What to do with 3 kinds of flour?

First off, let me throw out the disclaimer that I am not much of baker. At ALL!

I have used A/P flour for everything I've ever cooked or baked. I think.

However, I want to try a recipe for the February Fast Food challenge that calls for "bread flour", so I got some. A 5 lb. bag.

And, awhile ago, I saw a recipe here that I was dying to make that called for "self-rising flour". I finally found some of that today, and all they had was a 5 lb. bag, but I got it anyway. 'Course, I can't remember the recipe I wanted to make or who posted it - I'm hoping I'll stumble across it again.

Okay, so, I have a small townhouse, with hardly any storage space, and 15 lbs of flour.

My question is, can I use the bread flour and the self-rising flour to do things like shake my chicken pieces in and make gravies and sauces? Can I use bread flour to bake cookies? Those are pretty much the only things I do with flour.

The only successful bread I've ever made was the NYTimes No-Knead bread.

Any other EASY ideas for the two new flours?

Lee

You could use them for dusting extra - but rather an expensive way.

The self rising flour could be used for batters or something like toad in the hole.

You could could make bread with the bread flour - I have a fairly easy bread recipe you could have. You also make something like cinnamon rolls. Hopefully JoeV will chime in.

I don't know much about bread flour. The only thing i use it for is making bread. Self-rising flour is another story. I use it for a lot of things. Basically, it is just AP flour with baking powder and salt added. It's great for making biscuits, breading chicken or country fried steak and making gravy. I've even used it for a one crust pie...the crust turns out thick and the texture is a little a different but it works in a pinch. You can use it for any baking recipe that calls for AP Flour, baking powder and salt.

QSis said:

First off, let me throw out the disclaimer that I am not much of baker. At ALL!

I have used A/P flour for everything I've ever cooked or baked. I think.

However, I want to try a recipe for the February Fast Food challenge that calls for "bread flour", so I got some. A 5 lb. bag.

And, awhile ago, I saw a recipe here that I was dying to make that called for "self-rising flour". I finally found some of that today, and all they had was a 5 lb. bag, but I got it anyway. 'Course, I can't remember the recipe I wanted to make or who posted it - I'm hoping I'll stumble across it again.

Okay, so, I have a small townhouse, with hardly any storage space, and 15 lbs of flour.

My question is, can I use the bread flour and the self-rising flour to do things like shake my chicken pieces in and make gravies and sauces? Can I use bread flour to bake cookies? Those are pretty much the only things I do with flour.

The only successful bread I've ever made was the NYTimes No-Knead bread.

Any other EASY ideas for the two new flours?

Lee

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MAMA'S cheese sticks!! for the self rising flour

Hi Lee - Happy Valentines Day.

The self rising flour is great for Mama's Cornbread recipe. I think also biscuits.

The bread flour can be used for dredging and cookies, etc. It has more of what makes bread rise, but, it is none the less flour.

Oh Yeah! Mama's cheese sticks as peep said.

I'm guessing y'all like the cheese stick biscuits

Love them would be a more appropriate description for me. LOL

Mama said:

I'm guessing y'all like the cheese stick biscuits

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LOL I haven't made them but they look damn good!! YUMMY

LOL! Thanks for all the replies, you guys!

I think Mama's cheesesticks may have been the recipe I was wanting to make! Great!

Lee

QSis said:

LOL! Thanks for all the replies, you guys!

I think Mama's cheesesticks may have been the recipe I was wanting to make! Great!

Lee

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I knew it!! ROTFL they look sinful!!

The only flour I've ever used other than All Purpose it semolina in pasta doughs. Don't think I've ever tried the other but then I don't bake much of anything other than pizza dough.

there's a whole raft of "flour classifications"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flour
Protein
5-8% Cake Flour
8-10% Pastry Flour
10-11.5% All-Purpose Flour
11-13% Bread Flour
14% and up High-Gluten Flour

the problem is there is no "legally binding" classification system - so what one brand calls AP may be technically similar to another brand's "bread flour"

generally the higher the protein content, the more gluten will develop - which is what bread bakers are after for containing the CO2 generated by yeast - generating the "rise" in breads and making for a tougher chewer bread. (Wonder Bread excepted . . . and stuff like soft hamburger rolls)

some brands put in additives specific to their intended purpose. for example King Arthur bread flour has a smattering of "diastatic malt powder" to help the yeast do its thing.

making a cake from a high protein flour might produce a cake that is more chewy than you'd like, for example.

"self rising flour" is AP with salt and baking powder added. it's a short cut to getting some dough rising - biscuits, etc.

you can spin your own self-rising, as needed:
U.S. customary:
* one cup flour
* 1 to 1½ teaspoon baking powder
* a pinch to ½ teaspoon salt
Metric:
* 100 g flour
* 3 g baking powder
* 1 g or less salt

past that there's the "special purpose" flour - like semolina.

I try to keep cake flour, AP, bread and semolina in stock at all times.
my primary use for the semolina is pizza dough - and it's a partial additive - i.e. "a strong flour" (aka high protein/gluten) plus about 1/3 semolina.

ChowderMan said:

you can spin your own self-rising, as needed:
U.S. customary:
* one cup flour
* 1 to 1½ teaspoon baking powder
* a pinch to ½ teaspoon salt

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Oh, sure, now you tell me, Chowder!

Well, I will just have to find recipes for it so I can use it up!

Thanks for the info!

Lee

>>I will just have to find recipes

biscuits, shortbreads and cobblers will take care of that in a heartbeat [g]

ChowderMan said:

>>I will just have to find recipes

biscuits, shortbreads and cobblers will take care of that in a heartbeat [g]

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ooooooooooooo peach and cherry cobbler!

You can certainly make your own self-rising flour by adding baking powder and salt but the already prepackaged self-rising flour, for some reason, makes a much better tasting biscuit.

I only use self rising flour for breading chicken, but it is really good for that purpose!

I can only find two kinds ,you want it .

As mentioned above the main difference between the 2 plain flours is the amount of gluten (protein) present and therefore the way it handles when baking. The bread or strong flour has a high gluten content and will form an elastic dough and is therefore no good for pastry, cookies or cakes as they will turn out tough and chewey.
The AP or general purpose flour is Ok for most things except bread.
The self raising flour is used whenever a recipe calls for the use of baking powder, although some recipes call for extra BP to be added eg. when making English scones where more "lift" is required or fruit has been added.

There is a fourth specialist bakers flour that is Soft or cake flour that has a very low gluten content and is therefore useful for pastry, cakes and cookies.

Hope this is of use.
David
PS have posted recipe for English Scones

I would try to do a pizza. Chances are that the self raising would make it a little softer.

The "softness" in pizza dough comes from the yeast and not from baking powder as found in self raising flour. You need to use a strong or bread flour for pizza so that the gluten (protein) can trap the gas to give lightness. The time allowed to raise(proove) will also determine the softness as will the thickness that the dough is rolled out to before the topping is added.

The idea is what to do with a lot of leftover flour. Not how to do the best pizza.
I believe that mixing any kind of flour and adding yeast you will get some kind of pizza, chances are that you'll get a surprice of crusty if the raising is not sufficient or fluffy, in any case the topping would make it acceptable.

As you suggest you could use any flour to make your base, but it may not hold together if you use a softer flour but be more "cakey' as in english scone.