Originally published March, 2015. Updated April, 2026 to include heritage grains, ancient grains, and practical baking guidance.
Wheat flours are the main ingredient in most bread products. Wheat is rich in gluten, a protein that gives dough its elasticity and strength.
When you mix flour and water, two proteins in the flour, glutenin and gliadin, combine and form gluten. Kneading develops that gluten into an elastic network, which is what allows dough to stretch without tearing and hold its shape as it rises. When yeast (or a sourdough starter) produces carbon dioxide gas, the gluten network traps those bubbles, giving the bread its structure and crumb. The stronger and more developed the gluten, the more gas the dough can hold, and the higher and airier the loaf.
Protein content is the number that matters most when choosing a flour for bread. Higher protein means more gluten potential, which means more structure and chew. Lower protein produces a more tender, delicate crumb. Understanding where a flour falls on that spectrum will help you choose the right one for the bread you want to bake.
How Protein Content Affects Your Bread
Here is a simple way to think about it:
- 8–10% protein: Soft, tender crumb. Better suited to cakes, biscuits, and pastries than to bread.
- 10-12% protein: The everyday bread range. Good structure, moderate chew, forgiving to work with.
- 12-14% protein: Strong gluten development. Better for whole grain loaves, high-hydration doughs, and breads that need extra structure.
- 14%+ protein: Maximum strength. Used for bagels, pizza, Kaiser rolls, and multigrain loaves that need to support heavy additions.
Most bread recipes are written with a specific protein range in mind. Swapping a lower-protein flour into a recipe that calls for bread flour, or vice versa, will change the texture of the finished loaf, sometimes dramatically.
A Note on Wheat Classes
Most wheat flours in the United States are milled from one of six wheat classes, each with different protein levels, growing regions, and baking strengths.
Hard red winter wheat is the most widely grown, accounting for about 40% of U.S. production. It is the backbone of most all-purpose and bread flours. Hard red spring wheat, grown primarily in the northern plains and Canada, is one of the highest-protein wheats available and the foundation of many premium bread and high gluten flours.
Soft red winter wheat, grown mainly in the eastern states, is low in protein and better suited to pastry and all-purpose blends than to bread.
Hard white wheat is a newer class, sweeter and lighter in color than red wheat, with a protein profile similar to hard red winter. It is the grain behind white whole wheat flour. Soft white wheat, grown in the Pacific Northwest and a few eastern states, is also low in protein and used primarily for cakes and pastries.
Durum wheat, the hardest of all classes, is grown mainly in North Dakota and is the source of semolina and durum flour.
Understanding which class a flour comes from helps explain why it behaves the way it does in bread dough. The entries below describe each flour in practical baking terms, with that foundation in mind.
Everyday Bread Flours
These are the staples of the bread baker’s pantry.
All-Purpose Flour
All-purpose flour was developed for the home baker. It is a blend of hard red winter wheat and soft winter wheat, milled to a protein level of roughly 10-12%. It is available bleached or unbleached. For bread baking, unbleached is the better choice, as bleaching can weaken the gluten structure and introduces unnecessary chemicals into the process. It is usually malted and enriched.
It is versatile enough for rolls, sandwich loaves, and simple sourdoughs, and it is usually the easiest flour to find. That said, it sits at the lower end of the protein range for bread, so loaves made entirely with all-purpose flour tend to have a softer, slightly less chewy crumb than those made with bread flour.
Baker’s tip: All-purpose is a good starting point for new bread bakers. If your loaves are spreading rather than rising, try replacing a portion with bread flour to add structure.
Try this beginner sourdough recipe made with all-purpose flour.
White Bread Flour
Bread flour has a higher protein content than all-purpose, typically 10.5-12%, and is milled from a greater percentage of hard red winter or hard red spring wheat. It can be bleached or unbleached, and is usually malted and enriched.
The higher protein level gives dough more strength and elasticity, which supports better rise and a chewier, more open crumb. It is the most commonly recommended flour for yeasted and sourdough sandwich loaves, pizza dough, and most artisan-style breads.
Baker’s tip: If you are new to sourdough, starting with bread flour gives you more margin for error. The stronger gluten network is more forgiving during bulk fermentation and shaping.
