Fall in love with your flour : The carb, protein fat balance
To decide which type is best for the kind of baking you do, it helps to understand that flour is made up of carbohydrates (or starch), proteins, and in the case of whole-wheat flour, a bit of fat. The amounts of these ingredients will greatly alter the properties of what you’re baking. Even adjustments from one flour brand to another, even if they are the same kind of flour, can effect your product.
Out of the three main compounds in flour, carbohydrates, proteins, and sometimes fat, protein matters most to the baker. The proteins in wheat are called gluten-forming proteins, and the quantity and quality of these proteins determines how a flour will perform in the kitchen. Higher quality flours, both wheat and white flours, generally perform the best though its best to find the perfect flour for your baking applications.
When picking a type of flour, a high percentage of protein means a harder (stronger) flour best suited to chewy, crusty breads and other yeast-risen products. Less protein means a softer flour, best for tender and chemically leavened baked goods, like pie crusts, cakes, cookies, and biscuits.
The success of baking lies in the ingredients, so its important to make an informed purchase when deciding on what you should have in your kitchen whether its at your home, in a restaurant or in bakery.