We can't possibly talk about baking without mentioning flour, as this ingredient is the starting point or the core of delicious baked goods. So if you have started to develop an interest in baking and don't know where to start, you can begin by stocking up your pantry with all-purpose flour. It is dubbed as the staple among staples because it is the most versatile of all types.
From crusty biscuits and fluffy muffins to chewy cookies, all-purpose flour can help you make all these. To help you as you shop for this pantry staple, we have prepared a list of recommended products and a v=buying guide fact-checked and reviewed by registered nutritionist-dietitian Samantha Morales.
Quick List - Top All-Purpose Flours
Samantha began her career in clinical nutrition and weight management at a tertiary hospital in Manila, Philippines. Her practice allowed her to give nutrition counseling and plan modified diets for patients with medical conditions. Presently, she does private practice to focus on true holistic wellness - an approach that believes in aligning one's mind, body, and spiritual well-being.
Our recommendation articles are carefully researched and crafted by the mybest Philippines team of writers and editors. To stay true to our company’s mission and vision to help users’ selection process easier, we also collaborate with experts from various fields to ensure that our content stays factual and useful.
The expert oversees the Buying Guide only, and does not determine the products and services featured.
Here are some key points to consider:
While scouring the flour aisle of markets, you're bound to encounter two types of all-purpose flour, the bleached and unbleached ones. Learn about their differences below.
All freshly-milled flours usually have a yellowish tone. In order to get rid of it, some of them are treated with bleaching agents, like benzoyl peroxide, to speed up their aging or color-changing process. These modified flours that have an intense white color are called bleached flours.
The process that bleached flours undergo does not only make them paler; it also allows them to have a finer grain and softer texture. Hence, they are easier to work with as they are also less sticky and capable of providing your dough a good volume.
Unbleached all-purpose flour is the one that comes with a yellowish shade. Because of its creamy color, not a lot of people prefer it. However, it is the better pick if you're making pastries that must have a dense and compact finish since it has a denser grain and tougher texture.
Contrary to its name, this type of flour also gets bleached over time. As it ages and gets continuously exposed to oxygen, its yellowish shade turns white too. The only difference from bleached ones is that the process it undergoes to change color is natural and slower.
Suppose you're following a gluten-free diet or have any gluten sensitivity. In that case, there are also gluten-free alternatives made with a blend of potato starch and whole-grain flours that you can opt for instead of your regular all-purpose flour.
They usually work well in recipes that call for regular all-purpose flour. Hence, you wouldn't have to worry about the outcome of your baked goods.
Aside from choosing the suitable flour for a particular recipe, it is also crucial to get an appropriate packet size for your baking needs. Most brands sell all-purpose flour in standard kilo packets, allowing you to buy 1kg up to 10kg bags of flour for your bulk baking needs or the entire household's consumption.
On the other hand, if you just occasionally bake or only need something for that one recipe you're making, you can purchase smaller all-purpose flour packets that come in bags of 500 grams to 800 grams.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Maya All Purpose Flour|Enriched & Pre-sifted | ![]() | Accurately Bake With This Pre-sifted Flour | |
2 | White King All Purpose Flour Big Pack | ![]() | Miss No Nutrients With This Enriched All-Purpose Flour | |
3 | King Arthur Gluten Free Flour | ![]() | Make Deliciously Gluten-Free Pastries With This Flour | |
4 | Magnolia All Purpose Flour | ![]() | All-Natural Staple For Your Baking and Cooking Needs | |
5 | Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose Flour | ![]() | Versatile Enough to Create Sweet and Savory Dishes | |
6 | All About Baking All-Purpose Flour | ![]() | Economical and Easy to Work With | |
7 | Bob's Red Mill White All Purpose Flour | ![]() | Whip Up Something Guilt-Free With This Organic and Vegan Flour | |
8 | Ellie Unbleached All Purpose Flour | ![]() | Best for Making Baked Goods With Distinct Texture | |
9 | Great Value Gluten Free All Purpose Flour | ![]() | A Treat for Those With Gluten Sensitivity |
Gracing this list is this all-purpose flour from Maya, a well-loved brand that has always been present in Filipino kitchens since 1962. This flour went through three meticulous processes to ensure its quality, letting you whip up excellent and high-quality baked goods.
Aside from the usual milling process that all flours undergo, it also went through an enrichment method to restore nutrients like iron and necessary B vitamins that it lost during milling. On top of that, it also underwent presifting, which gives it fine particles.
Hence, unlike other flours, this one is free of lumps and can absorb liquid well. Because of this, it is also easier to blend it with other ingredients when making doughs or batter. It also requires you to merely stir it upon use - no need for sifting.
