Chef Tess Spices Back on the Market!

Those who have been familiar with the journey here on the blog know that this is a reset.

For over thirty years I worked in the Culinary industry as an instructor, large baking industry formulator, cookbook author and recipe developer for restaurants and grocery store packaging. The very first product that I ever made and sold was my spice line and for very good reason! I developed these blends as not only a way to earn extra money as a stay at home mom when my children were small, but as a way to express my creativity as a chef. Later they were packaged and sold to go along with my first book The Gourmet Food Storage Handbook. 

These Spice Blends started it all!

As my career grew, my time at home got to be less and my husband's parents were in need of full-time care. My husband sacrificed a very successful career to be home and care for them and our two sons (both have later-diagnosed autism).

My spices were mass produced by a company called Honeyville foods. 

Then, I started working elsewhere due to corporate-wide layoffs and my spice line was eventually dropped from their production.

For the next several years I ran a restaurant as am Executive Chef, then was a Head Pastry Chef, and then a Corporate Executive Chef/Culinary Marketing Specialist for about nine years. 

During that time I had two TV shows (Culinary TV and Heartland Network Las Vegas) and was a Fox News Radio co-host in Phoenix. I published four cookbooks. Guest lectured at the Culinary Institute of America in California. Judged the National Festival of Bread. Was Vice President of the Home Baking Association with 8.9M members and was on the National Pasta Associations Communications board.

             I absolutely loved what I did.

          It also destroyed me in the sense that 

I pushed myself beyond anything I could sustain. 

Ever. 

As some may know based on my previous posts, this year I came home due to medical issues and am now under full-time care. This means I am not able to work a traditional job in the culinary world. My husband is full-time caregiver now for a wife with a brain tumor (his mom is no longer with our family due to this). I am trying not to be too much of a burden and loves him like mad for still carrying on. This is not what any of us expected.

These Spice Blends are my own original creations and made with love. We're going back to the beginning now. These are made with all natural ingredients. We do not add any sugar, MSG or yeast extracts of any kind. Salt is the last ingredient because these blends are heavy on freshly ground spices. Salt is just an accent. These blends are also vegan, responsibly and sustainably sourced.

Whenever possible we raise organic herbs in our garden and dry them ourselves to add to the blends. We are committed to quality and freshness and create a new batch of each blend at least monthly. Nothing has been laying around a big factory getting stale. Just concentrated natural spices and herbs at your fingertips for a clean delightful flavor explosion with each flip of a bottle cap. We are so thankful for every day we get to be with the people we love and we know that gathering around a delicious meal enhances that time together! God bless you all and thank you for helping us keep this family dream alive.  The business is run by my two adult sons with autism and I help oversee the production of the blends. I'm not sure how long they will be available, as this season of my life and brain tumor progress, but I'm grateful to my husband and sons for taking on this project as a way to earn financial Independence for ourselves.

The three spices we started with on the production are the same original blends in 4 oz  bottles. Each package weighs 1.3oz in a 4 oz bottle. No MSG, No sugar and nothing artificial. Organically sourced. 

Wise Woman of the East: Saigon cinnamon, spices, citrus zest, lavender and rose petal. Freshly milled. 

Romantic Italian: Garlic, Onion, Spices, lemon zest, Pepper, Salt. Freshly milled for concentrated flavor.

All Purpose Seasoning: Onion, Garlic, Spices, Pepper, Salt. Freshly milled for concentrated flavor.

 They are available now in the ChefTessSpiceBlends Etsy shop. 

 

There's a Variety Starter-pack pack is the perfect starter pack for baking and cooking with three remarkable divine flavor profiles. The introduction to perfection.        

I just want to thank everyone for your support and love as we have been navigating this difficult transition and moving forward with our lives. If you've been one of the many who have asked over the years where they can get the spices, I hope this will be a great answer. Also, please don't hesitate to reach out to me for bulk pricing. If these are successful we hope to launch larger sized bottles and so forth. Until then, private sales of larger bags and batches can be discussed via email: cheftessblends@gmail.com 

There you go!

Always My Very Best,

Chef Tess (AKA Stephanie Petersen)

Goodbye Chef Tess. We Miss You Already.

