It is said that All Porpose Flour is just Plain Flour but why do some Bread Recipes ask for All Porpose Flour instead of Bread flour. surly bread flour would make a better loaf then just plain flour

Just because it is “All-Purpose” doesn’t mean it is somehow too plain, or an inferior product.  A good quality Unbleached All-Purpose flour has less gluten than Bread flour, so breads are more tender.  Also, the gluten that is developed is more extensible (stretchy), so that the holes in the bread are bigger and the rise, higher.

Bread flour has a higher protein content, and breads made with it develop more gluten, smaller holes, and a more chewy crumb.  Bread flour also requires more liquid than AP, so the two are not always easily substituted without making adjustments.  If you prefer chewier, denser breads, consider using bread flour, it’s largely a matter of preference.

Julie thank you for replying to me . In uk we can’t buy Flour call all Purpose Flour. it is either Bread Flour,or Organic Bread Flour, Plain Flour , s/r Flour .You can buy some specialist Flours through some of the MILLS like French, Italian ,Spelt etc. When you buy some of the great American Bread Books when they talk about All Purpose Flour it can be confusing   WEEJJY

I didn’t realize you were in the UK.  Perhaps some of our UK members will chime in as to the best flour to use as a substitute for American unbleached AP flour?

Basically, in the U.S., unbleached AP flour is normally about 10.5 - 11.5% protein, while bread flour is 12%-13% protein.

Hi,
I’m an American living in the UK and have no problem using plain flour in my bread recipes that call for unbleached all purpose flour. It is my understanding that all flour in the UK (and the EU) is unbleached, so plain flour in the UK is the same as unbleached all purpose flour in the US.

Bread flour is the same in the US and UK, as far as I know.

HTH
Jen

Hi, I am also an american living in the UK. I’m not an authority on this, but my understanding is that UK Plain Flour has less protein than US All Purpose flour, because the type of wheat tends to be ‘softer’. Plain flour makes good cakes (but can’t be used 1:1 as US cake flour), and is closer to southern US flours in protein make up. You can get two grades of bread flour from some of the UK stores, Strong and Extra Strong, from Allisons, for example. I’ve just made a so-called white ‘cob’ using plain flour, and it worked fine. I tend to use Strong Flour more than Extra Strong, because I think it is closer to US all purpose flour in bread making, but use Plain Flour for general stuff. I tend to make UK cakes with plain flour, and my precious hoard of US cake flour when I bake Rose’s cake recipes. One day I will experiment more with macdougall’s OO for cakes.