The most common grain to ground into flour is wheat. However, as different grains have different purposes, other grains can be used. Enriched flour is flour sprayed with vitamins and other nutrients to replace the nutritional value lost when the bran and germ were removed.

Flour enrichment is the addition of nutrients to white flour that are removed during milling. When wheat is milled, bran and germ from the wheat kernel are removed and the endosperm is processed into white flour, striping all dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins.

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Here are the best flours for your specific needs.

• Best Overall: King Arthur Organic Unbleached All-Purpose Flour.
• Best Budget: Gold Medal Unbleached All-Purpose Flour.
• Best Whole Wheat: Arrowhead Mills Organic Whole Wheat Flour.
• Best White: King Arthur Organic White Whole Wheat Flour.

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• Whole-wheat flour makes for a more wheat-y and substantial bread.
• Durum wheat flour has the highest protein of all flour.
• Rye flour does not contain any gluten-forming proteins, so it is used in conjunction with a minimum of 80% white wheat flour (less, and the rye would cause the bread to be gummy).

Bleached flour works well in recipes like cookies, pancakes, waffles, quick breads, and pie crusts. Meanwhile, unbleached flour is better suited for puff pastries, eclairs, yeast breads, and popovers.

• Almond flour. Almond flour is usually made with almonds that have been blanched and then finely ground to a light, floury texture.
• Coconut flour. Coconut flour is made from coconut pulp that’s been dried out and then ground up.
• Quinoa flour.
• Chickpea flour.
• Brown rice flour.
• Oat flour.
• Spelt flour.
• Buckwheat flour.

Unbleached flour and all-purpose flour are functionally the same, so you can use them interchangeably in most baking. Unbleached flour produces breads and rolls with a creamy off-white texture, rather than pure white, but with a very similar texture and height as those made with bleached all-purpose flour.

UNBLEACHED or BLEACHED FLOUR Unbleached all-purpose flour has more protein and weighs slightly more than bleached flour. So if you are able to use bleached flour for cookies, which will help make them more tender and may make colored doughs brighter, do so.

Foods made with bleached flour tend to have a softer texture, more volume, and a brighter color than those made with unbleached flour. Bleached flour is best for making cookies, pie crusts, quick breads, muffins, and pancakes.