Can I substitute bread flour with all purpose for hot water crusts?

Can I substitute bread flour with all purpose for hot water crusts? - From above of crop anonymous chef pulling out fresh crispy bread from oven

Many recipe for a hot water crust I have seen calls for something like 15%-20% of the flour to be bread flour? Is going AP flour fine, or do I need to do more/something else to make the substitute?



Best Answer

The hot water method is all about making gluten (flour strength) ineffective, so using bread flour has very doubtful merit. A recipe insisting on its use might have other problems (baking too hot or too long, having too high or too uneven thickness (use a rolling pin, period), or using too little fat) that it tries to compensate by using strong flour. Note that fat content is essential - medieval style hot water crusts that used little or no fat were intended as a food preserving shell, not as an edible part of the dish.




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Can I substitute bread flour with all purpose for hot water crusts? - Cooking bread in form for cooking in oven
Can I substitute bread flour with all purpose for hot water crusts? - Dough and Flour Near Lemons and Rolling Pin
Can I substitute bread flour with all purpose for hot water crusts? - Person Holding a Tray With Different Shapes of Brown Cookies



Quick Answer about "Can I substitute bread flour with all purpose for hot water crusts?"

Flour: Using a mixture of bread flour and all-purpose flour gives extra strength. You can use 100% all-purpose flour if you're not using this crust for free-form pies.

Can you replace bread flour with all-purpose?

You can use all-purpose flour in place of bread flour, but all-purpose's lower protein content means it may yield a slightly wetter dough or batter.

What can I use to substitute bread flour?

If your recipe calls for bread flour but all you have is all-purpose flour, don't worry. You can substitute all-purpose flour for bread flour one-to-one, though your loaf of yeast bread might have a less chewy texture and likely won't rise as much as a loaf made with high-gluten flour.

How do I convert all-purpose flour to bread flour?

Essentially, this product is the same protein you find in bread flour but isolated. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of vital wheat gluten per cup of all-purpose flour to re-create the texture of standard bread flour. You can evenly swap all-purpose flour for bread flour recipes, but, the texture of your bread may be less chewy.



All Purpose Flour vs Bread Flour for Pandesal Recipe




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Images: Elle Hughes, Elle Hughes, Daria Shevtsova, Nicole Michalou