Flour Question...

[littleramblings]

At the risk of sounding completely clueless, I am confused about flours. 

What exactly is the difference between Plain Flour & Bakers Flour? And does it mater if one is substituted for the other?

I have never bought bakers flour, and pretty much ignored it's existance in a recipe, but now I am wondering if that is affecting how the recipe should turn out? I have just read in a recipe in the EDC that bakers flour shouldn't be used in cakes and batters etc, so now I am thinking there must be a difference.

Can someone please help, my head is hurting thinking about it...lol. 

[faffa_70]

There are a couple of thread that should help you

here, here and here   there could possibly be more but think all your answers will be in these 

[littleramblings]

Thanks faffa_70, I did do a search, but obviously not using the right terms 

Ok, undersand a little better now, it had been confusing me somewhat.

[faffa_70]

You are welcome, the searching can leave you unstuck when you first start out.

The biggest key hint is to make sure you go back to the home page to search, otherwise you will only search in the topic you are in ... in other words if I were to go to the search box now and search it would only search for my key words in the "Questions? Technical Issues? The Survival Guide" thread and not the whole forum. We have all come unstuck on this at some point in time (some of us ... not putting my hand up at all! ... still do!!  )

[andiesenji]

At the risk of sounding completely clueless, I am confused about flours. 

What exactly is the difference between Plain Flour & Bakers Flour? And does it mater if one is substituted for the other?

I have never bought bakers flour, and pretty much ignored it's existance in a recipe, but now I am wondering if that is affecting how the recipe should turn out? I have just read in a recipe in the EDC that bakers flour shouldn't be used in cakes and batters etc, so now I am thinking there must be a difference.

Can someone please help, my head is hurting thinking about it...lol. 

Baker's flour has more gluten and a higher percentage of protein so that doughs made from it will contain the gas produced by the yeasts that make it rise.

All purpose, plain or "regular" flour has a moderate amount of gluten and protein. 

Cake flour has very little (if any) gluten and is used when you want a very tender product that rises with the use of chemical leavening agents (baking powder or baking soda with an acid) or with the inclusion of egg whites etc.

You can use all purpose flour for cakes and tender pastries but you have to be careful not to overwork the dough and develop the gluten or you will have a tough product.