Whole-grain pastry flour is a finely-milled flour with a light texture and color. Most whole-grain pastry flour is made from whole wheat with the fiber-rich bran intact. Unlike whole-grain flours milled for bread, the flour is much finer, allowing it to substitute for refined flours without creating a grainy or gritty texture.
Pastry Flour
While most stores stock all-purpose flour, bread flour, whole-wheat flour and cake flour, pastry flour is less common. White pastry flour is a refined flour product with high-starch and low-protein levels in between the levels found in cake flour and all-purpose flour. Whole-grain pastry flour is low in protein and high in starch, but is not refined. Whole-grain pastry flour offers the nutrition of whole-wheat flour in a softer and lighter form.
Use
If you're making cookies, muffins or another baked treat, whole-grain pastry flours can replace much or all of the refined white flour in the recipe with minimal difference in the final outcome. Unlike most whole-grain flours, whole-wheat pastry flour will not make weighty or heavy baked goods, but may add a slightly nutty taste. It is a less effective choice for breads and yeast-based baked goods that do best with a higher protein content.
In Recipes
Many recipes for healthier baked goods call for whole-wheat or whole-grain pastry flour. If so, follow the recipe as written. You can experiment with whole-wheat pastry flour in your favorite recipes. Start by combining equal parts pastry flour and all-purpose flour, then increase the proportion of whole grains if you are happy with the end product to add nutrition to your favorite treats.
Purchasing and Substitutions
Many stores don't carry whole-wheat pastry flour. You will typically find it in well-stocked specialty stores, health food stores or online. If you cannot locate whole-grain pastry flour and would like to increase the whole grains in your diet, combine equal parts whole-wheat flour and all-purpose flour to substitute cup for cup for whole-wheat pastry flour.
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