Flour types - 405 and 550

I have a dilemma!

I usually use type 405 flour for baking cookies and cakes and for general use. However, my bf bought the wrong one (type 550) which I have never seen before and is called something like 'extra backstark'.

On the back of it is a picture and recipe for heavy pastry... is there a huge difference between the two? Will it be ok for choc chip cookies?

Thanks!

Urban Angel

Rosenmehl website with Info on the types of flour
you sure you don't usually use 405? Much more common than 450. Let us know if you could tell the difference in your cookies, if they were tougher or anything.

You can use the 550. It supposedly has a stronger wheat flavour and is used more for breads, but with all the sugar and vanilla and other stuff you'll put in the cookies, you'll never notice the difference.

what is the equivalent of 'self raising' flour? (for Yorkshire Puddings)

There is none in Germany, so you have to use normal plain flour with baking powder. I can't remember what the ratio should be, something like 1 cup (US measurement, I use a normal sized mug) of flour, to 1 tsp baking powder.
Please correct me someone if I'm wrong!! Don't want to ruin anyone's baking.

@Gen possibly 405, just the 'normal' plain flour.

@Gen yes it's 405 I normally use. After reading the explanation on the website, I'm going to go out and buy 405 for my cookies! Thanks for the useful link/advice everyone.

thanks Urban Angel - I'll try that. That'll be bakpulver then or some such thing

Exactly, Backpulver. Usually says on the packet how much to use though.
Although I just found this link :
Self-raising flour

thanks!

From what I've heard, the difference between 405 and 550 is that 550 has more gluten in it.

405 / 550 reminds me of the NKP values on the (i think that is what it is) mixture on bags of fertilisers .

Does anyone know the equivilent to all-purpose US flour? All of my baked goods have turned out miserably and I think the flour is the reason why.

We do not have the fan assisted oven and fortunately we are getting a new oven in the next few weeks but I would really like to figure this out before I want to bake for the holidays!

Thanks!

Gen posted a link above to Rosenmehl flour.

If you can't read German, it basically says that Type 405 is very fine and therefore it's good for cookie dough and other sweet desserts. I think that would be what you would use for "baked goods".

Hope that helps!

Not sure what you mean by all-purpose flour. In the UK there is plain flour, and there is self-raising flour. They only sell plain flour in Germany (type 405). The self-raising you have to make yourself by adding baking flour into plain flour.

There is a different type of flour (maybe it is the 550) that is more prevelant around christmas. And the 405 is not the same as american plain flower - I think it may be more like cake flour.
Anyway, especially for tollhouse cookie recepies, I always add more flower - I would guesstimate for a recipe requiring 2 cups of flour I will add between 1/4 and 1/2 extra german standard flour.

I made the best oatmeal raisin cookies of my life on Friday night (yes, how boring is my life?). Anyway, I just used the normal flour (405) without sifting it (no sifter) and the cookies were perfect (if I may say so myself - I've eaten almost all of them by myself!)

I have never sifted flour is that important?

Sifting is useful to combine your baking soda, baking powder and salt together so everything is distributed evenly... it also makes it easier to mix your batter when you add your wet ingredients.

I use a sieve for all flour! Otherwise it can get lumpy :S

Sifting is not always crutial (sp?) but it definitely helps to avoid lumps. Nothing more awful than trying to get rid of huge lumps of flour on your mixture.

My American recipes have not been working out... even with the 405 flour. I read somewhere that there was a suggestion to mix some of the 550 so I am going to try this.

I am really hoping that it is our oven...

Then do give the recipe please, as I love oatmeal raisen cookies.

Well, for some stuff I don't bother, and to be honest, I predominantly use this griessler flour they sell over here, which is super fine, but sifting can be pretty key.
Its not all about "lumps" atall; its more to do with getting a load of air into your flour. Whack 500g of flour in a bowl, look at how "big" it is, then sift it and have another look. It will look bigger, because you have loads of air in it. This adds lightness to alot of dishes.

I ALWAYS use 550 flour when cooking / baking...

I emailed King Arthur Flour a big company in the US that many bakers know and love and they gave me the following information:

Type 405 - .50 ash - Similar to American pastry flour

Type 550 - .50-.58 ash - Similar to American all-purpose flour

I would also recommend making sure that you have baking powder and baking soda from home because I have learned that American Arm and Hammer Baking soda is double acting and not single acting like the German variety. (Hertie has this for about 1.50€)

And what exactly does that mean? I have the regular baking powder here and things seem to turn out OK. Hell, I don't even know what baking powder does - really, why do you need it?

We've done baking powder before

Baking powder / Baking soda

Thanks Don Riina - I guess TT does cover it all.
As long as it makes my pancakes 'poofy' then I'm happy.

I just found a pretty helpful source on cooking in Germany at http://www.awccologne.org/index.php?option...id=17&Itemid=27. Lots of translations of spices and other advice.

Here's the bit on flour/baking: Baking Tips

You may have noticed from your baking experiences that German flour is just not the same as the flour in America! Flour varies greatly in its ability to absorb moisture, depending on the type of wheat from which it was milled and how it was processed and stored. German "Weizenmehl" is milled from soft, European wheats lower in protein and water absorption capacity than the hard wheats grown in North America. The all-purpose flour used for baking in America is generally a blend of hard and soft wheat flours and may be bleached or unbleached. Only unbleached flour is available in Germany, which has higher nutritional value. U.S. flours are also pre-sifted which means they are ground much finer than German flours, which are not pre-sifted.

Types of flours:
Type 405: the finest flour, for cakes and pastries
Type 1050: for bread and yeast products
Type 405S: (19% protein) high-protein flour for bread, pasta
Type 1700: wholemeal or Weizenschrot, for whole wheat breads
Instant flour: never use in baking, only for thickening gravies and sauces

American self-rising flour is regularly milled flour to which leavening and salt have been added. It is not usually available in Germany.

Why sift flour? Sifting flour incorporates air since flour has a tendency to settle in its package. All German recipes are based on weight, not volume. But Americans measure by volume (cups). Flour measured by cups may weigh 130g or more. When a recipe calls for 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour, 115 g is the specific weight. For greatest accuracy, weigh your flour when baking.

Try these tips to improve the quality of your baked goods:

Sift your flour 2-3 times before measuring.
Decrease liquid slightly in recipe because the lower protein quantity of European wheat cannot absorb as much liquid.
Increase oven temperature if cakes continue to turn out gooey.

I want to try making cinnamon rolls using my bread machine for the dough t o take to a friend's house for brunch. I've found several American recipes calling for "bread flour". Should I try using 550 (if they have it at my local REWE) instead of 405? I always use 405 for cookies and have never had any problems with it...