 Where did Chef Tess go? 

I'm asking myself that question, 

and today I can say she's gone. 

 I threw all but one of my chef coats in the dumpster. You read that correctly. 

I no longer work in the culinary industry as a chef.

In February my family moved out of the state of Arizona and didn't even tell my bishop or most of our friends where we were moving. 

Yup. That happened.  

Chef Tess is Gone. Perhaps forever...But I hope not.

If that's where some of you leave me, I hope you find peace in your lives and amazing food. I'll still post about food here, too, just not every post. I might not post again. I'm not sure what is ahead for me. I know I'm not who I was.

Four years ago, my health took a turn due to my benign brain tumor, and emotional strain that can only be described as a family crisis. We needed relief and it just didn't happen. Because of it, my life took a turn. I've suffered immensely. I'm not going into details about it.  What did happen, however, left me with a profound psychological upheaval that triggered a psychotic break with a severe existential crisis in March upon my arrival to or safe new place of residence. My doctors here diagnosed it as severe P.T.S.D. 

As of this week, they still do. My recovery is not anticipated to happen anytime soon.

Nothing could have prepared me for it. I was left in extreme stress and isolation, and it overwhelmed my brain's ability to process reality. If you noted that my posts became more industrial and less humorous, that was the reason. I wasn't me. I'm still trying to find my way back to her. If admitting that makes you uncomfortable, imagine how it makes me feel. 

I've pushed myself beyond my own physical and emotional limits for the last fifteen years, and it took everything I had to get here. I'm proud of the woman I am. I've faced some incredible odds and demons that most people will never see or understand in their lifetimes. I supported my family financially so that others could benefit. I loved hard. I have no regrets. My husband was able to be a full-time father and my children have a relationship with him unlike most children will ever have with their dads. His kindness, sacrifices, and gentleness are a lasting legacy of love that will impact generations and no one can ever take that from us. My children know who he is. So do I. They know who I am. They know we love them unconditionally. They are safe. That is enough for us.

Happiness Isn't Always A Choice. There. I Said It.

I remember when I was pregnant with my sons, and I had morning sickness. I was sick every day. Every. Single. Day. Someone told me then that happiness was a choice and that I needed to look on the bright side of the sickness because, in the end, I would get a sweet baby. So, I hung a little baby outfit above the toilet. It was a gentle reminder to myself that it was temporary. Nine months. Three months if I was lucky. It helped me a ton. I really appreciated that advice then. 

I wouldn’t appreciate that advice as someone who has a brain tumor on top of the emotional and mental struggles I have now. I have constant physical pain. Pain that often leads me to extreme nausea. Often vomiting. Often not wanting to move an inch. In a recent conversation with a coworker who had received a significant promotion and left the job, the conversation ended with him saying off-handedly, “Happiness is a choice.” 

I wanted to vomit. Literally. The pain in my head and the mitigating circumstances of the last few years had left me with a bitter taste in my mouth surrounding that saying. He said this, “Happiness is a choice,"at the end of a conversation where he had been given a tremendous opportunity and got to choose to leave a situation and go to something better... and where I was facing the grimmest future I could foresee. One where my choices were clearly not mine. Not good choices that I could see at that point. At my age, with the tremendous weight of responsibility on me, there wasn't much of a choice. Saying this to someone with Major Depressive Disorder and a brain tumor is like telling a drowning person that they're not breathing water well enough. It's not helpful. I understand the premise and I've always considered myself a positive thinker until the depression hit in combination with P.T.S.D. (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), M.D.D and a brain tumor that would cause chronic pain for the rest of my life.

We lost our home. The home I wanted to retire to at the end of my life.

 I lost my job of almost a decade because I could no longer mentally or physically keep up with the workload. The grief of that was almost too much as the loss of my identity was so heavily tied to my work. 

Somewhere in there I faced the darkness of the fact that I literally wanted to die. So no. I definitely didn't feel like a choice ahead of me. Ever.

 I will say this. This man had always been a kind man and a good friend. I know it wasn't personal and I am still very grateful for the kindness and understanding he tried to show me through many years. I just think it's really easy to judge how someone else might be thinking or not thinking positively when we're not walking in their shoes. The full picture is rarely truly seen.

