Types of Dough

All-purpose flour is a combination of “hard” and “soft” flours and contains 10–12% gluten. Gluten is a protein that, when wet, creates an elastic system throughout the dough and it is what gives bread its chewy, springy nature.

Butter and egg-rich breads (such as brioche) can benefit from bread flour in the lower range, such as Gold Medal's Better for bread flour. It gives the dough a little extra support and rise without compromising its soft texture. High-gluten flour, which is bread flour with extra protein, is ideal for chewy breads like bagels.

Break the dough into 2 even balls. Lay out a baking sheet and dust well with extra buckwheat flour. Place a ball of dough onto the dusted baking sheet, and add more buckwheat flour to the top of the dough. Use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough out to about half a centimetre thickness. Repeat for second ball of dough.

Cake & pastry flour The low-protein content of this flour (sometimes also called soft flour) is what gives baked goods their fluffy and meltingly tender texture. Most bakeries will use either cake or pastry flour, but groceries stores usually only sell the combination of the two.

Make-ahead pâte à choux: The choux dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months before baking; thaw the dough overnight in the fridge before using. The shaped or piped pastries can also be frozen for up to 3 months and baked straight from the freezer.

Phyllo dough and puff pastry are both wonders of the frozen food world that help us create amazing pastries, tarts, and other baked goods at the drop of a hat

Blend together flour, salt, and half of butter cubes with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Blend in remaining butter cubes until pea-size lumps form. Drizzle evenly with 5 tablespoons ice water and stir gently with a fork until incorporated.

Cake and pastry flour have very low gluten contents (8–10%), making them “soft” flours, while bread flour has a high gluten content (12–14%), making it a “hard,” or “strong,” flour. All-purpose flour is a combination of “hard” and “soft” flours and contains 10–12% gluten.

Form dough into 2 pieces, one slightly larger than the other, and flatten into disks. Chill disks, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 hour. Dough may be made 1 day ahead and chilled or 2 weeks ahead and frozen, wrapped well.

Pastry flour is a relatively low-protein flour that has been specially formulated for use in things like scones and—as the name hints—pastries. So, while a lot of hardcore bakers will swear by the necessity of pastry flour, most home bakers will probably be just as happy with the results they get from all-purpose flour.

The dough is now ready to roll out and use in any recipe calling for puff pastry. Roll the dough out as thin as 1/4 inch to make pastries. Bake in a preheated oven of at least 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) to get the maximum puff from your pastry.

(Dough will be lumpy and streaky.) Roll out dough on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 15- by- 8-inch rectangle. Arrange dough with a short side nearest you, then fold dough into thirds like a letter: bottom third up and top third down over dough. Rewrap dough and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Mix 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, rye flour, and salt together in a bowl. Pour 1/2 cup water into a microwave-safe bowl; heat in microwave for 30 seconds. Stir brown sugar into water until dissolved; add yeast and stir.

Roll dough to a thin round approximately 13 inches in diameter, then trim to make a 12-inch circle (refrigerate and save trimmings for patching). Lay dough loosely into a 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom, letting it relax a bit. Fold overlap back inside to make a double thickness, then press firmly against the pan so the finished edge is slightly higher than the pan. Refrigerate or freeze for an hour before pre-baking.

Spelt flour is one of the most popular whole grain, non-wheat flours available. It shows up in pastas, breads and in a variety of specifically wheat-free recipes. But what exactly is spelt flour? Spelt is a cereal grain in the wheat family, but it is not the same thing as wheat (same genus, different species).

Pulse together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor. Add suet and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Drizzle evenly with milk and stir with a fork until incorporated. Knead until a slightly sticky dough is formed.