Bread flour is a commonly used ingredient for lifting the yeasted bread and adding structure to the bread. However, it’s not always the first choice for making cookies, but it’s been a question peeking from behind the doors (or the oven door, if we may say?). All in all, if you’ve been wondering, “can I make cookies with bread flour?” we have the important details to tell!
Can I Make Flour Cookies With Bread Flour?
Using Bread Flour For Making Cookies – Is It Suggested?
The quick answer is yes, you can use bread flour for making cookies, but it can change the texture and appearance of the cookies. That being said, if you use bread flour rather than all-purpose flour for making cookies, they will turn out differently, so be ready for that change.
To illustrate, the cookies made with bread flour look actually better than the cookies made with all-purpose flour. For the most part, the cookies will have a chewy texture with a bit of crispiness when they are baked properly. According to culinary experts, the chocolate chip cookies made with bread flour turn out the best, and you will be able to enjoy the chewiness.
Why Does Bread Flour Lead To Chewy Texture?
It’s an established fact that bread flour creates the chewy texture in cookies, but what’s the science behind that? The chewy texture is the result of the different compositions of the bread flour. To illustrate, the bread flour is likely to have the highest protein content, resulting in chewiness. According to the research, the bread flour tends to have 12% to 14% protein which also increases the volume of cookies. In addition, the higher protein content works best with the butter and eggs to create the gluten network, hence a different texture.
If you like your chocolate chip cookies extra chewy, using bread flour is actually an amazing choice. On the other hand, if you only want the crispiness in your cookies, you need to stay away from bread flour and find some other alternative if you don’t have all-purpose flour). As far as the flavor is concerned, some people like the bread flour flavor, while some will do anything to be away from it.
Substituting Bread Flour With All-Purpose Flour
When it comes down to substituting bread flour with all-purpose flour, it’s quite possible, but we have already mentioned the changes in flavor and texture. If you decide to go ahead with the substitution, remember that you cannot use the 1:1 ratio because the composition is extremely different. To illustrate, it’s better to use lesser bread flour in place of all-purpose flour. Some people do opt for a 1:1 substitution ratio, but it can result in dry cookies. However, it can be fixed by adding more butter.
The Bottom Line
It’s possible to use bread flour for making cookies in place of all-purpose flour. but you need to remember the change in texture, appearance, and flavor (the changes aren’t bad, but they are different). Also, if you don’t like using bread flour, you can opt for spelt flour, whole wheat flour, pastry flour, and cake flour. So, which flour will you use?