Try this Classic Sourdough Bread, which can be made with bread flour, all-purpose flour, all-purpose spelt, or white KAMUT.
Fine French Bread Flour (Type 55)
This unbleached, very finely milled flour is the standard for baguettes and other traditional French breads. It has a lower protein content than American bread flour, which is precisely the point. The slightly weaker gluten produces the open, irregular crumb and thin, crackly crust that define a good baguette.
It can be difficult to find in the United States, but a small amount added to a bread flour-based recipe can help approximate the texture of French specialty breads.
Baker’s tip: If you cannot find Type 55 flour, try substituting a small percentage of your bread flour with all-purpose. It will soften the crumb slightly and bring you closer to that classic French texture.
High Gluten Flour
High gluten flour has the strongest gluten of any standard wheat flour, with a protein content of 12-13%. It comes from hard winter or spring wheat and is used for doughs that need exceptional strength and elasticity: bagels, Kaiser rolls, focaccia, and multigrain breads loaded with seeds or grains.
Baker’s tip: High gluten flour can make dough feel very stiff and resistant. If you are working it by hand, give it longer rest periods to allow the gluten to relax between folds.
Whole Grain Flours
These flours include more of the wheat berry, bran, germ, or both, which adds nutrition, flavor, and complexity to the crumb.
Whole Wheat Flour
Whole wheat flour is milled from the entire wheat berry: bran, germ, and endosperm. It retains the nutrients that are stripped away during white flour milling, and it has a robust, earthy flavor. Protein levels typically run 11.5-14%, but the bran particles in whole wheat flour actually cut gluten strands as the dough develops, which can make the final loaf denser than a white flour loaf with a similar protein content.
Most whole wheat flours are made from hard red wheat, though hard white wheat is gaining popularity for its lighter color and naturally sweeter flavor. Whole wheat flour contains the wheat germ, which is high in fat and can go rancid. Store it in the refrigerator or freezer and use it within a few months of milling.
Baker’s tip: A good starting point is substituting 25-30% of your white flour with whole wheat. This adds flavor and nutrition without significantly changing the texture of the loaf. As you get comfortable, you can increase the percentage gradually.
You might enjoy this Whole Wheat Tartine Bread made with 85% whole wheat milled from Hard Red Winter Wheat
White Wheat Flour
White wheat flour is milled from hard white wheat, a strain with a lighter bran and a naturally milder, slightly sweet flavor. It has all the nutritional benefits of whole wheat flour without the strong, sometimes bitter taste that puts some bakers off.
It can be used as a direct substitute for all-purpose flour in many recipes, making it a good option for bakers who want to add nutrition without changing the flavor profile of their bread significantly.
Baker’s tip: White wheat flour is a gentle way to introduce whole grain baking to people who are used to white bread. Use it in a 50/50 blend with bread flour for a loaf that is nutritious but still light in flavor and texture.
Try this Sourdough Chocolate Sweet Roll Bread made with 50% white whole wheat flour.
Brown Bread Flour
Brown bread flour falls between whole wheat and white bread flour. It contains about 80-90% of the wheat kernel, with some of the bran removed. The result is a flour that produces a loaf with more flavor and a denser texture than white bread, but a lighter finish than whole wheat.
Baker’s tip: Brown bread flour is a useful middle ground when you want a heartier loaf without the full density of whole wheat. It works well in sandwich loaves where you want some whole grain character but still need good rise.
Granary Flour
Granary flour is a blend of whole wheat, white, and rye flours, mixed with malted wheat grains. The malted grains give it a distinctive flavor, slightly sweet and slightly nutty, and add texture to the crumb. It is a specialty flour more commonly found in the UK, but worth seeking out for its character.
Baker’s tip: Granary flour makes a beautiful everyday loaf with a lot of personality. Because the malted grains absorb water slowly, let the dough rest for 20-30 minutes after mixing before you begin kneading.
Ancient Grains
Ancient grains have been cultivated for thousands of years with little or no hybridization. Many sourdough bakers are drawn to them for their complex flavors, their nutritional profiles, and their digestibility compared to modern wheat. They tend to have weaker gluten than modern bread wheat, so they benefit from the slow fermentation of sourdough, which helps develop structure and improves the way the gluten behaves. Notable ancient grains include einkorn, emmer, spelt, Kamut, and semolina, each with its own character and baking behavior.
