Cake flour and bread flour

ncmc

Hi all, I am looking at an American recipe online for chocolate chip cookies and it is quite insistent that a mix of cake flour and bread flour must be used to achieve the crunchy outside and chewy inside. Problem is, I have no idea what these are! I am new to baking and my knowledge extends to plain flour and self raising :rolleyes:. Can anyone tell me if cake flour and bread flour are available in Ireland or if not, what would be the closest thing?

Also, what would be the best chocolate to use for the choc chips? Thanks in advance.

MissFlitworth

The flour used to make bread here would normally be Strong Flour & cake flour could be either plain or self-raising (depending on whether there are other raising agents in the recipe like baking powder, bicarb of soda etc). Polish shops sell Cake flour, it's the one with 'Tortowa' on the bag



Sometimes American recipes can be hard to get right when they call for specific types of flour, because you can't get exactly what they recommend over here.

If you're looking for big, fat, chewy chocolate chip cookies (like the fancy ones in M&S) then I can highly recommend taking a look at this thread, they are amazing

You can use any chocolate you like for cookies, as long as it's chocolate you enjoy eating Don't use wonderbar or anything like that is all I'd say

Toto Wolfcastle

Cake flour has less gluten (and less protein I think) in it. I do recall seeing a few threads in this forum where Americans have found it difficult to get their usual recipes right because they haven't been able to find it in Ireland.

The Sweeper

Protein - cake flour is about 10% protein or so, bread flour is over 12% protein. The packets will be labelled 'plain flour' and 'strong flour' or somthing similar.

ncmc

Thanks for the great replies, thank you for the link MissFlitworth, that recipe looks a bit more straightforward. Just one question though, when they say all purpose flour, does that mean plain? As you can see, my knowledge of flour is pretty limited

The recipe I was looking at said that for best results, keep the dough in the fridge for at least 24 hours before cooking to let the flavours really develope, would that be recommended for all cookie dough?

Also with regards to the chocolate for the chips, would an ordinary good quality milk chocolate work, or would you need high cocoa plain chocolate, or cooking chocolate?

MissFlitworth

Yep, that's just plain flour I tend to make the dough up and then make some of the cookies straight away wrap a couple of rolls of dough up in clingfilm & pop them in the freezer to use whenever a craving strikes & I can't say I've noticed any change in the flavours. I am a bit hazy on this but I *think* putting the dough in the oven straight from the fridge means the cookies won't flatten out as much, so they'll be a bit fatter. But not 100%

Defo don't use cooking chocolate, just pick whatever chocolate you like to eat. When you look at the cookie dough you'll see it actually just looks like a big ball of chocolate chunks, held together with dough (*drool*) so it's important that the chocolate is one you like. I've seen people over in that thread have great success with dairymilk, galaxy, lidl 70% cocoa solids etc. etc.

ncmc

Thanks again MissFlitworth, I have read that whole cookie thread you posted (and then I wonder why i'm starving :rolleyes:) and have decided to try that recipe with Galazy hazlenut bar in it as mentioned by a few posters in that thread

Last question, I promise, the recipe calls for them to be cooked on parchment rather than grease proof paper, is this hard to get? I am hitting Tesco later on, would they have it?

TeletextPear

ncmc wrote: »

Thanks again MissFlitworth, I have read that whole cookie thread you posted (and then I wonder why i'm starving :rolleyes:) and have decided to try that recipe with Galazy hazlenut bar in it as mentioned by a few posters in that thread

Last question, I promise, the recipe calls for them to be cooked on parchment rather than grease proof paper, is this hard to get? I am hitting Tesco later on, would they have it?

Parchment and greaseproof paper are pretty much the same thing, grease proof will probably be the one Tesco has and that'l be fine for cooking the cookies Id say!

ncmc

TeletextPear wrote: »

Parchment and greaseproof paper are pretty much the same thing, grease proof will probably be the one Tesco has and that'l be fine for cooking the cookies Id say!

I would have thought that too, but on the thread people were saying that they stuck to the grease proof paper and recommended parchment or greased cookie sheets whatever the hell they are!

Oh just realised, they probably mean baking tray when they say cookie sheets?

MissFlitworth

I normally buy parchment paper in tesco, Dunno the difference between that & greaseproof but have been well warned off greaseproof by other people who've had sticking nightmares!

Yep, cookie sheets are just big baking trays

Toto Wolfcastle

Greaseproof paper is not non-stick like parchment is. I'd use greaseproof for wrapping food, never for baking.

Faith

Bobblehead Panda wrote: »

Greaseproof paper is not non-stick like parchment is. I'd use greaseproof for wrapping food, never for baking.

Same. You need to grease greaseproof paper or things will stick, while nothing will stick to parchment generally.

ncmc

Bobblehead Panda wrote: »

Greaseproof paper is not non-stick like parchment is. I'd use greaseproof for wrapping food, never for baking.

Thanks for all the replies, got some baking paper in Tesco which says is silicone coated which I believe is the same as parchment paper.

Making these cookies today, will let you know how I get on

ncmc

I made the ones Miss Flitworth linked to at the weekend

I used 240g of sugar, and about 240g of Galaxy Hazelnut. Left the mixture overnight and baked for 15mins (used a potato scoop to scoop them out so they were quite large) I felt they were cooked just right after 15 mins. They tasted amazing! I could not believe that something I made turned out so well! Crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside. Brought them over to the in-laws and everyone thought they were fab. They really are fool proof and my inlaws now think I am a master baker. Thanks again for all the help!