How to Make Pastry Flour Substitutes with 4 Alternatives

Pastry flour makes cookies, pie, muffins, pie dough, cinnamon rolls, etc. But while you don’t have pastry flour in your cupboard, you need to replace it with some other flour.

There is no direct substitute for pastry flour, so you just need to combine one-to-one flour-like all-purpose flour with corn starch and so on.

I include all pastry flour substitutes as simple as possible; all are readily found in your kitchen cabinet.

What is pastry flour? Pastry flour uses?

Pastry flour is a soft all-purpose flour, which is the second most less gluten flour often used in pastries, pie crusts, and other desserts. 

It holds less gluten than all-purpose flour and cake flour, thus creating a less chewy product.

Pastry flour is used to create tender baked goods. It can be found in pie crusts, quiches, pastries, and cookies.

What’s the difference between pastry flour and all purpose flour?

Pastry flour is a type of flour made specifically for making pastries. The flour is made with a lower gluten content than all-purpose flour, which means that it doesn’t produce as much of a rise in baked goods. 

This makes the pastry dough more delicate and less likely to toughen. It also means that the pastry will be more tender and crumbly than bread made with normal flour.

Pastry flour is used in making items like pie crusts, tart shells, and biscuits.

The distinction between pastry flour and all-purpose flour is the amount of protein each. The recipe will not work correctly with just one or the other.

All-purpose flour has a medium amount of gluten, about 12 percent of the flour weight. Pastry flour has less gluten, generally around 8 percent of the weight.

Ideal Pastry Flour Substitutes

1. Pastry flour substitute all-purpose flour

Ap flour or plain flour is the first choice for substituting Pastry flour. To replace pastry flour with All-purpose flour, you need to mix equal parts all-purpose flour and cornstarch to create a makeshift pastry flour.

2. CAKE FLOUR – Decent Alternative for Pastry Flour 

Cake flour is similar to pastry flour; it is also used for the same purpose. You can make pastry flour by blending all-purpose and cake flour in a 1:1 ratio to combine the all-purpose protein with the softer texture of the cake flour.

cake flour is a decent alternative for pastry flour.

Yes! There’s a simple substitution to make if you don’t have cake flour and only want to buy one type of all-purpose flour to use in both cake and pastry recipes.

Instead of using 1 cup cake flour, take out 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Continue to use the recipe as per usual!

3. WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR Substitute for Pastry Flour 

Whole wheat flour is obtained from wheat. The gluten content is varies depending on the type. 

WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR Substitute for Pastry Flour
WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR

It is also known as wholemeal flour. To replace whole wheat flour for pastry flour, take 2/3 cup White Whole Wheat Flour plus 1/3 cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour.

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How to make pastry flour (Homemade Pastry Flour)

Pastry flour is a type of flour made from soft wheat. It is often used in cakes, pastries, and other desserts. To make your own pastry flour, grind whole wheat berries into a fine powder. 

Sift the powder through a mesh sieve to remove any large pieces. Then, measure out 1 cup of ground wheat berries and return them to the blender. Grind the berries into a finer powder and sift them again. Measure out 1/2 cup of the flour and set it aside. 

Repeat this process until you have used up all of the wheat berries. Combine the 1/2 cup of flour you set aside with all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Store your pastry flour in an airtight container to keep it fresh.

Pastry flour is similar to cake flour because of its fine particles, but they are not the same. Cake flour is usually bleached, which gives it its bright white color. This makes it more processed than pastry flour, which does not go through this bleaching process.

For the best results when making pastry flour, grind finely milled whole wheat berries to make your own flour. For even more fiber, you can keep the pulp of the wheat berries.

Pastry flour can be substituted for all-purpose flour in any recipe. Still, you should only replace half of the all-purpose flour with pastry flour. This will give your recipe a lighter texture that is better for making cakes and other desserts.

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Pastry flour vS Bread flour

Pastry flour and bread flour are both types of wheat flour, but they are made of different wheat.

Pastry flour vs Bread flour.
Pastry flour vs Bread flour

Pastry flour is made from softer wheat, while bread flour is made from harder wheat. 