Working with ancient grains takes some practice. Most bakers blend them with a stronger modern flour, bread flour or high gluten flour, especially when starting out. As you get comfortable with how a particular grain behaves, you can increase the percentage.
Einkorn Flour
Einkorn is the oldest known cultivated wheat, with a lineage that has remained largely unchanged for more than 10,000 years. It has a rich, buttery, almost honeyed flavor and a beautiful golden color from its high carotenoid content. It is also higher in protein, minerals, and certain antioxidants than modern wheat.
Einkorn’s gluten is structurally different from modern wheat gluten. It lacks one of the proteins found in common wheat, which makes it less elastic and more extensible. Dough made with einkorn is soft and sticky, does not develop the same kind of strong gluten network, and rises more slowly. It rewards patience and a light hand.
Baker’s tip: Einkorn absorbs liquid differently than modern wheat. Start with less water than your recipe calls for and adjust from there. Because the gluten is weak, sourdough’s slow fermentation is actually an asset here. It helps develop structure the dough cannot build through kneading alone.
Try this Sweet Potato Einkorn Sourdough Stout Bread made with all-purpose einkorn flour.
Spelt Flour
Spelt is one of the oldest cultivated grains, with origins dating back to around 5000 BC. It has a mild, slightly nutty flavor and is often described as more complex than modern wheat without being assertive. Spelt does contain gluten, but the gluten is more fragile and extensible than modern wheat gluten. It can overproof or over-knead more quickly.
Many people who are sensitive to modern wheat find they tolerate spelt more easily, though it is not safe for those with celiac disease.
Baker’s tip: Spelt dough can go from perfectly developed to slack and sticky quickly. Handle it gently, reduce your kneading time, and watch your fermentation closely. A 30-50% spelt blend with bread flour is a good place to start.
Try this Whole Grain Sourdough Spelt Oatmeal Bread made with 100% whole grain spelt flour.
Kamut Flour (Khorasan Wheat)
Kamut is the trademarked name for Khorasan wheat, another ancient relative of durum. The grains are nearly twice the size of modern wheat kernels, and the flour is sweet, buttery, and rich. It has a higher protein content than common wheat, roughly 20-40% more, along with higher levels of lipids, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.
Like einkorn and spelt, Kamut’s gluten is more fragile than modern wheat gluten. It produces a dense, moist crumb with a distinctive flavor that many bakers find immediately appealing.
Baker’s tip: Kamut makes a wonderful addition to sourdough at 20-40% of the total flour. It adds sweetness and depth without overwhelming the loaf. Because of its fragile gluten, avoid overworking the dough.
You might enjoy these Kamut Pretzel Croissants made with 100% all-purpose KAMUT flour.
Emmer Flour
Emmer is one of the first wheats ever domesticated, predating even spelt. It has a rich, nutty flavor with a slightly earthy depth, and it is higher in protein and fiber than modern wheat. Like other ancient grains, emmer has a more fragile gluten structure, which means it produces a denser crumb than a loaf made entirely with bread flour. At lower percentages, though, it contributes flavor and character without dramatically changing the texture.
A 25% emmer blend produces a loaf with good rise, a tight and moist crumb, and a more complex flavor than an all-white loaf. It is a good introduction to ancient grain baking for bakers who are not yet ready to commit to a high-percentage ancient grain loaf.
Baker’s tip: Start with 20-25% emmer blended with bread flour. The dough will feel slightly softer than an all-bread-flour dough, so handle it with care during shaping. Sourdough’s slow fermentation suits emmer well.
Try this Dutch Oven Emmer Loaf made with 25% emmer flour.
Heritage Grains
Heritage wheats occupy a different category from ancient grains. They are varieties of common wheat, the same species as modern bread wheat, but they predate industrial plant breeding and have been largely replaced by higher-yield commercial cultivars over the past century. Many were once regional staples, grown in specific climates and prized for their flavor. They fell out of favor as agriculture shifted toward consistency and yield, but they are making a quiet comeback among artisan bakers, small mills, and farmers interested in flavor and diversity.
