Semolina flour

Ground to extreme fineness, this flour is made from soft wheat varieties, and is frequently used in Italian pastas. The fineness of the grind makes 00 dough easy to roll to extreme thinness (necessary for pasta).
Best for: Pasta, very thin crusts.
Don’t use for: The grind is too fine for successful bread.

Is a by-product in the production of semolina. It is usually enriched with four B vitamins and iron, and used to make noodles

Rice flour has a granular, coarse texture and is gluten-free. Combine it with softer, finer oat flour for a more malleable dough.
Best for: Sponge cakes, noodles, fritters, and tempura batters.

With a high protein content, bread flour is made from hard wheat and contains a greater amount of gluten than AP, which is made from softer wheat varieties. When worked by hand-kneading or processing with a dough hook in a stand mixer, the gluten is developed and contributes to a chewier consistency, which is desirable in artisan breads. It brings excellent structure to dough’s, making it the “underwire bra of the baking world,” says Reid. Bois prefers to use it just for extra-chewy baked goods, like pretzels and bagels, due to its dense and heavy texture

Although there are dozens of alternative flours available, we’ll focus here on the most common. When experimenting with new or unfamiliar flours, use tested recipes for the best result.

With a fine texture and lower protein content thanks to soft wheat varieties, pastry flour is the go-to for sweets for many serious bakers. Many commercially-available pastry flours are bleached, although both some millers, like King Arthur and Bob’s Red Mill, offer unbleached pastry flour.
Best for: Pie crusts, breadsticks, pound cakes, muffins.
Don’t use for: The lower amount of gluten means that this flour produces bread with less structural integrity

This flour is milled from the entire kernel of wheat. The presence of bran reduces gluten development, therefore, items baked with whole wheat flour tend to be heavier and more dense than those made from enriched flour. Bakers often add additional gluten to counteract this. (one tablespoon/cup of whole wheat flour used