Is happiness really a choice? Is it always? 

I'm going to say it. Happiness isn’t always a choice. Choices are not always ours to make. Sometimes circumstances are the result of other people's actions. Yes. I get the “you can respond to the circumstances” thing. I get that. I choose to see all the good things in my life right now. I embrace the joy. I do. I see the good things. I know I have tremendous blessings. However, and this is big... Let’s not make light of the fact that people also have damn hard trials that they didn’t choose and that they are struggling! Allow them to be human, to struggle, and please be kind and acknowledge it!  I, for one, didn’t choose to have a brain tumor that would strip me of so many other equally significant and important personal choices. These things are so very hard. I’m not happy about them. I’m terrified. 

I don’t know what I will do for a career in the future or how I'll support my family. How can I possibly be happy about that choice being ripped from my fingers? Or not being able to choose where I would live or what I could afford based on my new finances. There are so many other factors that I can’t even go into at this point. I'm trying, but I'm also struggling. I'm angry. I'm heartbroken. I'm so very sad. Maybe one day I will see the silver lining in all of it. It's okay to be sad, too. 

Making Everyone Comfortable.

I'm tired of hiding that fact...that I'm struggling... and pretending to be okay so everybody else feels comfortable. 

I think that might just be me hitting my 50's and realizing that I've always tried to make everyone else comfortable. Is that like a mom DNA thing? A good Christian woman thing? It's exhausting!

I want to say this though...

Let’s normalize letting people have human responses to tragedy! 

Grief can also look like:

• Loss of a career. 
• A pet loss (yes, my sweet dog Millie died in September after 14 years in our home).
• Loss of a baby (I lost one just before Covid hit).
• A loss in health that is unexpected. 
• Leaving your home.
• Feeling like a failure.
• Navigating a major identity shift.
• Processing childhood trauma.
• Losing friendships.
• Losing family.
• Ending long-term relationships.

All I know is that these past years are the crucible. I am in my fifties and trying to figure out where I go from here. Combined with the loss of my dignity for having to explain it to judgmental, condemnatory people who didn't live through this. I’m just tired. There's really not much else to say except to just ask that y'all try to be kind. 

This is also where I'd like to gratefully acknowledge that there have been a few who haven't been flippant or forgotten me but have called every single day. A bishop who counseled me in love. A ministering sister who would just drop off fresh eggs from her chickens. Kindness of my sisters. My parents. Oh, my beautiful parents.  They have dropped off medicine and food without asking for anything in return. Gentle friendships and family members. I can never repay them for their unsolicited kindness. 

To those who never said "God won't give you what you can't handle..." but rather, just made sure I didn't have to walk through it alone. Thank you for being angels on earth. It has made a difference.

To those who may not have known...When someone has tragic news and doesn't bounce back as fast as you think they should, maybe just stop judging how fast you think they should heal and instead give them more grace. Healing isn't the same for everyone. There's no master scale for it. Not every brain is as resilient as the next. Yes. It's been four years. When am I going to get better? I have no idea.

If I have learned anything from this experience, it is that many people are pretty self-righteous about that. They judge from their own narrow lens. They judge from second hand stories. They call mental health struggles and real health struggles "attention seeking". Like someone going through the most difficult chapter in their life is supposed to keep quiet because why??? Oh yes. That's right. It's uncomfortable to admit that someone is hurting. God forbid. Just shut your mouth and suffer in silence like a good girl.

That lens of their view gets so focused, that the sun of their judgement often burn down the lives of the less fortunate. Literally. I have experienced it firsthand, and it's ugly. 

This is a long way of saying...

I miss Chef Tess. She was a version of me that did so many things, boldly, bravely, and with so much joy! And as I move forward into this new chapter, still cooking but also healing, I simply ask that you remember that I, too, am grieving the loss of her as a dear friend who was such a huge part of my life. Who knows, someday she may come home. In the meantime, she's far from here in a more peaceful place where she can recover and find happiness, too. She is singing in the garden and dancing in the kitchen.

Goodbye for now, dear friend. You aren't forgotten. 

There you go.