Heritage wheats generally have lower gluten strength than modern bread wheat, but they are more forgiving than ancient grains like einkorn. They respond well to sourdough fermentation, which draws out their flavor and compensates for the weaker gluten. Sprouted heritage wheat flours, where the grain is allowed to germinate before milling, are also gaining popularity, as sprouting increases digestibility and adds a mild sweetness.
Notable varieties include Red Fife, Clark’s Cream, White Sonora, and Turkey Red, among others. Availability depends largely on where you live and what small mills are operating in your region.
Red Fife
Red Fife is a Canadian heritage wheat with roots going back to the mid-1800s. It was once the dominant wheat grown across the Canadian prairies before being displaced by higher-yield modern varieties. It has a rich, complex flavor, often described as nutty and slightly sweet, and a warm reddish-brown color that carries through to the baked crumb.
Red Fife’s gluten is weaker than modern bread wheat but more manageable than einkorn, and it performs well at substantial percentages in a blended loaf. A rustic hand-milled style Red Fife bread flour can carry a high-hydration sourdough with an open, well-developed crumb when paired with a strong whole wheat. Sprouted Red Fife flour also handles beautifully in a blended loaf, as much as 60% of the total flour without losing structure, as long as the remaining flour provides enough gluten strength.
Baker’s tip: Red Fife rewards a slow sourdough build. An autolyse before mixing helps develop the dough gently without overworking the gluten. If you are used to working with whole red wheat, Red Fife will feel familiar. It pairs well with additions like toasted nuts, malted grains, or rye. If using sprouted Red Fife, start with slightly less water than your recipe calls for, as sprouted flours absorb liquid differently.
Try this Rustic Pain de Pecan made with 60% red fife flour.
Clark’s Cream
Clark’s Cream is a soft white heritage wheat with a mild, creamy flavor and a lighter crumb color than red wheat varieties. It is less widely known than Red Fife but worth seeking out. At 60% of the total flour, it produces a loaf with good rise, an open and even crumb, and a crust with real substance.
Baker’s tip: Clark’s Cream is a good heritage wheat for bakers who want to explore this category without the challenge of very fragile gluten. Blend it with unbleached bread flour for structure and work up the percentage as you get comfortable with how it handles.
Try this Approachable Loaf made with 60-80% whole wheat flour milled from Clark’s Cream wheat.
White Sonora
White Sonora is one of the oldest surviving wheat varieties in North America, with origins in the Sonoran desert region of the American Southwest and Mexico. It is a soft white wheat with a mild, slightly sweet flavor, gentle enough that it can be easy to underestimate how much you have added. At 17% of the total flour in an enriched sourdough, it contributes flavor and a light whole grain character without noticeably affecting the crumb’s softness or the loaf’s rise. That same quality makes it easy to push the percentage higher. Around 30% is a comfortable sweet spot for adding more whole grain presence while keeping the crumb tender.
Because White Sonora is a soft wheat, it has lower gluten strength than hard wheat varieties. It works best blended with a stronger bread flour, where it adds flavor without compromising structure.
Baker’s tip: White Sonora is approachable enough to use in enriched doughs, breads with eggs, butter, or oil, where its mild flavor complements the other ingredients rather than competing with them. If you find yourself wishing you had added more after the first bake, that is a good sign. Try stepping up to 30% on the next loaf.
Try this Greek Country Village Bread made with a portion white whole wheat flour milled from White Sonora wheat.
Durum Wheat and Semolina
Durum wheat is the hardest of all wheat varieties and the grain behind two distinct flour products: semolina and durum flour. It descended from emmer, one of the earliest domesticated grains, but durum itself is a modern cultivated species developed through centuries of selective breeding. It thrives in hot, dry climates and is grown widely in the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, and the North American plains.
Durum has a high protein content and a naturally golden color from its carotenoid pigments. It is not typically used on its own for bread the way modern bread wheat is, but it contributes flavor, color, and a satisfying chew when blended with other flours.
Semolina Flour
Semolina is coarsely ground from the endosperm of durum wheat, before it is fully milled down to a fine flour. It ranges in color from cream to deep golden yellow and has a slightly gritty texture. While it is traditionally used for pasta, it also makes excellent bread on its own or blended with other flours. It gives the crumb a pleasant, faintly sweet flavor and carries that golden color all the way through the loaf.
