--- title: "All-purpose flour: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates" description: "All-purpose flour is a medium-protein white wheat flour for cakes, cookies, sauces and bread. In the UK it is plain flour, in Sweden vetemjöl." url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/all-purpose-flour" --- # All-purpose flour All-purpose flour is a medium-protein white wheat flour for cakes, cookies, sauces and bread. In the UK it is plain flour, in Sweden vetemjöl. Also called Plain flour, AP flour, Vetemjöl, Hvetemel. All-purpose flour is white wheat flour with a medium amount of protein, usually about 10 to 12 percent in the US. It is made to do most jobs well enough: cakes, cookies, pie crust, pancakes, thickening sauces and even bread. It contains no leavening. If a recipe just says "flour", this is almost always the one it means. ## How to use it The same flour has different names depending on where the recipe was written: * All-purpose flour, or AP flour, in the US and Canada. Canadian all-purpose flour is often a little higher in protein. * Plain flour in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It is often a little lower in protein than American all-purpose, so it makes slightly softer cakes. * _Vetemjöl_ in Sweden and _hvetemel_ in Norway, both meaning wheat flour. Plain flour and all-purpose flour can be swapped one for one in nearly every recipe. A US cup of all-purpose flour, spooned in and leveled, weighs about 120 to 125 g. One Swedish deciliter weighs about 60 g. It is the flour you use to make a [roux](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/roux) for gravy and white sauce, to dust meat before browning, and to flour a counter before rolling pastry. ## Substitutes * For [bread flour](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/bread-flour), all-purpose works but gives a softer loaf with less chew, because it forms less [gluten](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/gluten). * For cake flour, use 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour, take out 2 tablespoons, and add 2 tablespoons [cornstarch](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/cornstarch). Sift together twice. * For [self-rising flour](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/self-raising-flour), add baking powder: about 1½ teaspoons per 125 g (1 cup). ## How to store it Keep it in an airtight container in a cool, dry cupboard for up to a year. Whole wheat flour goes stale faster. Raw flour can carry bacteria, so do not eat raw dough or batter. ## Common mistakes * Scooping straight from the bag, which packs in too much. Spoon it in and level it, or weigh it. * Assuming "plain flour" means unbleached or whole wheat. It only means flour with no leavening. * Not [sifting](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/sift) when a recipe asks for it. Lumps of flour stay as lumps in a thin batter. ## In recipes You will see "2 cups all-purpose flour", "250 g plain flour" and "3 dl vetemjöl". "Flour, for dusting" means a little extra for the counter. ## Recipes that use it 493 recipes from the sites we collect. * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/peanut-butter-banana-muffins-6.jpg)Peanut Butter Banana Muffinswww.skinnytaste.com · 40 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/low-fat-peanut-butter-banana-muffins/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Low-Fat-Strawberry-Scones-8.jpg)Strawberry Sconeswww.skinnytaste.com · 50 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/low-fat-strawberry-scones/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lemon-Blueberry-Buttermilk-Sheet-Pancakes-3.jpg)Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Sheet Pan Pancakeswww.skinnytaste.com · 35 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/lemon-blueberry-sheet-pan-pancakes/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Berry-Buckle-8.jpg)Mixed Berry Buckle Recipewww.skinnytaste.com · 60 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/berry-buckle/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Red-White-and-Blue-Cheesecake-Cupcakes-9.jpg)Cheesecake Cupcakeswww.skinnytaste.com · 95 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/red-white-and-blueberry-cheesecake/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Skinny-Salisbury-Steak-with-Mushrooms-5.jpg)Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravywww.skinnytaste.com · 45 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/skinny-salisbury-steak-with-mushroom/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Air-Fryer-Falafel-6.jpg)Air Fryer Falafelwww.skinnytaste.com · 165 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/air-fryer-falafel/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Irish-Soda-Bread.jpg)Low Fat Irish Soda Breadwww.skinnytaste.com · 55 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/low-fat-irish-soda-bread/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/Czech-Crepes-1-4.jpg)Czech Crepes with Berries and Creamwww.skinnytaste.com · 30 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/czech-crepes-filled-with-mixed-berries/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Chicken-Gnocchi-Soup-18.jpg)Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipewww.skinnytaste.com · 45 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/chicken-gnocchi-soup/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Chicken-and-Broccoli-Noodle-Casserole-8.jpg)Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserolewww.skinnytaste.com · 50 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/chicken-and-broccoli-noodle-casserole/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Wild-Mushroom-_-Farro-Soup-7.jpg)Wild Mushroom and Farro Soupwww.skinnytaste.com · 75 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wild-mushroom-and-farro-soup/) ## Related terms * [Bread flourBread flour is a high-protein white wheat flour that gives chewy, well-risen loaves. In the UK it is strong flour, in Sweden vetemjöl special.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/bread-flour) * [Self-rising flourSelf-rising flour is all-purpose flour with baking powder and salt mixed in. The UK self-raising kind has no salt. Here is how to make your own.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/self-raising-flour) * [GlutenGluten is the stretchy protein network that forms when wheat flour meets water. It gives bread its chew and structure, and too much makes cakes tough.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/gluten) * [SiftTo sift is to pass flour, cocoa or sugar through a fine sieve to break up lumps and add air. Here is when sifting matters and when you can skip it.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/sift) * [RouxA roux is equal weights of flour and fat cooked together to thicken sauces, soups and gravies. Cook it white, blond or brown depending on the dish.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/roux) * [CornstarchCornstarch is the pure starch of corn, a fine white powder for thickening sauces and crisping coatings. In the UK, Ireland and Australia it is cornflour.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/cornstarch) [More in regional names](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/regional-names)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)