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Baking

All-purpose flour: what it is, how to pick and store it

Wheat flour with a middling amount of protein: for cookies, cakes, quick breads, pie crust and thickening gravy.

How to pick it

Bleached and unbleached work the same in our recipes. Spoon it into the cup and level it off (scooping packs in extra), or weigh it.

How to store it

An airtight container in a cool, dry cupboard. Raw flour isn't ready to eat: bake or cook it before you taste the dough or batter.

Out of all-purpose flour? What to use instead

  • Gluten-free 1:1 baking flour: The same amount, a blend that includes xanthan gum. A little grittier and more crumbly, browns faster and dries out sooner.
  • Bread flour: The same amount. More gluten: chewier cookies and bread, tougher cakes.
  • Whole wheat flour: Up to half of the flour. Nuttier, darker and denser.
  • Cake or pastry flour: 1 cup + 2 tbsp for each cup. Softer, finer and more tender; too weak for bread.

Swaps for all-purpose flour, with what changes

All-purpose flour: cups to grams

All-purpose flour
MeasureGrams
1 cup125 g
½ cup63 g
⅓ cup42 g
¼ cup31 g
1 tablespoon7.8 g
1 teaspoon2.6 g

Weights from USDA FoodData Central. All-purpose flour: converter and grams to cups

Recipes with all-purpose flour (91)

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Pick and store tips are in our own words. Storage times and safe temperatures are only shown where a U.S. government source gives them, named on each line; for anything not listed here, see USDA's FoodKeeper app.