Trying to be my very best. 

Stephanie Petersen 

aka Tess to my Mom.

 ( My nickname was once Chef Tess)

My Best Authentic Tres Leches Cake

 

The Request...My Best Authentic Tres Leches Cake.

Living in Arizona has given me many wonderful experiences. I've been here just over thirty years. I moved here initially to go to college. I planned to leave this crazy-hot and dry place as soon as I finished school, but my adorable boyfriend (soon-to-be husband) had other plans. So I stayed. Darn that wry smile and the way he carried himself in blue jeans! I digress.

Arizona. One of my favorite experiences working in the kitchens and restaurants of Phoenix is meeting so many friends from Mexico. Many came to America to get a better life. I know my life has been better having known so many Hispanics. I love their devotion to family and zest for life.  

A few weeks ago, one of my friends, Juan, asked me if I could make him a Tres Leches cake. Of course, I always bake for the people I love. Juan and his wife are amazing people; I've loved getting to know them in our small town. So the test was on. Juan is an expert because he grew up with it. Right?

If you haven't tried Tres Leches Cake, let me tell you. It can go one of three ways: Either you love it, you have had a bad one, or you haven't had mine yet (and sworn off any other Tres Leches on the planet but mine). Mine is a little different from some that I have tried, but I insisted that Juan try it. 

What is it?

Traditionally, tres leches cake is a white or yellow sponge cake baked, then cooled, drenched in a sweet milk mixture, and covered with whipped cream. There are many variations, but the general consensus is that the milk mixture should be sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and milk. 

The cake is served cold, having had the milk mixture soak it for about twenty-four hours. I like to use just the right amount of milk mixture so that the cake can still hold together and be served in slices. If the milk mixture's viscosity is too thin, then the cake becomes a weirdly textured, soggy mess. Some use cinnamon. Some do not. I like a hint of it in mine, but not an overpowering amount. 

The frosting is the key!

My secret is the whipped cream frosting. I use a small package of cream cheese instant pudding not only to add stability to the cream but also for a richer flavor. This gives the whipped cream a mousse-like texture that adds another layer of creaminess to the finished product. It's super hot here, and stabilizing the whipped cream ensures that it doesn't melt the second it comes out of the fridge.

It's a big batch!

This is for a party. For this cake, you will need 2 9x13x2-inch metal baking dishes or 2 10x4-inch round springform pans.

I like to make one cinnamon cake and one with fresh berries. That way, everyone can fight over the cakes and punch each other in the foreheads, deciding which cake is the best. At that point, my job is to sit back and bask in my cake glory. You can do the basking too!

My Best Authentic Tres Leches Cake

Cake:

2 cups King Arthur All Purpose Flour (240g)

1 Tbsp.  baking powder (12g)

½ tsp. salt

10 large eggs, separated

2 cups granulated sugar, divided (400 g)

2/3 cup whole milk (160 ml)

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract (15ml)

Milk Mixture:

2-12-ounce cans of evaporated milk (680g)

2 14-ounce cans of sweetened condensed milk (793g)

½ cup whole milk (120ml)

1/8 tsp. salt (optional)

Whipped Topping:

1 quart (4 cups) heavy whipping cream (950ml)

1 small package of cheesecake instant pudding

1 tsp. vanilla extract (2.5 ml)

ground cinnamon, for topping (optional)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease 2 9X13X2 pans (or equivalent)

Prepare the Cake:

·   In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.

·   Separate the eggs into two other mixing bowls.

·   Add 1 ½ cups sugar to the bowl with the egg yolks and mix on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Add 2/3 cup of milk and vanilla and stir to combine. Pour the egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir gently until combined (don't over-mix).

·  Use electric beaters to beat the egg whites at high speed. As they begin to whip into stiff peaks, gradually mix in the remaining ½ cup of sugar. Fold the stiffly beaten egg whites into the batter gently, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl, until combined.

·  Divide the batter between two greased 9x13x2 metal baking pans and smooth the batter into an even layer. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow cake to cool completely.

Milk Mixture:

·   Combine the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk in a medium bowl. Once the cake has cooled, use a fork to poke holes all over the top of the cake.

