Flour vs Self-rising Flour
There are many kinds of flours available on the market. Each one has a different purpose. Using one for the other can result in unfinished, uncooked, or really hard, inedible end products. These may be replaced under certain conditions just by adding a little bit or omitting a few things. All flours have some protein content and some carbohydrate content. For crusty and chewy breads, more protein content is needed, and for softer, tender products like cookies and cakes, more carbohydrate content is required.
Flour
Flour is of many types:
All purpose flour has protein content which is average. It is very versatile and can be used for baking breads as well as cakes. It is called “all purpose flour” because it is considered to be a multitasker. It is best suited to baking pizza bases and different types of breads. People who are not professional bakers use flour to bake cakes also, which is slightly harder than cakes baked by cake flour. Flour may be stored for up to one whole year if it is stored in container that is airtight.
Bleached flour and cake flour- Cake and bleached flour are used for baking cakes, which need to be soft and tender. They have a low protein content and high carbohydrate content. The bleached flour is chlorinated. The reason behind this is to make the cake set faster and to distribute the fat evenly. The added chlorine makes the flour acidic. The cakes, which are made by this flour, rise well and set faster. The bleached flour looks white due to the chlorine added to it.
Self-rising Flour
The self-rising flour has a leavening agent also salt and baking powder added to it. The even presence of these ingredients gives the baked product a lift, which is very nice. Self-rising flour can be made at home by mixing a cup of flour, ½ teaspoon salts, and 1½ teaspoon baking powder. The most important thing about using self-rising flour for a recipe is that it should be used accurately. It is used for baking scones, muffins, and biscuits. It has lower protein content than flour.
Summary:
1.Flour is of many types depending upon the protein content and the carbohydrate content:
All purpose flour
Cake flour
Bleached flour
Self-rising flour
2.Self-rising flour is just a type of flour.
3.Self-rising flour has cookies and cakes while packaging. Flour does not have any leavening agents. It can be converted to self-rising flour at home by adding salt and baking powder.
4.Self-rising flour should be measured accurately while baking. Flour should also be measured, but a little difference does not harm the recipe.
5.Self-rising flour is used to bake scones, muffins, and biscuits; flour is used to bake cookies and cakes.
6.Self-rising flour has more protein content while flour has lower protein content.