Baking
Substitute for Bread Flour
Out of bread flour? All-purpose works cup for cup with a little less water; add 1 tsp vital wheat gluten per cup for chewy bagels, pizza and crusty loaves.
- vegetarian
- vegan
Quick answer
Out of bread flour? The most versatile swaps:
- 1
All-purpose flour
1:1, holding back 1–2 tbsp of the water
- 2
All-purpose flour + vital wheat gluten
1 cup all-purpose + 1 tsp vital wheat gluten
- 3
Whole wheat + all-purpose (half and half)
½ cup whole wheat + ½ cup all-purpose per cup
Bread flour exists to build gluten. NDSU Extension puts its protein at 12 to 14 percent; King Arthur’s is 12.7%, against 11.7% for its all-purpose. More protein gives a dough that stretches thin around gas bubbles without tearing, which shows up as height, an open crumb and chew. Replacing it means either accepting a softer loaf or adding protein back.
Yeast breads
For soft breads, all-purpose flour is enough. King Arthur’s side-by-side bakes found milk bread made with all-purpose nearly identical, though it crumbled rather than slicing cleanly. Lower-protein flour soaks up less water, so start with a tablespoon or two less liquid per cup and add it back only if needed.
For crusty, open loaves, add vital wheat gluten. Bob’s Red Mill lists 23 g of protein in a 30 g serving, so one teaspoon (about 2.5 g) brings a cup of all-purpose to roughly 13% protein, inside bread flour’s range.
Whole wheat adds protein but also bran, which slices through gluten strands. Use it for no more than half the flour and give the dough a rest before kneading so the bran softens.
Pizza and bagels
Chew matters most here. Use all-purpose plus gluten, or high-gluten flour if you have it (King Arthur’s is 14.2% protein). Plain all-purpose makes a softer, more bready crust that tears when stretched thin; rest the dough balls longer so the gluten relaxes.
When not to substitute
Bagels, hand-stretched Neapolitan-style pizza and high-hydration sourdough rely on strong gluten, and plain all-purpose often gives a flat, sticky dough. Use the gluten-boosted mix or wait. Never swap in cake or pastry flour: Exploratorium lists them at 7.5 to 9 percent protein, far too weak to hold a rise.
Common mistakes
- Keeping the full water with all-purpose. The dough turns sticky and slack, and the loaf spreads instead of rising.
- Sprinkling gluten onto wet dough. It clumps into rubbery bits; always whisk it through the dry flour.
- Adding gluten by the tablespoon. Too much gives a tough, rubbery crumb and a dough that fights shaping.
- Under-kneading an all-purpose dough. Weaker flour needs full kneading or folds to build what strength it has.
All 4 substitutes at a glance
| Substitute | Ratio | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour Baking | 1:1, holding back 1–2 tbsp of the water | sandwich loaves, milk bread, dinner rolls, pan pizza | Same 120 g per cup, but less protein, so the dough absorbs less water and feels slacker. Expect a softer, slightly lower loaf with a less open crumb. Add the reserved water only if the dough feels stiff. |
| All-purpose flour + vital wheat gluten Baking | 1 cup all-purpose + 1 tsp vital wheat gluten | bagels, crusty hearth loaves, New York-style pizza, bread machines | Vital wheat gluten is about three quarters protein, so one teaspoon lifts a cup of all-purpose to roughly bread-flour strength. Whisk it into the flour before adding liquid, or it forms rubbery lumps. |
| Whole wheat + all-purpose (half and half) Baking | ½ cup whole wheat + ½ cup all-purpose per cup | rustic loaves, wheat sandwich bread, rolls | Whole wheat has plenty of protein, but its bran cuts the gluten network. Add about 1 tbsp extra water per half cup of whole wheat and let the dough rest 20 minutes before kneading. |
| High-gluten flour Baking | 1:1 | bagels, pizza, hard rolls | Even more protein than bread flour, so the crumb is chewier and the dough springs back. Needs a little more water and longer kneading. Too tough for soft sandwich bread. |
Substitute calculator
How much bread flour does your recipe call for?
- All-purpose flour1 cup all-purpose flour
- All-purpose flour + vital wheat gluten1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 tsp vital wheat gluten
- Whole wheat + all-purpose (half and half)½ cup whole wheat flour + ½ cup all-purpose flour
- High-gluten flour1 cup high-gluten flour
Amounts are rounded to practical kitchen measures. Swaps without a fixed ratio, or that can't be measured in the unit you picked, show their ratio instead.
Frequently asked questions
Will my bread fail if I use all-purpose instead of bread flour?
No. Sandwich loaves and soft rolls change least. Lean, wet doughs such as focaccia and baguettes suffer most: with all-purpose they tend to spread, hold fewer large bubbles and feel sticky to shape. Use less water and handle them gently.
How much vital wheat gluten turns all-purpose into bread flour?
About 1 teaspoon per cup of all-purpose flour. Bread flour carries roughly one percentage point more protein than all-purpose, and a teaspoon of gluten supplies close to that difference in a 120 g cup of flour.
Does bread flour matter in a bread machine?
It helps. The machine kneads on a fixed schedule and can't compensate for a slack dough, so all-purpose loaves often rise lower and may sink. Adding vital wheat gluten restores most of the height.
Can I use bread flour in place of all-purpose?
Usually, cup for cup, in yeast doughs and chewy cookies. Avoid it in cakes, muffins and pie crust, where the extra gluten makes them tough. The all-purpose flour guide covers that direction.
Sources
- Bread flour vs. all-purpose flour: does it really make a difference?, King Arthur Baking
- Protein percentage in flour: why it matters, King Arthur Baking
- Ingredient weight chart, King Arthur Baking
- Vital wheat gluten, Bob's Red Mill
- Prairie Fare: Bake and take a treat to a friend, NDSU Extension
- Flour (Science of Cooking), Exploratorium
More baking substitutes
Substitute for All-Purpose Flour
No all-purpose flour? Bread flour swaps cup for cup, use 1 cup + 2 tbsp cake flour per cup for tender cakes, and half whole wheat for muffins and breads.
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Substitute for Cake Flour
No cake flour? Measure 1 cup all-purpose, remove 2 tbsp and add 2 tbsp cornstarch, then sift. Pastry flour and plain all-purpose also work, with tradeoffs.
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Substitute for Self-Rising Flour
Make self-rising flour in a minute: whisk 1 cup all-purpose flour with 1½ tsp baking powder and ¼ tsp salt. Pastry flour gets closer to soft Southern brands.
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Substitute for Baking Powder
No baking powder? Mix ¼ tsp baking soda with ½ tsp cream of tartar for each teaspoon, or pair the soda with lemon juice, vinegar or buttermilk instead.
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