Can you explain the difference between different types of flours—all-purpose, bread, cake, etc—and how to substitute them?

--Fernando

The short answer is that the difference is primarily based on protein content, which affects the final texture of the baked good you are making. All-purpose flour has 10-12% protein. Cake flour has 6-8% protein. If you don’t have cake flour, you can substitute 3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Bread flour has 12-14% protein; the high protein content causes the bread to rise and gives it shape and structure. Some recipes call for high-gluten flour, which has an even higher protein content than bread flour and gives baked goods like bagels its characteristic chewy texture.

Read more in an excellent article called, "Flour Power: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know (and More)"—from one of our very own newsletter writers!