·   Slowly pour the milk mixture over the top of the cake, making sure to pour near the edges and all around. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour or overnight, to allow it to soak up the milk.

·  In the meantime, whip the heavy cream, pudding mix, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Smooth over the top of the cake. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. Serve with fresh sliced strawberries, if desired. Enjoy! Also. 

                               Here are some extra pictures so you can drool. You're welcome.

P.S. Juan loved the cake. Too much. Hahaha! Now his wife needs the recipe! So, this is for Robyn and Juan. Love you guys!

It's your turn.

There you go!
Always My Very Best
Chef Tess

Best Ever Cheddar Cheese Puffs

 

While it may seem complex, this type of dough is surprisingly easy to make. It’s used to create a variety of pastries, including cream puffs, eclairs, cheese puffs (gougères), beignets, and Mexican churros. Once you get the hang of the specific technique, you’ll find it’s a fantastic and functional style of dough. It can be a little stiff to work with by hand, but with some practice, you’ll master it in no time.

This recipe for cheese puffs is our favorite. They are made with cheddar cheese and a bit of thyme. For a smoky touch, add crumbled bacon to the mix. A savory herbal addition is delicious. We use sage, basil, or dill. One could use a small amount of blue cheese instead of cheddar. They are also outstanding and more traditionally made with Gruyere or Emmenthaler.

Don’t be afraid to add your twist to the recipe. Experiment with different cheeses, herbs, and even add-ins like ground mustard or other savory ingredients. This is your chance to be creative and make these cheese puffs uniquely yours.

These cheese puffs are Excellent as dumplings in a cream soup. They can be used instead of traditional croutons. We prefer eating them with reckless abandon as the most addictive appetizer. 

Cheddar Cheese and Herb Puffs

4 oz unsalted butter

1 cup (8oz.) water

1 cup (120g) Panhandle Milling all-purpose flour

4 large eggs, at room temperature

4 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese or 2 oz. blue cheese

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme, rosemary, or dill

Fresh ground black pepper

Directions

• Add the water, butter, and salt to a medium-sized, deep saucepan or skillet and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the flour all at once. Combine quickly and stir with vigor. As the flour cooks, the mixture will form a dough ball that will pull away from the sides of the pan. It helps to use a sturdy wooden spoon to stir. The dough will be thick. Continue to cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for at least ten minutes. Stirring will enable the dough to cool evenly. The dough should be warm, but not hot enough to cook eggs. We suggest allowing it to cool to under 140°F.
• Add the eggs one at a time. Stir well after each addition until the eggs are fully incorporated into the dough. The dough should become somewhat creamy.
• Stir in the grated cheese, thyme, and fresh cracked black pepper.
• Heat the oven to 425°F. Spoon the dough into balls by rounded Tablespoon onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, allowing at least one inch between each ball.
• Place the pan in the oven and bake for 12 minutes at 425°F.
• Then, reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for 15-20 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow the puffs to stay in the oven for a few minutes more. Test the interior of one of the puffs. It should be dry and fluffy.
• Serve the puffs filled with a small amount of cream cheese or chicken salad. Store leftover unfilled puffs in the freezer in an airtight container for up to four months.

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess

 

Best Delicious No-Knead Dill Pickle and Garlic Bread

 

Pickles are all the rage these days. I feel as though everyone is finally catching up to my lifelong obsession with dill pickles. This quick and easy no-knead bread comes together in minutes and is perfect for tuna salad sandwiches.

I serve this bread warm with cheese soup. It’s the perfect companion for fish dishes. It is divine when toasted and served with cream cheese and Swedish cured gravlax (salmon).

I use cottage cheese in the dough to add a rich texture and tenderness to the finished bread. Its subtle tang builds a fantastic flavor profile and complements the dill. You can use fresh dill instead of dried, which brings a bright and robust flavor. If fresh dill is used, use 1/4 cup instead of the dry dill. Adding the pickles is optional, but it lends an almost sourdough note to this quick and easy bread.

