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.

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Barley Bread

1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
1 T mild honey
1 3/4 cups warm (105-115°F) water
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
1 cup barley flour
1 cup semolina flour
1 T nigella seeds (also called black onion seeds)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
3 T cornmeal

Stir together yeast, honey, and 1 cup warm water in a bowl, then let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)

While yeast mixture stands, stir together 2 cups all-purpose flour with barley and semolina flours, nigella seeds, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in flour mixture (still in bowl) and add yeast mixture, 3 tablespoons oil, and remaining 3/4 cup water, then stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, working in just enough of remaining 1/3 cup all-purpose flour to keep dough from sticking, until dough is smooth and elastic, 6 to 8 minutes.

Put pizza stone on lowest rack of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.

Divide dough into 3 equal pieces and form each into a ball. Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal and arrange balls of dough on it. Firmly flatten balls into 5-inch rounds (leave about 2 inches between each), then brush dough with remaining tablespoon oil. Cover rounds loosely with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and let stand to rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature, 1 hour.

Transfer loaves, 1 at a time, using floured peel or baking sheet, to pizza stone and bake until well browned and loaves sound hollow when tapped on bottoms, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

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Orange Gelato

4 eggs, separated
3-4 T sugar
2 cups whipped cream sweetened with a little powdered sugar
The juice of 2 organic oranges
The juice of 1 lemon
The grated zest of the organic orange
1 cup milk

Beat the yolks with the sugar until it's yellow and fluffy, then beat in the fruit juice. Bring the milk to a boil with the orange zest, let it cool, and add it to the yolks, passing it through a strainer. Heat the mixture over a double boiler, stirring it gently with a spoon, until it thickens, then let it cool- Do not let it boil, or it will curdle.

When the milk mixture has cooled, beat the whites to firm peaks, and fold them and the whipped cream into it. Pour the mixture into the ice cream machine and make the ice cream.

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Barley Bread with Sunflower Seeds

1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups bread flour
1 cup barley flour
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Place all ingredients except seeds in the bread machine according to the manufactures directions.

Press dough / fruit and nut cycle. At the beep add the seeds.

When cycle is complete remove dough to a floured surface punch down and shape to fit into an oiled loaf pan.

Rise for 45 minutes. Make a deep cut right across the top. Dust with flour.

Rest for 10 more minutes while oven preheats to 425 degrees. Bake 15 minutes then lower oven to 400 and bake 20 more minutes till you hear a hallow sound when tapped.

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The Dark Bread In The Breadbasket At The Cheesecake Factory

Is Maple Leaf frozen baguettes.

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Mushroom Beef Barley Soup

Ingredients:
1 small bunch of fresh dill
1 lb. boneless beef chuck, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 T olive oil
1 medium onion, cut in 1/2-inch dice
1 1/4 cups hulled barley
1 12-ounce bottle dark beer
3 quarts beef stock
3 carrots, cut in 3/4-inch dice
8 ounces button mushrooms, wiped clean, quartered
1 T fresh thyme, roughly chopped
2 parsnips, cut in 1/2-inch dice

Preparing the soup:
Place all but 7 sprigs of dill into a piece of cheese-cloth; tie with kitchen twine. Roughly chop the remaining sprigs; set both aside.

Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the beef, and cook until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Remove beef and any liquid, and set aside.

Add remaining olive oil to stockpot, and place over medium-high heat. Add onion, barley, salt and pepper to taste, and cool until onion is soft and barley is aromatic, about 8 minutes. Add beer, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits on the bottom of the pot; cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

Add stock, reserved beef, and dill bundle; partially cover; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the carrots, mushrooms, and thyme, and simmer about 15 minutes. Add the parsnips; simmer about 20 minutes. Stir in the reserved chopped dill, and adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper, if necessary. Remove dill bundle and serve hot.

