So, can you substitute pastry flour for all-purpose flour? Yes, but with a wink. Use it for tender treats—cookies, muffins, pancakes, scones—where softness is the goal. Avoid it for anything that needs to stand up and be counted, like bread, pizza, or bagels. If you’re in doubt, just remember: lower protein = softer teeth; higher protein = more elbow grease to chew through.
And if your cookies turn out a little too pillowy? Call them “French-style” and nobody will question you. I’ve done it. It works. Now go bake something, you magnificent flour-swapping rebel.