Choosing the best flour for bread machine is actually very simple. You just need to know a few things and my post will definitely guide you in the right direction.
It’s very important to choose the right flour, no matter what type of bread you plan on making. You’ll see just how easy it is to pick out the best flour for the main preprogrammed settings that come with all bread makers.
The same type of flour can be used whether you’re letting a bread machine do all the work for you or if you plan on mixing and kneading the ingredients by hand or with the help of a stand mixer and then baking them in a conventional oven.
These flours will fit both uses: manual and automatic. You don’t need to buy separate flours and there are no separate flours that work just for bread machines.
The best flour for bread machine is simply the best flour that you can buy for the particular recipe that you’re trying to make. It can be white bread flour, whole wheat bread flour, a variety of gluten-free flours, cake flour, pastry flour, etc.
If you’re looking to bake your own sourdough bread, check out my recommendations for the best flour for sourdough. Zojirushi Virtuoso even has a sourdough starter cycle.
Contents
Best Flour for Bread Machine: Top Picks for All Recipes
1. Best White Bread Flour: Bob’s Red Mill Organic Unbleached White Flour
Bob’s Red Mill White Flour is the perfect bread flour because it has all the needed characteristics: the only ingredient is organic hard red wheat, it has a high protein content, it’s unbleached, unbromated, and organic.
2. Cheaper White Bread Flour: King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
There’s absolutely no way that we could sit here and talk about the best flour for bread machine and not include the King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour. It’s not organic but other than that it’s absolutely excellent.
3. Best Whole Wheat Bread Flour: Great River Organic Milling, Organic Whole Wheat Bread Flour
This whole wheat bread flour is not only organic and made from the best grains, locally grown wheat, but it can actually help you make whole wheat breads, pizzas, and so much more without maybe adding vital wheat gluten and the price is good, too.
4. Best Gluten-Free Bread Mix: Pamela’s Products Amazing Wheat Free & Gluten-free Bread Mix
This wheat-free, gluten-free, and non-dairy bread mixes is one of the best gluten-free bread mixes that will help you make all kinds of gluten free baked goods that will impress absolutely everyone, plus the price is great.
5. Best Gluten-Free Flour: Anthony’s Brown Rice Flour
This is one of the cheapest gluten-free flours that everyone seems to love because it only has one great ingredient, brown rice, and it’s also stone-ground, while still maintaining a nice texture.
6. Best Cake Flour: King Arthur Flour, All Purpose Unbleached Flour
Another great flour from King Arthur, this time an all purpose unbleached flour that will work perfectly as cake flour, perfect for making pastries.
7. Best Italian Cake Flour: Antimo Caputo Chef’s Flour
There’s no denying the high Italian quality that this cake flour has, it’s made only of wheat but the fine texture is what makes it absolutely perfect for all desserts, while working perfectly for making pizza and pasta, too.
Best Flour for Bread Machine for the Basic White and Dough Settings
Any user manual is going to tell you that you should use bread flour if you want a nicely risen loaf, instead of getting a flat tiny one.
That’s one of the most important tips that anyone can offer you when it comes to knowing how to use a bread maker.
Why should you use bread flour for the basic white and the dough cycles? Simply because bread flour is high in the protein that produces gluten. A high concentration of gluten leads to a nicely risen loaf. Each and every single time.
You need a good bread flour that’s:
- strong
- high in gluten
- unbleached
- not bromated
But what if you don’t have bread flour around? Then you use all purpose flour. You can see why that works by reading my bread flour vs all purpose flour article.
Self-rising flour, the one that already has yeast and sometimes salt added, it’s not that good for this cycle because it won’t make a beautifully risen loaf.
The best experience was when I went to a mill with my own grains and they transformed them into an absolutely fantastic product. I’ve had my machine make me some of the most delicious loaves from the entire time that I’ve been using a bread machine.
If you want to replicate that experience, check out my post on how to make flour at home. In case you do that, you might also need a flour sifter.
1. Bob’s Red Mill Organic Unbleached White Flour, 5 Pounds
The Bob’s Red Mill Organic Unbleached White Flour weighs 5 pounds and it has a really affordable price.
It’s really good for loaves, rolls, baguettes, for pizza dough, pasta, and many other tasty treats. It works great for desserts, too.
It works perfectly with a bread machine.
Everything you make with it will come out nicely risen and delicious because it has a high concentration of gluten.
Another advantage is that it’s unbleached and unbromated.
Plus, it’s organic. And, obviously, it’s non GMO.
The only ingredient for this fantastic best flour for bread machine? Organic hard red wheat.
That’s it. Just the way it should be. You’re paying for flour, that’s what it says on the bag, and that’s what you’re getting.