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Montezuma Pie

Ingredients:
1/2 cup oil
18 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
green chile sauce
1 cup sour cream
tomatillo sauce
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

* * * * * *

Ingredients for the green chile sauce:
8 ounces whole green chilese
3 T oil
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt

* * * * * *

Ingredients for the tomatillo Ssauce:
2 cups fresh tomates verdes or 3 12-ounce cans tomatillos, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
2 T chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 T oil

Prepare the tortillas:
Heat 1/2 cup oil in an 8-inch skillet over moderate heat. Fry 1 tortilla at a time for 15-20 seconds on each side until limp but not crisp. Drain the tortillas between paper towels.

* * * * * *

Prepare the green chile sauce:
Wash the chiles, remove the seeds, and dry the chiles thoroughly. In an 8-10-inch skillet heat the 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Slice the chiles into thin strips and cook them in the oil along with the onion slices and 1/2 teaspoon salt until the onions are limp, approximately 6-8 minutes.

* * * * * *

Prepare the tomatillo sauce:
Blend the tomates verdes garlic, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, water, coriander, and chopped onion in a blender at medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Heat the 3 tablespoons oil over moderate heat in an 8-10-inch skillet and add the tomato mixture. Cook the mixture for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

* * * * * *

Assembling the Montezuma Pie:
Spread 6 tortillas on the bottom of a casserole 3 1/2- to 4-inches deep and 10-inches in diameter. Spread 1/3 of the chicken, 1/3 of the green chile sauce, 1/3 of the sour cream, 1/3 of the tomatillo sauce, and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat the layers 2 more times. Baked uncovered in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Serve the casserole with rice and beer.

Serves 6

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Challah in the Bread Machine

3/4 cup nonfat milk
2 large eggs
2 T honey
2 T canola oil
2 cups all-purpose bread flour
1-1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon active dry yeast

Add ingredients to bread machine in order specified by machine manufacturer. when cycle is done, remove and allow to cool 30 minutes before slicing.

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Cinnamon Raisin Bread

This has just a hint of cinnamon that you can smell when toasted. This is also good grilled with peanut butter, bananas, and honey. Dried cranberries can be substituted for the raisins.

For a large loaf:
1 1/4 cups water
2 T soft butter
2 1/2 T sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons regular dry yeast
1 cup raisins
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

For a medium loaf:
1 1/8 cups water
2 T soft butter
2 T sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups bread flour
1 3/4 teaspoons regular dry yeast
3/4 cup raisins
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Add to your bread maker according to instructions.

Add the cranberries and cinnamon at the proper time called for with your machine.

Use light crust setting.

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Macaroni & Four Cheeses

Ingredients:
8 T (1 stick) plus 1 T unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
5 cups milk
1/2 cup plus 1 T all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for water
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups grated sharp yellow cheddar cheese (from 8 ounces)
2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (from 8 ounces)
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (from 3 ounces)
20 scallions, white and pale-green parts, thinly sliced
5 ounces fresh goat cheese
4 cups elbow macaroni

Variation: Add 6 slices of bacon, cut into halves or thirds crosswise, to the water to boil the pasta and discard when the pasta is done.

Other variations:

broccoli - blanche florets from one bunch for 5 seconds; plunge into an ice bath; drain, stir into cheese sauce with pasta and bake.

cubed baked ham, shredded prosciutto, sauteed chorizo or other sausage

Preparing the macaroni and four cheeses:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter a 2-quart casserole. Set aside.

Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Gradually whisk in the flour, and cook for 2 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and smooth. Whisking constantly, gradually add the warm milk. Cook over medium-low heat 8 to 10 minutes, whisking occasionally. Remove the white sauce from the heat; add the salt, pepper and cayenne.

In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup each of the yellow and white cheddar cheeses and 1/4 cup Parmesan; set aside. Set aside 1 tablespoon scallions. Ad the remaining 1 3/4 cups of both cheddar cheeses and 3/4 cup parmesan to the warm white sauce. Stir well. Stir in the remaining scallions and the goat cheese into 1-inch pieces; fold gently to combine. Set the sauce aside.

Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole; top with the reserved scallions and cheeses. Bake until golden brown and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Serves 10 to 12

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