What else can I bake with bread flour besides bread?

Bread flour is similar to all-purpose flour, with one significant difference: the protein content. Because of the type of wheat it’s milled from, bread flour has a higher protein percentage (King Arthur’s is 12.7%) than all-purpose (11.7%).

What exactly does protein content mean? When we’re talking about protein in flour, we’re talking about two very specific types of protein found in wheat: glutenin and gliadin. These two proteins are the building blocks of gluten. So basically, the higher the protein content in flour, the more gluten-forming potential that flour has. The more that gluten develops, the stronger the dough. In addition, flours with higher protein content will absorb more liquid than those with less protein. (Learn more here: Protein percentage in flour: Why it matters.) 

Of course, you may only think that bread flour is good for loaves of sandwich bread or crusty artisan bread, but there are plenty of other yeasted recipes you can make with it. Some favorites include crispy, buttery Conchas and ultra-soft Perfectly Pillowy Cinnamon Rolls (the bread flour absorbs more liquid, translating to a softer crumb) and these nostalgic Cinnamon-Sugar Pretzel Bites, which rely on bread flour for that classic pretzel chew.

But if you want to go beyond yeasted recipes? You can do that too.

Yes! Using bread flour results in chewier cookies, thanks to the higher protein content in the flour. It’s a tip many bakers turn to (fun fact: Alton Brown even named his signature bread flour chocolate chip cookie recipe “The Chewy") and shows up in a few of our cookie recipes, including:

• Buttery Snickerdoodles
• Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Supersized, Super-Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Make these recipes, or swap bread flour into your favorite cookie recipe for a slightly chewier texture.

One of our favorite bakers, Los Angeles pastry chef Nicole Rucker, uses bread flour in her bars and brownies. Her recent cookbook, Fat + Flour, calls for unbleached bread flour in her Dark Chocolate Brownies, as well as flavorful spin-offs like London Fog Brownies, White Chocolate, Vanilla, and Coconut Brownies, and more. The aim here is to achieve a chewy texture and give the rich bars more structure. If you prefer your bars with a little extra chew, try swapping all-purpose flour for bread flour in your favorite blondie or brownie recipe.

On the savory side, you can make Biang Biang Noodles, which get their bouncy texture from bread flour (which also makes it easier to hand stretch the noodles to impressive lengths). Bread flour is also the key to flexible Flour Tortillas with nice chew.

So, if you’ve got a half-full bag of bread flour and don’t want to bake another loaf, there are still plenty of things you can bake. Don’t let the name on the bag fool you — bread flour is way more versatile than you think.