However,
The price is quite high for my tastes. If you feel the same, check out my other recommendation, it’s just below.
Thus,
You get amazing quality and the bags are reinforced with plastic for a safe delivery, but the price is a bit high.
What more could you ask for from a best flour for bread machine if you plan on using the basic cycle or the pizza/pasta dough setting?
2. King Arthur Flour, Unbleached Bread Flour, 5 pounds
This King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour is more than half the price than the above Bob’s Red Mill .
It’s a favorite for so many people.
And how could it not since it’s basically perfect?
Perfect quality perfect price.
Those words are more than enough to convince you that this is the best flour for bread machine and not only.
Use a bread maker, your hands, or a stand mixer, whatever you prefer but choose this flour for your loaves, pizza, and pasta.
This is a flour high in gluten.
They state that their bread flour is 12.7% protein – a full point higher than other brands.
The dough will rise perfectly and the texture will be divine.
And, obviously, this is a non GMO product.
Unbleached and unbromated.
There are just two ingredients: unbleached hard red wheat flour and malted barely flour.
That’s it.
I try to stay away from enriched flour, I don’t know exactly if it’s healthy or unhealthy but I prefer keeping things simple. Basic natural ingredients is what I’m always looking for.
This King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour is the best combination you can find, healthy and high quality at the same time with an unbeatable price.
It’s an amazing flour for bread makers, for loaves, pizza and pasta dough, and all sorts of other mouth-watering things without exceeding any budget.
3. King Arthur All Purpose Unbleached Flour
If we don’t have bread flour for the white basic and dough settings, then we can use all-purpose flour.
If we’re making different types of white bread or if we want to make pizza dough or pasta dough, all-purpose flour can certainly be picked as the best flour for bread machine.
Moreover, if you’re in a pinch and you want to make cakes but you have no cake flour, you can use all-purpose flour instead. It won’t be perfect but it’s certainly doable.
So, if you’re looking to buy a white flour that can have a lot of purpose, all-purpose is the choice you should make.
I don’t need to tell you that King Arthur has some of the best flours.
This all purpose one is unbleached, which is what we should be always looking for.
It’s made from unbleached hard red wheat flour, malted barley flour.
4. Great River Organic Milling, Lily White Bread Flour, All-Purpose, Organic, 25 Lb
Another great all purpose flour that you can buy for a multitude of recipes, whether they’re made by hand, in a mixer or in a bread machine is this one from Great River Organic Milling.
But it’s only a good choice if you know that you need a big bag, like their 25 pounds of flour.
It’s also organic. That means that it’s not going to be cheap. But I wouldn’t say that it’s outrageously expensive either. Somewhere in between. But I totally get it if you’re not the least bit interested in organic flours for your bread maker.
It has a 11.5% protein content. It’s pretty high if you want to use it to make cakes but it’s just the perfect protein content for breads and pizza.
This Great River Organic Milling all purpose flour is made from carefully selected non-GMO wheat.
As recommended storage, we are informed to store it in air tight seal containers. We should also store it in cool, dry, dark conditions, in the freezer or refrigerator. Those are the best ways to keep it fresh for at least a year.
Best Flour for Bread Machine for the Whole Wheat Cycle
Whole wheat loaves are delicious. That’s not their problem. The problem in that the flour (rye, barley, rice, corn, pumpernickel, etc.) is not as high in gluten.
First solution: make a mix from 2 parts whole wheat and one part all purpose.
Second solution: add vital wheat gluten, which will help it rise more.
It’s up to your preferences.
1. Great River Organic Milling, Organic Whole Wheat Bread Flour, 25-Pound Package
The Great River Organic Milling makes a really great whole wheat organic flour from non GMO grains, obviously.
It can be used to make loaves, bread sticks, pizza dough, pasta, and other treats like these.
And,
It makes perfectly risen products so you can even skip adding vital wheat gluten.
Try it without and see if you’re satisfied and if it doesn’t rise as much as you’d like, add vital wheat gluten.
The price is very nice, indeed.
I can’t day that I’m dissatisfied with, quite the contrary.
This is locally grown wheat and that’s the main reason for choosing this as a top recommendation for the best flour for the whole wheat cycle.
And.
It’s made by grinding the grains between two millstones, which means that it contains all the nutrients found in wheat.
It doesn’t get any healthier than that.
It works perfectly in a bread machine as well as in a stand mixer or if you choose to make the dough by hand.
You’ll get complete satisfaction and deliciously tasting breads.
2. Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Flour, 5-Pound
This is another nicely priced best flour for bread machine for the whole wheat cycle.
The price is almost identical to the above one.
This one from Bob’s Red Mill comes in bags of 5 pounds but there are 4 of them so, you get 20 pounds.
