flour
All-purpose flour
10–12% protein; softer crumb and faster relaxation.
- Protein
- 11%
About
All-purpose flour (King Arthur AP, Gold Medal AP) sits between bread flour and pastry flour at 10–12% protein. The lower protein produces a tender, more relaxed gluten that doesn't fight back during a roll-out — the right behavior for tavern-cut and tonda romana, where you roll the dough thin with a pin and want it to stay put. AP also has slightly less absorption than bread flour, so a recipe scaled from bread to AP usually wants 1–2% less water. For NY and Detroit, AP works in a pinch but produces a softer, less chewy crumb.
Substitutes
- Bread flour — expect chewier crumb