This all-purpose flour by White King is something that you can depend on when it comes to your pastry baking needs. Since it is infused with benzoyl peroxide to act as a bleaching agent, it has a whiter color, soft texture, and more refined grains that work exceptionally well with bread, cookies, and pastries.
It is also fortified with vitamin A and iron, nutrients that most flours lose during the milling process. In terms of packaging, it comes in a resealable bag with a press and seal mechanism that ensures its freshness even without repacking it to an airtight container.
Formulated with a blend of white rice flour, whole grain brown rice flours, tapioca starch, and potato starch, this gluten-free flour promises baked goods with the same quality as those made with regular flour- free of aftertaste and grittiness.
Unlike other gluten-free flour that would require the presence of different flours to achieve your desired result, this one can simply substitute the regular all-purpose flour in a 1:1 ratio. Therefore, it is also ideal for baking various pastries, like cakes, muffins, and cookies.
It is also non-dairy and non-GMO, but worry not, as it can still provide excellent texture and flavor to your baked goods like its dairy counterparts. Additionally, it is also fortified with iron, calcium, and vitamin B.
Milled using premium-grade wheat with innate good properties, this flour is perfect for your baking and cooking needs. While it can be a great staple to use for making pastries, it can also be an excellent addition to make your ulam's sauces more viscous.
Aside from that, you can also use it for coating your favorite fried foods. This all-purpose flour is made with a blend of all-natural ingredients. To recover its partially lost nutrients from the milling process, it is also enriched with vitamins A and iron.
Gold Medal's all-purpose flour offers good value for money and enough versatility to aid in everything, from baking your favorite pastries to frying meat or thickening sauces. It also did not undergo any additional bleaching process, so it has a creamy hue that resembles the natural wheat color.
In order to recover its lost nutrients from the milling process, it is enriched with iron and various B vitamins. On top of that, it is also presifted, so it comes with refined and lump-free grains; you wouldn't have to worry about your dough forming clumps mid-baking.
If you're looking for one to stock your pantry with continuously, this all-purpose flour by All About Baking may be a wise choice. With less than 60 pesos, you get a 1-kilo packet of flour that can be good enough for your entire household's consumption.
Since it underwent a bleaching process, it also contains agents that provide your baked goods a good volume. Bleached flours like this one tend to be less sticky as well, making them easier to work with and suitable for a variety of dishes, from your favorite pastries to tasty fried foods.
For individuals who practice a vegan lifestyle, this all-purpose flour by Bob's Red Mill is an excellent choice to replenish your pantry with. This product is entirely vegan, so it is free of eggs, honey, and other dairy ingredients that may also pose as allergens for some.
On top of that, all the ingredients used in the product are grown and produced organically. It is also unbleached and unenriched; hence it is free of any trace of chemicals. It is ideal for whipping up various pastries, like cakes, muffins, cookies, and even pizza!
Unlike most choices in the list, this all-purpose flour is unbleached, meaning it has not undergone a bleaching process, and it is free of any trace of chemicals that serve as color-changing agents. Hence, its color slightly differs from the usual intense white, as it has a yellowish tinge.
Unbleached flours like this one from Ellie are usually less refined and have a distinct texture, making them suitable for recipes with a unique mouthfeel like eclairs and puffs. Additionally, this flour also contains various essential vitamins, such as vitamins A, B, and E.
This all-purpose flour by Great Value is something that will fit the dietary restrictions of those with gluten sensitivity. It is made using a blend of potato starch, sorghum flour, sweet rice flour, and more ingredients, allowing it to be free of wheat, oats, rye, and barley.
Although free of wheat and gluten, it is still suitable for various baking and cooking recipes. Like regular flour, you can use it to whip up pastries, sauces, and even kinds of pasta. It comes in a resealable pack that allows you to maintain its freshness even after every use.
Excited to bake that new recipe you found online? Before warming up your hands for kneading, make sure to replenish your baking arsenal with these baking ingredients!
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Author: R. Victoriano
Our buying guide was carefully researched and crafted by the mybest team of writers and editors, in collaboration with the expert featured in this article. We used the buying guide as a basis for choosing and ranking the product recommendations, and we looked at reviews and ratings from different E-commerce sites like Lazada, Shopee, and more.
No. 1: Maya|All Purpose Flour|Enriched & Pre-sifted
No. 2: White King|All Purpose Flour Big Pack
No. 3: King Arthur|Gluten Free Flour
No. 4: Magnolia|All Purpose Flour
No. 5: Gold Medal|Unbleached All Purpose Flour
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
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