Types of Bread Based on the Types of Flour Used
Understanding the best uses of each type of flour will give you the most promising baking results.
Bread is a traditional staple food all around the world. Specific types of bread were developed according to the available grains of each region. Similar grains of different regions often vary in subtle ways creating unique bread. For example, rye is used in Jewish, Swedish and Russian rye bread. It may be light or dark depending on the region of origin and added ingredients.
One of the keys to the art of baking bread is using the proper flour in your recipe. Flour is not always interchangeable. Flour from particular varieties of grains produce specific results in your baking. Gluten and gluten free both impact the texture and behavior of flour in your baked goods.
We have attached a quick reference guide for you. This guide lists wheat and non-wheat varieties of grain, the type of flour each grain is processed into and the appropriate bread for each type of flour.
Wheat Flour Based Types of Bread
| Category | Subcategory | Types of bread |
|---|---|---|
| Hard winter red wheat | All-Purpose Flour | cookies, muffins, rolls and some breads |
| White Wheat Flour | cookies, muffins, rolls and some breads | |
| Self-Rising Flour | scratch biscuits, pancakes and cookies | |
| Whole Wheat Flour | breads, rolls and some pastries | |
| Hard spring red wheat | White Bread Flour | breads and rolls |
| High Gluten Flour | pizza, focaccia, mullet-grain breads and Kaiser rolls | |
| Soft winter red wheat | All-Purpose Flour | cookies, muffins, rolls and some breads |
| White Wheat Flour | cookies, muffins, rolls and some breads | |
| Self-Rising Flour | scratch biscuits, pancakes and cookies | |
| Hard winter white wheat | Whole Wheat Flour | breads, rolls and some pastries |
| High Gluten Flour | pizza, focaccia, mullet-grain breads and Kaiser rolls | |
| Semolina Flour | pasta | |
| Fine French Flour | French specialty breads | |
| Soft spring white wheat | Cake Flour | cakes |
| Pastry Flour | cookies and pastries | |
| Durum wheat | Semolina Flour | pasta |
| Kamut Flour | Kamut bread | |
| Spelt grain | Spelt Flour | Spelt flour bread |
| Rye | Rye Flour | Jewish rye, pumpernickel, Swedish rye, Russian rye |
Wheat varieties can be finely processed and mixed into flour made for particular baking applications. The protein content, texture and type of wheat determines the type of flour and its uses. Whole-wheat flour is dense, high in protein and best used in bread. Cake flour, on the other hand, is very fine, low in protein, high in starch and used in light fluffy cake mixes. Semolina flour is ground endosperm of durum wheat and makes great tasting pasta. Self-rising flour has added salt and baking powder for convenience and is perfect for biscuits and pancakes. Having difficulty making tender pie crusts? A simple change to pastry flour may be the answer.
Non-Wheat Flour Based Types of Bread
| Category | Subcategory | Types of Bread |
|---|---|---|
| Amaranth | Amaranth Flour | muffins, pancakes, and waffles. |
| Buckwheat | Buckwheat Flour | pancakes |
| Dried maize | Cornmeal | Cornbread |
| Millet | Millet Flour | breads in Europe and Russia |
| Oat | Oat flour | Multi-grain breads |
| Rolled Oats | Multi-grain breads | |
| Oat Bran | Oat bran bread | |
| Quinoa | Quinoa flour | Quinoa bread |
| Rice | White/Brown Rice Flour | Rice flour bread |
| Ground Rice | Rice flour bread | |
| Teff | Teff flour | Teff bread |
| Chestnut | Chestnut flour | Yeast bread |
| Chickpea | Chickpea flour | Chickpea flour bread |
| Potato | Potato flour | baking breads, muffins, pie crusts |
| Soybean seeds | Soy Flour | Mixed-grain breads |
Non-wheat flour varieties have distinct flavors and textures. They are delicious additions to wheat flour in many bread recipes or may be used to create something simple, such as corn tortillas.
Non-wheat flour is also used to create gluten free baked goods and pasta. Non-wheat flour is missing the gluten that gives bread the doughy consistency. Without the gluten, it requires help trapping gasses by adding ingredients such as xanthan gum. Gluten free recipes may appear more like cake batter than dough. They may be crumbly like cookies rather than stretchy due to the lack of gluten.
Understanding the best uses of each type of flour will give you the most promising baking results. Use our quick reference guide to help you create the most delicious breads and baked goods.