Pastry flour is made for cakes, pastries, and other baked goods that need a tender crumb. Bread flour is made for bread, bagels, and other baked goods that require a chewy texture.

Pastry flour is milled from soft wheat, with less protein and gluten than hard wheat. It has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour.

When buying pastry flour, you want to look for a brand made from soft winter wheat. Most brands of pastry flour are bleached, which makes the flour slightly more acidic. This helps tenderize baked goods like cakes and muffins.

One cup of all-purpose flour can be substituted for one cup of pastry flour. However, the pastry flour will produce a slightly more tender baked good with a lighter texture.

Is pastry flour the same as cake flour? (pastry flour vS cake flour)

Cake flour is a type of flour that is made from hard wheat. It is usually used to make cakes, cupcakes, and other delicate desserts. 

Pastry flour is a kind of flour manufactured from soft wheat. It is commonly used to prepare pastries, pie crusts, and other delicate sweets.

Both flours are very distinct. Pastry flour is lighter than cake flour, and pastry flour will result in a more delicate baked good than using cake flour.

The main difference between pastry flour and cake flour is the amount of protein in each type of flour, known as gluten.

Gluten is a protein found in specific grains, of which wheat is the most common. Gluten provides strength to certain baked goods, such as bread and cookies. 

When using pastry flour, which has a lower protein content than cake flour, you will need to mix the batter longer and use less baking powder, baking soda, and leavening to achieve the same results as cake flour.

Gluten-free pastry flour substitutes

There are a few gluten-free pastry flour substitutes on the market. 

A couple of my favorites are almond and coconut flour. I like to use both in most of my gluten-free baking recipes. 

Almond flour gives baked goods a nice, nutty flavor, while coconut flour helps to add structure and moisture. 

I advise using a gluten-free flour blend that includes xanthan gum or guar gum unless you make bread recipes. 

I don’t tend to use gluten-free flour blends in my gluten-free desserts since I find that the xanthan and guar gum doesn’t work with the goals of most gluten-free baking recipes.

Best Pastry Flour

There are many different types of pastry flour on the market, but not all of them are created equal. 

1. Bob Red Mill Pastry Flour

Bob red mill pastry flour is best for a kosher diet. It is good pastry flour, and the blend is fantastic to bake goods like pie crust, pancakes, muffins, and brownies.

Bob red mill pastry flour is best for a kosher diet. It is good pastry flour,
Bob Red Mill Pastry Flour

In the packet, they put some delicious ready recipe process you can do it your self further interrupted.

2. Orly Manhattan Blend Premium Gluten Free Pastry Flour

It is another best pastry flour I use often. It is a gluten-free flour, Dairy Free, Soy Free. You can freely enjoy your pastries.

You make a donut, cinnamon rolls, and others like brownies, pie crust, etc.

My all Time Favourite Pastry Flour Replacements

  • · Orly Manhattan Blend Premium Gluten Free Pastry Flour
  • · Cake Flour
  • · Ap flour with corn starch
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Q1. Can I substitute pastry flour for cake flour?

Yes. You can choose pastry flour instead of cake flour. Cake flour is commonly used in light baked goods such as chiffon cake and angel food cake. 

Pastry flour is excellent for pie crust, pastries, biscuits, cookies, and other light-baked products.

Q2. What is the best substitute for 1 cup of pastry flour?

That depends on the recipe. Combine 1 cup white rice flour with 1/3 cup potato starch and 1/6 cup tapioca flour to approximate pastry flour. 

Other alternatives include combining 1 cup all-purpose flour with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, which is a good option if you need a gluten-free pastry flour substitute.

Q3. What is the best substitute for 2 cups of pastry flour?

About 2 cups of any all-purpose flour would work.

Q4. How do I make regular flour into pastry flour?

To make regular flour into pastry flour, you need to add a little cornstarch to it. 

Cornstarch is a thickener, and it will help to make your pastry flour more like the real thing. 

Just add about 1 or 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to every cup of regular flour, and mix it in well. You can then use this pastry flour in all of your favorite recipes.

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