Bread Flour vs. All-Purpose Flour for Biscuits: Which One Reigns Supreme?

Ever found yourself mid-biscuit-making only to realize you’re out of your go-to flour? Or perhaps you’ve stumbled upon a recipe that calls for bread flour instead of the all-purpose flour you’ve always used. It begs the question: Does the type of flour really make a difference in your biscuits? After years of baking biscuits with all-purpose flour, I decided to test the waters and see if bread flour could elevate my biscuit game. Here’s what I discovered

 

I’ve been making buttermilk biscuits all my life using all-purpose flour, but I came across a recipe that called for using bread flour for biscuits. Had I been doing it wrong for all these years? I decided to do a test to see if it made a difference.

Understanding the Basics: All-Purpose vs. Bread Flour

All-Purpose Flour: The Versatile Staple

All-purpose flour, as the name suggests, is a jack-of-all-trades in the kitchen. With a protein content ranging from 9% to 12%, it’s suitable for a variety of baked goods, including cookies, muffins, and, of course, biscuits.

While many Southern bakers swear by White Lily Self-Rising Flour for biscuits, I prefer to have control over the leavening agents in my recipes. White Lily’s all-purpose flour, made from soft red winter wheat, has a lower protein content, resulting in tender, fluffy biscuits. However, it’s bleached, which isn’t my preference. My go-to is King Arthur’s Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, boasting a protein content of 11.7%.

Bread Flour: The Strong Contender

Bread flour contains a higher protein content, typically between 12% and 15%. This higher protein level contributes to more gluten development, providing the strength and chewiness desired in yeast breads, pizza doughs, and bagels.

While bread flour can be used in biscuit recipes, it’s helpful to understand how it affects the final product.

The Protein Factor: Why It Matters

Protein content in flour directly influences gluten formation. More protein equals more gluten, leading to a chewier texture. For biscuits, a delicate balance is crucial. Too much gluten can result in tough biscuits, while too little can cause them to fall apart.

The Biscuit Test: All-Purpose vs. Bread Flour

For my test, I used my standard scrumptious buttermilk biscuit recipe. It produces beautifully tall, flaky soft biscuits every time. I made them in the same oven and cooked them for the same time, the only difference was the type of flour.

I have to say I was very surprised by the results. Both biscuits would make any Southerner proud, they were tall with beautiful soft layers.

However, the biscuits made with bread flour were actually taller than those made with all-purpose flour.

My taste testers tried to see if they could tell any other difference in the biscuits other than the height and we could not. They tasted exactly the same, and had the same texture.

My conclusion is that if I want biscuits to hold a filling like pimento cheese or ham, then I would use bread flour. It’s a little taller and could be a little sturdier if making a sandwich.

Or if I’m out of all-purpose flour, I’ll use bread flour. Otherwise, I’ll stick to the work horse in my pantry, King Arthur’s Unbleached All-Purpose Flour. The cost is the same, and I’m more likely to be out of bread flour than all-purpose flour.

What do you really need to make the best biscuits

• You need cold butter
• Buttermilk – it activates the baking soda so you don’t have flat biscuits
• Try to handle the dough as little as possible
• Cut and stack the dough a few times before rolling it out to give more layers
• If you want the tallest biggest possible, use bread flour but all-purpose will still give you beautiful tall biscuits.