A lot of people like baking cookies as a treat on the weekends. If you regularly bake, you could be thinking about creating them another time soon. There are many cookie recipes available for you to try. Almost all of them will require you to utilize regular flour in order for the recipe to work out properly.
What happens if you don’t have to get any plain flour? What if bread flour is all you have on hand in the kitchen? Can bread flour be used for cookies? To find out if you can use bread flour to make cookies with decent results, continue reading.
This will enable you to decide if it is something you should use while making cookies or whether you should stay far away from it.
Is it possible to make cookies with bread flour?
Yes, you may use bread flour to make cookies if you have specific preferences for how your cookies should come out. Cookies will come out differently when made with bread flour instead of regular all-purpose flour.
When you bake cookies with bread flour, they will come out of the oven looking incredibly wonderful. They come out somewhat chewy and, if baked to perfection, will be slightly crunchy.
Why Do the Cookies Become So Chewy?
Due to the bread flour’s chemical composition, the cookies come out so chewy when prepared with it. Bread flour has the highest protein content of all the varieties of flour you may use to make items.
According to reports, bread flour includes between 12% and 14% protein, which will increase the overall protein content of the cookies. Along with the eggs and butter in the dish, this protein level will help create a strong gluten network.
If you truly enjoy chewy chocolate chip cookies, this can be a fantastic option. However, if you dislike chewy cookies, you should avoid using bread flour while making cookies.
Some people will find the flavor of bread flour cookies to be highly pleasant, while others may find it less so. They will resemble cookies prepared with all-purpose flour in general, but they will be chewier and puffier.
Can You Replace All-Purpose Flour With Bread Flour Cup to Cup?
Following the instructions carefully is essential when switching from all-purpose bread flour to bread flour. You might be concerned that using less of it to bake your cookies would be necessary because bread flour differs from all-purpose flour.
This is absolutely incorrect, and bread flour can be used in place of all-purpose flour, cup to cup. Just be aware that the cookies will not turn out the same way they would have if you had used all-purpose flour.
It is recommended to use the same quantity of bread flour as you would have all-purpose flour. Simply use the bread flour you have on hand in your kitchen and stick to the instructions as written.
The only thing to keep in mind is that compared to all-purpose flour, bread flour often results in somewhat dryer baked items. This is a result of the flour’s high protein level, but if you want to make up for it, you may add a little water.
It shouldn’t be essential while baking cookies because there are so many other aspects that may provide moisture. As previously mentioned, the bread flour collaborates with components like butter and eggs to form the substantial gluten network that gives the cookies a chewy texture.
What Alternative Flours Could You Use?
Of course, there are more types of flour than bread flour and all-purpose flour. You might be able to utilize another sort of flour that you have standing around in your kitchen as an alternative to all-purpose flour.
If the thought of creating really chewy cookies doesn’t appeal to you, you could like how some other types of flour might turn out. To learn more about substitutes for all-purpose flour that you may use in cookies, continue reading.
Whole Wheat Flour
Bread flour is probably going to be a far better all-purpose flour alternative than whole wheat flour. It might be suggested to combine whole wheat flour with all-purpose flour if you do choose to use it for your cookies. If you are having trouble getting enough all-purpose flour for your cookie recipe, you might be able to solve the problem by using half whole wheat flour.
When baking cookies, whole wheat flour simply causes the cookies to come out dry. Even if you significantly increase the moisture content, the result will probably still be considered too thick.
It is recommended to look for a specific recipe that requires whole wheat flour if all you have is whole wheat flour. That way, you may have fun with it and things can work out better.
Cake Flour
Cakes are the best used for cake flour due to its shallow protein level. Making changes to the recipe is necessary if you want to test using cake flour in place of all-purpose flour in your cookies.
Use one cup and two tablespoons of cake flour for every cup of all-purpose flour that a recipe requires for. This should enable you to achieve outcomes that are similar to what all-purpose flour can do.
Spelt Flour
Spelt flour is a type of flour that comes very close to replicating all-purpose flour in specific ways. It will function almost the same as all-purpose flour while making cookies because it has a similar protein level.
All-purpose flour and spelt flour may be swapped out from cup to cup without any problems. The batter’s potential for drying out is the main issue to watch out for.
When using spelt flour, the batter occasionally seems to be a little drier than usual. You might need to add a little bit more moisture than normal in this case.
Everything should turn out okay using the proper ingredients, such as butter and eggs. Overall, applying spelt flour instead of bread flour might be a better option if you have it.
You may always grab more all-purpose flour
Of course, you may just go shopping if you don’t like the concept of using all-purpose flour in place of it in your recipe. As a result of being widely available in all grocery shops and the majority of department stores that carry groceries, all-purpose flour is not often a difficult ingredient to find.
Using all-purpose flour is your best choice if you just want to make sure that your recipe turns out exactly the way you remember it stepping out. All-purpose flour can be nicely approximated by other types of flour, but there’s nothing wrong with just sticking with what you’re used to.
Conclusion
Yes, bread flour can be used for cookies, but it will yield a different outcome compared to using all-purpose flour. Bread flour contains a higher protein content, which results in a chewier and denser texture. If you prefer your cookies to be crispier on the outside and chewy on the inside, using bread flour can be a great option.
However, if you prefer softer and more delicate cookies, it is recommended to stick with all-purpose flour. The choice ultimately depends on your personal preference and the desired texture of your cookies. Experimenting with different types of flour can lead to unique and delicious results in your baking endeavors.