Flour Recipes - BBC Food

Maybe your like

Home
News
Sport
Weather
iPlayer
Sounds
Bitesize
CBeebies
CBBC
Food

Home
News
Sport
Business
Innovation
Culture
Travel
Earth
Video
Live

Close menu Food

Home
Recipes
- In Season
- Occasions
- Cuisines
- Ingredients
- Dishes
- Collections
Budget Recipes
Chefs
Stories
Diets
Programmes
Techniques
Your Favourites

Flour recipes

Flour is the finely milled meal of cereal grains. The term mostly used to refer to wheat flour. However, nuts such as chestnuts, root vegetables like potatoes, seeds such as buckwheat, and pulses such as chickpeas can also be made into flour. Wheat flour is a staple of European, North American, Middle Eastern, African and South Asian cuisines. It’s graded according to whether it is made from hard wheat, soft wheat, or a mixture of the two; and whether the grain’s bran and germ are removed or left in. It is normally used in dishes where raising agents are not required.

Wheat flour, and flours made from other grains such as rye and barley, contain gluten (a protein). Gluten gives dough its elasticity, leavening qualities and chewiness. Coeliacs, and those intolerant to gluten, should look for non-wheat, gluten-free flours.

FeaturedAll

Ricotta and nutmeg ravioli with sage butter sauce

by Hasan SemayMain course

Venison and chestnuts with winter vegetables

by Matt TebbuttMain course

Vegan seitan chicken

by Sophie WhitbreadMain course

Crispy fried seitan

by Sophie WhitbreadLight meals & snacks

Christmas beef with port and thyme sauce

by Mary BerryMain course

Pear treacle steamed pudding with toffee sauce

by Mary BerryDesserts

Plum and almond baked oat squares

by Sophie GastmanCakes and baking

2-ingredient bagels

by Helen UpshallCakes and baking

Leftovers croquettes

by Martyn OdellStarters & nibbles

The ultimate Christmas burger

by Anthony MurphyMain course

Blackberry, plum and apple crumble with toasted hazelnut custard

by Matt TebbuttDesserts

Apple crumble with cardamom custard

by The Marks FamilyDesserts

Apple and toffee crumble pie

by Tom KerridgeDesserts

Lamb hotpot with cauliflower cheese

by James MartinMain course

Steak and kidney pie with double peas

by Matt TebbuttMain course

Chicken schnitzel, kimchi, bacon and anchovy mayo sandwiches

by Matt TebbuttLight meals & snacks

Salmon en croûte

by Mary BerryMain course

Kadhai chicken

by Vivek SinghMain course

Cheesy curried swede and bean pie

by Anna ShepherdMain course

Yorkshire parkin

by James MartinCakes and baking

Moroccan-style lamb shanks with khobz bread

by Matt TebbuttMain course

Buttermilk chicken tortas

by Thomasina Miers and Daisy Terry Main course

Pappardelle with mixed mushroom ragù

by Gennaro ContaldoMain course

Busiate with pesto alla trapanese

by Finn Lagun and Roberta D'eliaMain courseSee all recipes using flour (346)

Buyer's guide

As the process of contemporary flour-making often affects its taste and nutritional quality, look for the stone-ground variety that’s ground in a revolving stone mill to ensure the best flavour. Organic flour is also popular. It is a legal requirement in the UK for packaging to state the flour’s nutritional content, so read the label to find out more. Heat-processed flour will keep longer than other flours.

Storage

Keep flour in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. The longer you store it unopened, the better quality bread you can make with it: the bread will rise more easily and will be softer, due to the natural chemical changes that occur during storage. However, once opened, the fatty acids in the grain’s germ will start to oxidise and become rancid. So, use opened packets of flour within one year.

Preparation

Flour can be combined with fat, liquid, eggs or yeast, and is used in to make breads, pasta, pastry, pancakes and dumplings. It is also used as a thickener in sauces and stews. Sift the flour before use to remove grit or lumps.

Other considerations

If you think you may suffer from a gluten allergy, such as coeliac disease, it's best to have yourself tested by a qualified medical professional, rather than self-diagnosing.

Flour contains a high degree of starches, which are complex carbohydrates. It is also likely to have 'flour improvers' added to enhance its keeping qualities. Vitamins, which are lost during the processing, are often added back in artificially to increase the flour's nutritional value. Additionally, plain, all-purpose or soft white flour is usually bleached to make it look more attractive.