Wheat flour is a powder made from the grinding of wheat used for
human consumption. More wheat flour is produced than any other
flour. Wheat varieties are called "soft" or "weak" if gluten
content is low, and are called "hard" or "strong" if they have high
gluten content.
Hard or Soft?
Hard flour, or bread flour, is high in gluten, with *2% to *4%
gluten content, its dough has elastic toughness that holds its
shape well once baked. Soft flour is comparatively low in gluten
and thus results in a loaf with a finer, crumbly texture. Soft
flour is usually divided into cake flour, which is the lowest in
gluten, and pastry flour, which has slightly more gluten than cake
flour.
