Plain flour意思

"Plain flour" is a term used in the United Kingdom, Australia, and some other Commonwealth countries to refer to what is known as "all-purpose flour" in the United States. It is a type of flour that is suitable for a variety of baking and cooking purposes, as it has a medium protein content that makes it versatile for different recipes.

Plain flour is typically used in baking cakes, pastries, and biscuits, as well as for making sauces, gravies, and batters. It is not suitable for bread making, as it does not contain enough gluten to produce the necessary structure for bread. For this reason, bread flour, which has a higher protein content and therefore more gluten, is used for making bread.

In the United States, all-purpose flour is a blend of hard wheat and soft wheat flours, which gives it a protein content of around 10-12%. This makes it suitable for a wide range of baking needs, from cakes and cookies to breads and pastries.

It's important to note that the term "plain flour" can be confusing for those unfamiliar with British English, as it does not indicate whether the flour is bleached or unbleached, or whether it has been enriched with vitamins and minerals. In the United States, all-purpose flour is usually enriched and may be bleached or unbleached, depending on the brand.

If you are baking a recipe that calls for plain flour and you only have all-purpose flour, you can usually substitute one for the other without any issues. However, if you are using a recipe from the UK or Australia and you are in the US, you may need to adjust the amount of flour you use, as American all-purpose flour can be slightly different in terms of protein content and how it performs in baking.