Leave it to the Germans to come up with a numerical system for categorizing types of flour. Not only are they probably the best bread-makers in the world, they also have a strong value for organization!
Nearly all of the recipes in the Miele cookbook call for "Weizenmehl Type 405". This refers to what we know as "pastry flour", with a gluten content of 8-10%. Unfortunately, it also seems to be the hardest wheat flour to find. I am located in Minnesota, and although 38% of Minnesotans report some German heritage (including my husband), our bread game is weak.
The basic types of flour and their gluten content in the US:
- Bread Flour: 14 - 16%
- All-Purpose (AP) Flour: 10 - 12%
- Pastry Flour: 9%
- Cake Flour: 7-8%
Looking online, Amazon's offerings are very limited for flour. Instead, I ordered directly from King Arthur Flour. They have pastry flour available in 3 lb. bags, as well as many of the other specialty flours used in German breads. I recommend registering your email so you can get a coupon, as the shipping is expensive. I will keep you updated with my experience with these specialty flours.
Bob's Red Mill makes a pastry flour, which I have not been able to find in stores. I did find Arrowhead Mills', but it seemed at least partly whole-grain and did not give as light a texture as I expected.
Here is a great article on types of German flour, and I will copy the highlights below in case the link ever breaks.
Pastry flour differs from AP flour in more than just gluten content. It is made with softer varieties of wheat. Despite this, you can approximate it by mixing the easier-to-find AP and cake flours together. I have found different ratios online, but by my math, a 1:1 combination for all-purpose:cake flour should get you to about 9.5% gluten. Whether this is qualitatively the same as pastry flour, I don't yet know.
Useful words:
- Mehl = flour
- Weizen = wheat
- Roggen = rye
- Dinkel = spelt
- Vollkorn = whole grain
Pastry Flour (Flour Type 405)
Germany's Flour Type 405 is equivalent to pastry flour. Pastry flour is made from soft wheat and has a gluten content of 8-10%. It is soft and ivory in color. Because of its low gluten content, it is best used for baked goods that should have a soft consistency yet still needs some structure, such as muffins, buscuits, pie crust, tart dough, cookies, some sweet yeast doughs, etc.
Pastry flour is available in the U.S. in health food stores, specialty stores, and mail-order businesses. To make a flour with the same gluten content as pastry flour, combine 1 1/3 cups (185g) all-purpose flour and 2/3 cup (90g) cake flour (which is available in most markets and has a gluten content of 6-8%).
All Purpose Flour (Flour Type 550)
Germany's Flour Type 550 is equivalent to all-purpose flour. All-purpose flour is made from a blend of hard and soft wheats and has a gluten content of 9-11%. It can be bleached or unbleached, which are interchangeable (bleached flour is whiter and has less vitamin E than unbleached flour).
All-purpose flour is used mainly in home baking because it is the most versatile flour. It can be used in baking a large variety of goods. However, breads won't be as chewy as if bread flour was used. Likewise, cakes won't be as tender as if cake flour was used. All-purpose flour is not typically used by professional bakers.
Bread Flour (Flour Type 812)
Germany's Flour Type 812 is equivalent to bread flour. Bread flour is made from a hard wheat and has a gluten content of 11-13%. It is pale yellow when first milled and turns off-white with aging. It feels slightly granular when rubbed between your fingers.
This is the best flour to use for breads and hard rolls. Its high gluten content gives bread the structure needed to rise and hold its shape.
High Gluten Flour (Flour Type 1050)
High gluten flour is a white flour made from hard wheat and contains at least 13-14.5% gluten. It is best used in conjunction with other grains and flour to provide more structure. It is also good for breads that are extra elastic such as bagels and pizza.
High-gluten flour should not be confused with vital wheat gluten, a pure gluten powder that can be used in small amount to strengthen weak flour.
To make high gluten flour, all-purpose and bread flours can be supplemented with vital wheat gluten. Vital wheat gluten is found in small bags at specialty and natural food stores. Follow the instructions on the package of the vital wheat gluten for proper proportions.
Whole Wheat Flour (Flour Type 1600)
Germany's Flour Type 1600 is equivalent to whole wheat flour. It is brown in color and is derived from the whole wheat kernel, including the germ and bran. It is more flavorful than white flours which do not include the germ. Because the germ is included, there are more nutrients, fiber and fat in whole wheat flour.
When used in bread baking, it gives a nutty flavor and a denser texture when compared to white flours. Bread made from whole wheat flour is heavier and does not rise as high as breads made from white flour, so often a combination of whole wheat and white flours are used.
Rye Flour (Roggen Mehl 1150)
Germany's Roggen Mehl Number 1150 is equivalent to a medium to dark rye flour. Rye flour is darker than flours made from wheat and it has higher amounts of vitamins B and E.
Rye flour is used most often for breads and bread rolls. It imparts a slightly sour flavor to breads. Breads made with rye flour have a longer shelf life and taste fresh longer than breads made with wheat flours. It is also often combined with other flours because of its low gluten content.
Pumpernickel Flour (Roggen-Vollkornmehl)
Germany's Roggen-Vollkornmehl flour is equivalent to pumpernickel flour or a whole rye meal. It is a flour made from the whole rye grain, including the bran and germ.
Breads made with whole rye flour are hearty, with a slight sour flavor, and have a grainy texture. Whole rye flour is often combined with rye flour or other wheat flours to produce a smoother and lighter taste.
White Spelt Flour (Dinkel Mehl 630)
Germany's Dinkel Mehl 630 is equivalent to white spelt flour. It is a flour made from finely milled spelt grain. In Germany, it is often used instead of Flour Type 405. It is excellent for bread baking, but is usually combined with other flours because of its high gluten content. Also, because it is high gluten content, bread doughs made with 100% spelt flour can quickly become over-kneaded, resulting in a tough, dry product.
Whole Spelt Flour (Dinkel-Vollkornmehl)
Germany's Dinkel-Vollkornmehl is equivalent to whole spelt flour. It is a flour made from the whole spelt grain.