No-Knead Dill Pickle Garlic Bread

1 package (1/4 ounce) Red Star active dry yeast

3/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°)

1 cup 2% cottage cheese, small curd

½ cup finely chopped dill pickles

2 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic

2 Tbsp. dry dill

2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp.  salt

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 large egg, room temperature, lightly beaten

3 cups (360g) Organic Bread Flour

Directions

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add cottage cheese, pickles, dill, olive oil, salt, sugar, egg, and 1 cup flour; beat until smooth.
• Stir in the remaining flour to form a soft dough. Do not knead. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, for about 1 hour.
• Punch down the dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; shape into a 6-inch circle.
• Transfer to a greased 9-in. cast-iron skillet or round baking pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the bread’s internal temperature is over 180°F, about 35-40 minutes. Remove from the pan to a wire rack to cool.

There you go!

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess

The Ultimate Pastry Chef's Wheat Flour Science of Baking Guide

 

Although flour is an essential addition to many recipes and is the most popular baked goods, do you know how it works scientifically? Let my chef's guide give you all the insights you need!

Head millers spend years in college studying the properties of milling equipment and how to produce exquisite flour that meets exact specifications.  Bakers and pastry chefs devote the entirety of their careers to using it creatively and studying hands-on with experimentation. If they’re any good at their job, baking instructors also learn the science behind what makes each flour work in each application.  So, do you really know how flour works?

How often did you add flour to your cookies and cakes and overlook its true importance for the chemical and physical changes needed for the finished product to come out of the oven with an acceptable finished look and taste? You probably haven’t had to think about it until something went wrong. Why are the cookies as hard as a rock? Why is the cake extra thick and weird today? What happened to the bread? It looks like a two-headed monster!  We certainly prefer the question, “Who ate all the bread?” That’s a question suggesting that everything went perfectly in the baking process.

Understanding the science behind flour and its interactions during baking can provide valuable insights into our baking items. When we select a specific type of flour, it should be chosen for a recipe that will complement the properties of the flour and produce delicious results. This knowledge empowers us to achieve the best results with each flour, making us more knowledgeable and confident in our baking endeavors.

Gluten Is Not Evil.

Gluten, often misunderstood, is a vital component of wheat flour, especially in baking.  Its role in baking is significant and multifaceted. First, it acts as a binding agent for doughs and batters. Secondly, in bread and batters, it traps the gases released by yeast or leavening agents during baking, preventing bread, cakes, and cookies from being too dense. Furthermore, gluten is ultimately responsible for the shape and texture of baked goods. Understanding and appreciating the role of gluten in baking can enlighten us and enhance our baking experiences.

How exactly does this miracle protein work?

Gluten is made up of two proteins, glutenin and gliadin. When mixed with water, these two proteins combine to create strong, elastic gluten strands in the dough. These gluten strands become stronger and more developed the more you mix the dough, ultimately affecting the texture and type of dough formed. The more gluten proteins in flour, the quicker and stronger the elastic gluten strands will be created in the dough.

The Fat Role

The role of fat in baking is crucial and often overlooked. The fat content in a dough or pastry significantly affects how quickly and tightly the gluten strands are formed. Fat prevents the proteins from connecting as rapidly as possible and can even prevent them from connecting altogether. This understanding can prepare us when choosing the right flour for our recipes. For instance, when a more tender finished product is desired, higher fat content is often seen in pastries, cookies, and cakes. It’s also not uncommon for a higher protein flour to be used in pastries with a lot of fat in the formulation, as bakers may want more structure and a longer shelf life. Fat in baking adds to the shelf life of baked goods, keeping them moist when exposed to air.

Which flour for which baked goods is most appropriate?

The protein percentage is the best indicator for choosing the flour for a specific baked good. Different types of dough and batters require different levels of gluten content. For instance, bread, pizzas, and pasta require a higher protein content. The higher amount of gluten makes the bread dough elastic and stretchy, contributing to open-air pockets and a tender loaf that won’t fall apart when sliced. It helps the pasta to have enough protein so that, when cooked, it has a desirable texture.

On the other hand, cakes, cookies, and other pastries require less gluten, making them lighter and fluffier. The gluten connections are less connected and elastic. Therefore, as expected, bread flour has a higher protein content than pastry or cake flour. Oddly enough, hard wheat varieties produce higher protein content flours for bread and pasta. Softer wheat varieties produce lower protein content for softer products. If someone mentions they prefer soft wheat, they are more than likely to create baked goods that are more delicate, like cakes and cookies.

