and has a large percentage of the starch removed. High in protein. Tangy, earthy flavor.

Kamut® flour: Kamut® is an ancient type of wheat related to the durum variety used in modern bread making. Compared to common wheat, Kamut® is richer in protein, minerals, vitamins, and unsaturated fatty acids, but contains a little less dietary fiber. Kamut® flour has a mild, somewhat sweet taste. It can be substituted for wheat in any recipe.

Millet flour: Ground from the millet seeds. It is gluten-free and has a buttery, slightly sweet taste.

Nut flours: Made by grinding nuts, these flours are excellent in desserts. High in protein and low in carbohydrates. For long storage, keep in freezer or refrigerator.

Almond Flour: Almond flour is simply ground blanched almonds. It is used as a thickener, a replacement for wheat flour, and a base for cakes and puddings. It is still an essential ingredient in Viennese confections.

Cashew Flour: Mad from ground raw cashews this flour can be added to your favorite cookies or cakes for a surprising taste treat.

Chestnut flour: This tan flour is made from American chestnuts, the meaty, low fat nuts that are often served as a vegetable. The flour is a little sweet and is traditionally used in Italian holiday desserts.

Pistachio flour: Ground from pistachio nut, great for desserts, as well as other baking.

Oat flour: Sweet and nutty flavor this flour is made by dehulling oats and grinding the remain groats. It has a high oil content.

Pastry flour: Made from soft wheat, it has a high starch, low gluten content. Generally used for pies, pastry, cakes, biscuits. Produces a softer texture.

Pea Flour: Gluten free, this flour can be used to thicken soups or to make a hearty pea soup. Also use as natural colorant in baking, noodle making and other foods.

Plantain Flour: Dried and ground plantains produce a gluten-free flour, which can be used in breads, cakes, cookies and rolls.
Potato flour: Made from dehydrated potatoes. This is a white velvety flour, sweetly pungent. Gluten-free.

Pumpernickel flour: A dark rye flour make by grinding whole rye grain somewhat coarser than for rye flour. Used especially in pumpernickel bread and Boston brown bread.

Quinoa flour: Higher in fat than wheat flour, quinoa flour makes baked goods moister. Often used in gluten free baking.

Rice flour: Ground from the whole grain. Sweet in flavor. Gluten-free. Brown rice flour is made from whole grain; white rice flour from debranned rice. Sweet rice flour is made from sweet rice, more starchy.

Rye flour: Made from milling rye berries. Has a tangy, slightly sour flavor.

Semolina (Pasta) Flour: A granular flour, light yellow in color, is produced from durum wheat. It is used almost exclusively for making pasta. It is high in protein and gluten, which are necessary components for pasta making. Semolina is occasionally used for gnocchi, various breads, and a variety of other baked goods.

Sorghum flour: Another gluten-free flour. Ground from sorghum berries is imparts a sweet flavor.

Soy flour: Slightly bitter flavor, manufactured by milling soybeans. The full fat flour contains all the natural oil of the bean.

Spelt flour: Ground from spelt, it has a mild nutty flavor and is high in protein but low in gluten. It is sometimes substituted for wheat flour in making bread for the gluten and wheat intolerant. However, many Celiac patients find they may also be intolerant of this flour. Available in whole spelt flour and white spelt flour.

Sweet Potato Flour: A gluten free flour that is produced from white sweet potatoes. Dull white in color, sweet potato flour is stiff in texture and somewhat sweet tasting. High in fiber, this flour contains more carbohydrates but less protein than common flour. It can be used for baked goods, such as breads, cookies, muffins, pancakes, doughnuts, sauces, and gravies, or as a thickener.

Tapioca flour: Milled from the dried starch of the cassava root, this flour thickens when heated with water and is often used to give body to puddings, fruit pie fillings, and soups. It can also be used in baking.

T’eff flour: From T’eff grain, this is an ancient Ethiopian flour. Used to make unleavened bread, soups and other African foods, t’eff is available in both the natural brown and in ivory varieties.

Triticale flour: A grain developed by crossing rye and wheat. It has the tangy flavor of rye. Excellent flour for breads.

Unbleached flour: A variety of wheat flour where the bran and germ is removed. Not bleached as “white” flour is, it still lacks many of the nutrients in whole grain flours. Can be used in all recipes for wheat flour.

Whole Wheat Flour: Ground from the whole grain, this flour tends to be heavier than traditional "white" flour. It contains all the nutrients of the whole grain. Hard wheat flours tend to have more gluten and are better suited to baking breads and dinner rolls. Soft wheat flours have less gluten and are great for pastries and cakes.