Baker’s tip: Try replacing 20-30% of your bread flour with semolina in a sourdough loaf for added color, subtle sweetness, and a satisfying chew. If you want to go further, semolina can carry a sandwich loaf beautifully on its own. Dust your proofing basket with semolina instead of rice flour for a beautiful crust pattern.
Try this Semolina Sandwich Loaf made with a 100% semolina flour.
Durum Flour
Durum flour is milled more finely than semolina from the same grain. It has a smoother texture and performs more like a conventional bread flour in the dough, while still contributing the sweetness and golden color characteristic of durum wheat. It is sometimes labeled extra fancy durum flour and can be easier to work with than semolina in higher-hydration doughs.
Baker’s tip: Durum flour is a good choice if you want the flavor and color of durum without the grittier texture semolina can add to the crumb. Use it at 20-40% of the total flour in a sourdough loaf.
Flour Boosters & Specialty Blends
Vital Wheat Gluten
Vital wheat gluten is not a flour in the traditional sense. It is the pure gluten protein extracted from wheat flour by washing away the starch, then dried and ground into a fine powder.
It is used in small amounts to strengthen flours that are naturally low in gluten, such as rye, or to boost the protein content of all-purpose flour when bread flour is not available.
Baker’s tip: A common substitution is to add 1 teaspoon of vital wheat gluten per cup of all-purpose flour to approximate bread flour. It is also useful in whole grain loaves where the bran is weakening the gluten structure.
Rye Flour
Rye has a strong, earthy flavor and contains very little gluten-forming protein. What it does contain is a different type of protein that does not behave like wheat gluten. Rye dough is dense, sticky, and does not develop the same kind of elastic network as wheat dough. Instead, rye relies heavily on the starches and a fiber called pentosan to create structure.
Rye comes in several grades: light, medium, dark, and pumpernickel (the coarsest). The darker the flour, the more bran it contains and the stronger the flavor. Rye ferments quickly and loves sourdough. The acidity of a sourdough culture actually improves the structure of rye bread and rounds out its flavor beautifully.
Baker’s tip: Even a small amount of rye, 10-20% of the total flour, adds tremendous flavor to a sourdough loaf without making the dough difficult to handle. If you are baking a high-rye loaf (above 50%), expect a dense, moist crumb and a longer bake time.
You might enjoy these Five Grain Sourdough Rye Baguettes
Quick Reference:
Wheat Flours for Bread Baking
| Flour | Protein % | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| All-Purpose | 10-12% | Everyday loaves, soft rolls, beginner sourdough |
| White Bread Flour | 10.5-12% | Most yeasted and sourdough breads, pizza dough |
| Fine French Bread (T55) | ~11% | Baguettes, French-style specialty breads |
| High Gluten | 12-13% | Bagels, Kaiser rolls, multigrain loaves |
| Whole Wheat | 11.5-14% | Hearty loaves, whole grain sourdough |
| White Wheat | 13-14% | Whole grain loaves with mild flavor |
| Brown Bread | ~12% | Everyday sandwich loaves, medium-density breads |
| Granary | varies | Textured, malted everyday loaves |
| Einkorn | 14-18% | Ancient grain sourdough, specialty loaves |
| Spelt | 10-15% | Ancient grain sourdough, blended loaves |
| Kamut (Khorasan) | 12-18% | Blended sourdough, sweet and rich loaves |
| Emmer | 12-14% | Blended sourdough, hearty loaves with complex flavor |
| Red Fife | 12-14% | Heritage grain sourdough, granary-style loaves |
| Clark’s Cream | 10-12% | Heritage grain blended loaves, sandwich loaves |
| White Sonora | 8-10% | Enriched sourdough, blended whole grain loaves |
| Durum Flour | 12-13% | Blended sourdough, golden crumb loaves |
| Semolina | 12-13% | Blended sourdough, sandwich loaves |
| Rye (light/medium/ dark) | 8-13% | Sourdough rye, blended dark loaves |
| Vital Wheat Gluten | ~75% | Flour booster, added in small amounts |