How many types of flour do you always want to have on hand?

[Winterybella]

I desperately wanted to bake yesterday, but because I was mostly in to box cakes I never kept a lot of flour. I had on hand some whole wheat flour but wanted to do something I felt everyone would thoroughly enjoy. I was thinking about something like a simple pound cake, sponge cake or any other nice fluffy cake.

When I went to pick up some flour from the mini mart, all that was available was some all purpose flour. Somehow I am thinking that's not the best flour for what I want.. Seems like that is better suited for tougher cakes, not the lighter cake I was planning. Going forward, what do you think I should always have on hand?

 

[confettine]

When I lived in Canada, I had three or four kinds on hand: 1) Bread flour 2) Cake/Pastry Flour 3) Whole Wheat and sometimes 4) All purpose. Since I moved to Europe, the flours have numbers and I just don't get it. XD I think what I have now is all-purpose (405 I think) and some flour special for making Asian dumplings. Actually, two kinds of flour for dumplings -- one for baos and one for Chinese raviolis.

Should buy some whole wheat, when I figure out how to find it.

 

[DancingLady]

I keep several on hand. Both brown and white rice flours are my staples. I try to stick with brown rice because it is a whole grain, but sometimes need the white rice for lighter texture and flavor. I also have coconut flour and garbanzo bean flour. Quinoa flakes are also part of my baking ingredients, but obviously they are not a four, more of an oat substitute.

 

[confettine]

I keep several on hand. Both brown and white rice flours are my staples. I try to stick with brown rice because it is a whole grain, but sometimes need the white rice for lighter texture and flavor. I also have coconut flour and garbanzo bean flour. Quinoa flakes are also part of my baking ingredients, but obviously they are not a four, more of an oat substitute.

Interesting! I only ever use wheat flour. Is it because of gluten intolerance or just for different tastes? Do you need to adapt the recipes when you use different kinds?

 

[PattyCakes]

In the UK, our flours are known by different names, but I don't think there's any real difference otherwise - somebody correct me if I'm wrong here!

In my larder I keep a stock of the following flours:

Plain flour (known as all purpose flour in the UK) I use this for pastry, pancakes, some cookies, and scones and fruit cakes.
Self raising flour (I think the US refers to this as cake flour) I use this for all of my sponge cakes, and you can also buy finest self raising flour here for extra light sponges.
Strong and extra strong white flour - for bread
Strong wholemeal - for bread
Canadian strong white - for bread. Canadian flour is even stronger (higher protein content) than wheat grown in the UK, and is therefore very reliable, and gives a very good result to your bread.
I also keep spelt, malt grain, rye, and buckwheat flours (some sprouted) for my bread making.
Coconut and almond flours - for making Paleo versions of things. And I'm also looking for cashew flour that member monkeyboots suggested on another thread.
Smoked flour - I haven't used this yet but it's for breadmaking.
Gram flour - made from chickpeas, used for making onion bhajis
Italian 007 flour - for making pasta, and I also use it for making scones and shortbread as it's amazingly light.

 

[ACSAPA]

I just keep all purpose flour and cake flour on hand. If the need for any other flour comes up, I go out and buy it. All purpose flour seems to work for most recipes.

 

[Tina Nord]

I also just keep a bag of all purpose flour around. This is the flour type that I use for 90% of everything I make and it works just fine. If I need a special flour, I just go out and get it when I need it. I do not want to have something in the pantry that is going to go bad.