Okay, so I’ve been baking a lot lately, and I kept seeing recipes calling for “low gluten flour.” I was like, what the heck is that? I’d always just used all-purpose, you know? So, I decided to figure it out.
First, I did some digging online. Basically, I learned that flour has protein in it, and that protein turns into gluten. More protein, more gluten. Gluten is what makes bread chewy, but for stuff like cakes and cookies, you want less gluten so they’re tender.
My Experiment Begins!
I went to the grocery store and looked for low gluten flour. Turns out, “cake flour” and “pastry flour” are both types of low gluten flour. I grabbed a bag of cake flour because, well, I wanted to make a cake!
- All-purpose flour usually has a protein content of around 10-12%.
- Cake flour, the one I bought, has a protein content of like 7-9%. That’s a pretty big difference!
I found a simple vanilla cake recipe and followed it exactly, except I used the cake flour instead of all-purpose. I mixed everything up – it felt a little different, maybe a bit softer than usual.
Then, I poured the batter into the pan and baked it. While it was in the oven, I kept checking on it. My expectation get higher.
Finally, I took it out, and wow! It looked so fluffy and light. I let it cool, then cut a slice. The texture was amazing – super tender and delicate, way different than cakes I’d made with all-purpose flour. It practically melted in my mouth!
So, that’s my low gluten flour adventure. I totally get it now! It makes a real difference, especially for things where you want a soft, tender crumb. I’m definitely going to keep using it for cakes and probably try it for cookies and muffins too!
