All-purpose flour is the Swiss Army knife of your pantry. It’s a neutral, unbleached or bleached wheat flour with a middle-of-the-road protein content (usually 10-12%). It doesn’t have training wheels. It demands you add your own baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
You want cookies? It’s your guy. A roux for gravy? Perfect. A crusty loaf of bread? That’s a stretch unless you’re using a very specific brand, but for most cakes and pancakes? Absolutely. The beauty is control—you decide exactly how much lift or chew you get. The downside? If you reach for it in a panic and forget the leavening, you’ll create a brick. Don’t be that person.