Bread Flour

Bread flour, durum semolina, and hard whole-wheat flour have the most protein, about 12-15%. Bread flour is made from hard wheat and forms strong, durable gluten, making the elastic dough necessary for good bread. Whole-wheat flour provides a more wheat flavor and is slightly darker than white flour. It is produced by milling whole wheat berries instead of just parts. These flours are, therefore, ideal for yeast-raised dough and pizzas.

All-Purpose Flour

As its name suggests, all-purpose flour can be used for almost anything since it is generally a mix of hard and soft wheat. It falls in the middle regarding protein content, 9-12%, and thus can be used for most home-baked goods. It also comes in bleached and unbleached versions. The difference between these two is that bleached flour has been treated with an agent to whiten it. Its nutrients are restored, while unbleached flour remains untouched and keeps all its nutrients on its own. Regarding baking results, however, these two are equal and will work the same.

Pastry Flour

Pastry flour is made from soft wheat and contains 8-9% protein. This results in weaker gluten and a softer product, resulting in a crumbly, fluffy texture. Thus, it is mainly used for different types of pastries.

Cake Flour

Cake flour is very similar to pastry flour. It is made from soft wheat and falls below pastry flour with a 7-8% protein content. The lower protein content ensures that cakes turn out fluffy and tender.

Type 55 Flour

Typically described as low-protein bread flour with .50-55% ash, this flour is ideal for Artisan bread, laminated dough, Neapolitan pizza, cookies, scones, and quick bread.

Tortilla Flour

 The typical falling numbers* for this flour mean it can’t be used as well for bread, but is excellent for flatbreads, crackers, pizza, and tortillas.

High Gluten Flour

As the highest-gluten flour (13-14%), it’s key to helping you bake lusty, chewy artisan and whole-grain bread with a hearty, lofty texture. It’s suitable for breads that require long fermentation, like no-kneads, and great for dense, chewy breads like bagels, crusty rolls, artisan hearth breads, and pizza crusts — adding a toothsome quality and a bakery-worthy interior. Higher protein flour absorbs more liquid than other flours, so add about 1 tablespoon or more extra liquid for each 120g when subbing in a recipe.

Baker’s Patent Flour

Patent flour is milled from the innermost part of the wheat kernel’s endosperm, producing pure, high-quality white flour. It typically falls in the 12.2% to 12.8% protein range, making it suitable for breads and rolls that need structure and chewiness. Patent flour is usually made from hard spring wheat, contributing to its strong gluten development. It is ideal for yeast breads, European Artisan Breads, French breads, Ciabatta, Focaccia, rich sweet doughs, Cinnamon Rolls, and Doughnuts.

The Food Science Lab

*Understanding Falling Numbers in Flour

For baking bread, falling numbers ideally should be between 250 and 300 seconds, as this range indicates good flour quality and optimal enzyme activity. Falling Number measures the amount of pre-harvest sprouting that occurs in the grain while on the stalk in the field. It is a lab test in which a slurry of flour and water is placed in a test tube, and the time it takes for a plunger to fall through the slurry to the bottom of the test tube is measured.

Why is the Falling Number Significant?

The test assesses the level of alpha-amylase, an enzyme that breaks down starch in flour, negatively impacting bread quality.

What are Ideal Falling Numbers?

For optimal baking results, flour with falling numbers between 250 and 300 seconds is generally considered ideal, especially for bread baking.

Falling Number Too High?

A very high falling number (above 300 seconds) can indicate a lack of enzyme activity, which may require the addition of amylolytic enzymes or malted flour to the baking process.

Falling Number Too Low?

A low falling number (below 250 seconds) indicates high enzyme activity, often caused by sprout damage or high moisture content in the wheat kernels. Such flour might be unsuitable for milling and baking or require adjustments to the baking process.

Whatever you are baking, we hope this essential guide has been helpful and will give you insights into choosing the flour that best fits your desired results. Happy baking.

Always My Very Best,

Chef Tess