All-purpose Flour

All-purpose flour is a refined wheat flour with a fine, off-white powdery appearance. It has a neutral flavor and moderate protein that balances tenderness and structure across baked goods, and it blends smoothly into batters and doughs. Commonly sold bleached or unbleached, often enriched; staple for cakes, cookies, breads, pancakes, and for thickening sauces and gravies.

Modern all-purpose flour emerged with roller milling in the 19th century, spreading through North American and European baking. Wheat kernels are tempered, roller-milled, and sifted to remove bran and germ; many products are enriched and some are bleached to standardize color and performance.