Whole wheat flour vs. whole wheat pastry flour

Whole wheat pastry flour is made from ground soft white wheat, while traditional whole wheat flour is made from ground hard red wheat. It is softer and finer, and doesn’t weigh down baked goods or overpower the flavor like traditional whole wheat flour can.

While using whole wheat flour in many baking recipes can give you that whole grain taste and health benefits without sacrificing texture or flavor, it can be problematic in yeast recipes as the flour doesn’t have as much gluten power due to its low protein content. If you plan to use whole wheat pastry flour in yeast-risen recipes, consider using it in combination with bread flour, or be sure the dough gets plenty of kneading and rise time. If you plan to use whole wheat pastry flour in other non-yeast recipes like cookies, muffins or quick breads, you can substitute it 1:1 for all-purpose flour.