Flour might be one of those ingredients you select at the grocery store based on price and availability. But as professional pastry chefs know, the flour you use makes a large impact on your cakes, cookies, and other baked goods. 

For most baking projects, you’re likely going to want all-purpose, the most versatile type of flour that is typically made with both high-gluten hard wheat and low-gluten soft wheat. AP flour should have between 8 and 12%  protein — strong enough to develop the gluten in breads, and soft enough to maintain a fluffy, delicate crumb in cakes.

The brand of flour you select is important, too. “When it comes to flour, consistency is my top priority,” says Kelsey Bush, owner of Loretta’s in Philadelphia. In this case, the word “consistency” has a double meaning. There’s the consistency of the flour itself — a bag of AP flour should be uniform, fine, and powdery, with as few lumps as possible. There’s also the need for consistency from bag to bag. You should know exactly what to expect when you’re purchasing the same brand of flour. 

We reached out to professional pastry chefs and bakers to find out which brand of flour we should be buying to make bakery-worthy treats at home. Five of them said the same thing.

The best all-purpose flour for baking: King Arthur Baking Company

When it comes to mass-produced flour companies, King Arthur takes the crown. The all-purpose flour is unbleached, non-GMO, and never treated with potassium bromate — a chemical additive that can improve the quality of baked goods, but is linked to cancer. King Arthur is praised for its consistent protein content, at 11.7%, and reliable quality.

“I’ve used their flour for years, and I can always count on it to perform exactly as expected,” says Bush. “We work with large batches of baked goods at Loretta’s and we need to be certain of the outcome every time. I deeply appreciate [King Arthur’s] ability to provide a reliable, consistent product.”

Leanne Tran, pastry chef of the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn, New York, also relies on King Arthur flour. “It’s the most consistent in quality, which is important for large-scale production and ever-changing pastry items,” she says.

The same goes for Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor, Michigan, another famous bakery. “No matter where you live in the country, if you want a reliably good flour made by a great employee-owned company that’s been selling flour since 1790, King Arthur Flour is a perfect choice,” says Zingerman’s managing partner Amy Emberling.

At La Casita Bakeshop in Richardson, Texas, owner Maricsa Trejo uses premium Miller Milling flour, designed for big-batch baking. But for casual baking at home, Trejo almost always uses King Arthur. “They have a wide variety of flours and it’s always consistent,” she says. “King Arthur is truly the king of the flours.”

2022 F&W Best New Chef Caroline Schiff uses King Arthur at home and in professional kitchens — she even requested it specifically for use at a recent pop-up event. “The gluten and protein [content are] just the right level that you can use it for [everything from] breads to cakes, muffins, pie doughs, and cookies. The results are just really, really consistent,” she says. 

Small-batch flours that bakers swear by

When professional bakers aren’t using big-name brands like King Arthur, many of them prefer working with small milling companies to get the freshest, most complex flour possible. Here are some of their favorites — all of which you can order online.

Central Milling

The most used flour at Chicago’s Loaf Lounge (where the The Bear chocolate cake originated) is from Central Milling in Logan, Utah. Co-owner Sarah Mispagel-Lustbader uses its Red Rose Flour — a blend of Hard Red Winter wheat and Dark Northern Spring wheat — for bread, croissants, and most of Loaf Lounge’s cookies. “I love it so much, I got the red rose from the bag tattooed on me a few years ago,” she says. $21 for a 50-pound bag at centralmilling.com

Cairnspring Mills

“I proudly choose Cairnspring Mills flours for their unwavering commitment to soil health and the artistry of fresh stone-milled grains,” says Arturo Enciso, co-owner of Gusto Bread in Long Beach, California. The Washington-based company stone-mills a variety of grains from local farmers. “The rich flavor of their identity-preserved wheat elevates my baking, infusing our products with unparalleled complexity.” $20 for a 5-pound bag at cairnspring.com

Janie’s Mill

Emberling’s favorite regional mill is Janie’s, a flour company in Ashkum, Illinois. “They have a great selection and are making a real difference in the Midwest grain economy,” she says. “They sell their flours in home baker sizes and ship them directly to you.” $5 for a 1.5-pound bag at janiesmill.com

Maine Grains

Maine Grains in Skowhegan is just a few hours away from Kelsey Morgan’s “mini-bakery,” Mari. “Their flour adds a whole spectrum of flavors and textures to our menu,” she says. “Flour is often an ingredient that you don’t give much thought to, but once you experience the nutty, toasty magic of whole-grain flour, it’s hard to go back.” $62 for a 25-pound bag at mainegrains.com