5 Top Substitutes for Whole Wheat Pastry Flour: Flavor Boost

Baking can be fun, and it can produce delicious items when using the right whole wheat pastry flour.

But if you bake regularly, chances are your flour runs out fast.

So, can you use something else to make your favorite items? Yes, of course, you can.

In the following sections, we will learn about the 5 best substitute for whole wheat pastry flour.

What is Whole Wheat Pastry Flour?

When the finest soft white wheat is stone ground, it produces whole wheat pastry flour.

It has a protein level between cake flour and all-purpose flour.

It is therefore suitable for making a tender and crumbly pastry.

Since it is light, it is useful in making fluffy and flaky items.

You can make various baked goods like quick breads, cookies, pies, biscuits and brownies.

Experts suggest not to use it for yeast breads as you may not get the desired results.

If you intend to bake something delicious and you don’t have it, use the following for various purposes for great results.

5 Best Substitutes for Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

Unlike many other products, there are not many alternatives for whole wheat pastry flour.

But these can do the trick.

1 – All-Purpose Flour and Cake Flour

If you don’t have the pastry flour, a combination of cake flour and all-purpose flour can work quite well too.

Many bakers and baking enthusiasts use these when left with no option.

Cake flour has the lowest protein, while all-purpose flour has a medium gluten protein content.

Pastry flour, on the other hand, has the second-lowest among all flours.

So, you have to use the correct measurement when using both varieties in place of whole wheat pastry flour.

That way, you can bake your items as you want.

Suitable ratio:

• 1 cup pastry flour = 2/3 cup all-purpose flour + 1/3 cup cake flour.

2 – All-Purpose Flour and Cornstarch

Another substitution would be cornstarch with all-purpose flour.

Since the latter is low on gluten, it can combine well with the former to create the right dough.

When you add cornstarch to all-purpose flour, the combination decreases the protein level in all-purpose flour.

Hence, when you bake your snacks, you will have light and airy products with the texture you want.

Cornstarch is a versatile item to have in the kitchen.

You can do plenty of things with it and even use it for medicinal purposes.

It is also a multipurpose natural cleanser that you can use at home.

For substituting pastry flour, use the following measurement.

Suitable ratio:

• 2 cups pastry flour = 1 and 3/4 cup all-purpose flour + 1/4 cup cornstarch.

3 – Whole-Wheat Flour and All-Purpose Flour

Whole wheat flour has a higher protein level, and alone it will not produce the wanted results.

But you can mix it with all-purpose flour to get a great product.

Though not perfect, it can substitute very well for whole wheat pastry flour when the latter is not available.

You can make a variety of baked products.

It is also a healthier choice as it contains fiber, minerals and vitamins and also protein.

But since it has gluten, those who are intolerant of the substance should be careful when using it.

When substituting, use the following ratio.

Suitable ratio:

• 1 cup pastry flour = 1/2 cup whole wheat flour + 1/2 cup all-purpose flour.

4 – Cake Flour and Whole Wheat Flour

Another suitable substitute is whole wheat flour with cake flour.

In this combination, bakers suggest the same amount of each type for best results.

If you add more of either, you may not have the best results.

One has a high protein level, while the other has less gluten and a lower protein content.

Thus, when you get the right quantity for each, you can have an almost close product like whole wheat pastry flour.

You can bake scones, cookies, biscuits and pie crusts with the combination.

You can also try making other items and see how it comes out.

Suitable ratio:

• 10 tablespoons pastry flour = 5 tablespoons whole wheat flour + 5 tablespoons cake flour.

5 – Ancient Whole Wheat

There are several ingredients in this category like barley, Kamut, and spelt.

These are pretty dense, and they have high protein levels. However, they are nutritious and delicious.

You can therefore use it in place of whole wheat pastry flour. But the result may not be as expected.

But there is one thing you can do and see if it works.

Since whole wheat flour and ancient whole wheat varieties have almost similar protein levels, you can mix ancient wheat like spelt flour with cake flour.

You might be surprised by the result. You can certainly use only one of the ancient varieties.

But you won’t have fluffy and light products. So, try it with cake flour in small quantities at first.

For example, suitable ratio:

• 2 tablespoon pastry flour = 1 tablespoon cake flour + 1 tablespoon spelt flour.

Make a dough with this and bake.

If you get a good result, you can make a large batch but follow the same ratio (2=1+1) or as required.

Conclusion

You might not get the exact results as with whole wheat pastry flour from all the substitutes.

This is because all the varieties are different in texture.

But you are sure to come up with delicious products.

So, when you don’t have your favorite variety, simply try one of the substitutes and make delicious items.

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