Even though the US and the UK share a language and many cultural traditions, some things cannot be directly translated from one country to the other. Unexpectedly, one of those things is flour. Some of the British immigrants to the US have found that their favourite baking recipes don’t always work out as they’d hoped.
You’ve come to the correct place if you’ve been racking your brains to find out why your recipes don’t work in the US even though you’re using the identical ingredients you used in the UK. No matter which side of the Atlantic you are on, this article will clarify the variations between US and UK flour so you can resume enjoying your favourite baked delicacies.
Also Read:- What is All Purpose flour UK
Protein Level
When we think of flour, we don’t typically think of protein, but the fundamental distinction between US and UK flour is its protein level. Protein is important when discussing the variations between US and UK flour. American flour often contains more protein than British flour. The texture of your baked items can change even though the variation is normally only a few percent.
Gluten
Gluten is a group of organic proteins found in flour that provides baked goods their form and chewy texture as well as helping dough rise. Pastries, cookies, cakes, and bread are baked products that depend on gluten for important qualities. It is difficult to bake without gluten because of this.
Given how crucial gluten is to the shape and texture of baked goods, even a little change in the amount of gluten in flour can affect your favourite recipes. Utilizing flour with an adequate amount of gluten results in a light bread with good volume; slices don’t crumble apart.
A soft wheat flour with less protein than bread flour is cake flour. Low-gluten flours produce baked items with a soft, crumbly texture that are perfect for cakes.
What is all-purpose flour UK?
To create your baked products, you’ll need to purchase all-purpose flour, which is a different product in the US than it is in the UK. In the UK, plain flour (or all-purpose) is what is referred to as all-purpose flour in the US. Although the flours are different, the names are similar. Since different flours contain varying levels of protein, as we mentioned previously, this differentiation is crucial when baking.
What is plain flour in USA?
With 12% protein, all-purpose flour, which is frequently available in US shops, is comparable to strong flour in the UK. Your cakes won’t have the same texture as when you use plain flour from the UK if you buy all-purpose flour in the US expecting it to give the same texture as plain flour.
Recognize the Differences
Understanding the variations in flour between the US and the UK can significantly improve your baking. To make sure you buy the proper flour for the baked items you want to make, carefully study the ingredients while buying flour in the US.
According to your needs for baking, you should search for the following percentages:
- Cake: 5-8% protein
- Bread: 12-13%
- Bagels, Pizza: 14-15%
- All-purpose: 9-12%
- Self-rising: 9-11%
- Pastry: 8 to 9%
Final Words
If you are aware of the distinctions between American and international labelling, you can use American flour to produce your favourite baked items. The components on the packaging should always take precedence over the name of the flour while shopping in the United States. The outcomes of using all-purpose flour in the US and the UK are quite different.
Checking the amount of protein the flour contains is the simplest approach to get the flour you need for your baked items. What sort of flour you should buy will depend on what you’re preparing. You can prepare the baked goods you used to make at home now that you are aware of the variations between US and UK flour.