This one is not organic but I don’t think it matters.
There’s only one ingredient: whole grain hard red wheat.
Indeed, perfect.
And,
It’s also stone ground on slow-turning quartz millstones.
You will get all the nutrients.
If you want big quantity, good price, and quality, and all delivered at your door step, Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat might be what you really need.
Best Flour for Bread Machine for the Gluten-Free Cycle
The bread makers that include the gluten-free setting, like:
- the really affordable Hamilton Beach Programmable Bread Machine
- and the more expensive Zojirushi Virtuoso and Breville Custom Loaf
All these machines are capable of making delicious gluten-free loaves.
Their user manuals have a few recipes for this cycle. There aren’t many but you can also find more in a cookbook for bread makers or on the Internet.
Just remember to add the ingredients in the order specified by your user manual and you are free to experiment as much as you want and find your favorite gluten-free recipes.
1. Pamela’s Products Amazing Wheat Free & Gluten-free Bread Mix, 4 pounds
It’s hard to find a gluten-free flour that makes really good loaves and dough. With Pamela’s mix everything becomes simple and delicious.
And the price for this best gluten-free flour is pretty incredible, too.
It’s just perfect and I think it should be among your top choices.
There’s plenty to be made with that so you can put your bread maker at work.
And you just have to enjoy the end product.
This one is wheat-free, gluten-free, and non-dairy.
It’s a mix from a wide range of flours:
- sorghum, tapioca, white rice, sweet rice, and brown rice flour
- plus other ingredients: natural evaporated cane sugar, inulin, millet flour, molasses & honey, rice bran, sea salt, xanthan gum
When you add the ingredients in the baking pan, you can skip on adding salt but you should definitely add yeast.
Pamela’s Products Amazing Wheat Free & Gluten-free Bread Mix doesn’t contain yeast.
Even those who don’t eat gluten-free are going to love it.
You can also order it from their website here.
They also have a lot of recipes there, I’m sure you’re going to find a lot of inspiration for your gluten-free diet.
It’s the perfect substitute with the best taste and texture.
Plus,
I don’t think you can get a better price!
It’s one of the most affordable gluten-free flours and for sure a best flour for bread machine. I also included it in my post on the best gluten free bread mixes.
2. Anthony’s Brown Rice Flour, 5 pounds
Everyone is loving this flour and how could they not?
It’s perfect for all kinds of baked goods, including making bread using a bread machine.
Most importantly,
It has an amazing price.
Anthony’s Brown Rice Flour is one of the cheapest gluten-free flours.
And very tasty.
It only has one ingredient: brown rice.
That’s all there is to it and it’s great.
It’s also stone ground. The texture is nice, not grainy at all.
It’s gluten-free, wheat-free, and diary-free.
But it’s not organic, in case you expressly want only organic products.
It’s a favorite for many users who need or choose to eat gluten-free and that’s the only confirmation I need for truly recommending Anthony’s Brown Rice Flour. That and the enticing affordable price.
Best Flour for Bread Machine for the Cake Setting
Except the really cheap Oster CKSTBRTW20, the majority of bread makers have the cake setting.
For the cake cycle, if you want delicious pastries, you’re going to use pastry flour or all-purpose.
As I said, everything is simple when it comes to letting a machine do a big part of the work.
Both my choices come in big quantities but you can use they for desserts, breads, pasta, and pizza.
They both cover a wide array of needs and it’s very difficult choosing between the two because they’re simply fantastic.
All in all,
It has been a delight writing this article because I was able to find such high quality products. The same holds true for these next two and the last ones in my post on the best flour for bread machine.
1. King Arthur Flour, All Purpose Unbleached Flour, 2 pounds
The King Arthur Flour, All Purpose Unbleached Flour has a fantastic price, pretty much identical with the next one from Antimo Caputo.
Each bag weighs 2 pounds but you get 12 bags.
There are only two ingredients: unbleached hard red wheat flour and malted barely flour. Free from GMOs.
Unbleached and unbromated.
Just the way I like it.
I’m sure you’re going to love it.
One thing I can tell you for sure is that you’re going to make wonderfully delicious pastries with it.
You can make things like pancakes, muffins, cakes, pie crusts, dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, biscuits, and so on.
2. Antimo Caputo Chef’s Flour, 2.2 Pound (Pack of 10)
If you decide to get Antimo Caputo Chef’s Flour, you will receive 22 pounds.
That’s a lot of pastries to be made with.
The price is great, too. This one is pretty affordable and I love it for it.
Besides the fact that it’s Italian, it definitely won me over.
It’s additive-free, all natural.
The texture is very fine, they say that they grind the wheat slowly and they only use wheat and wheat alone.
They clearly know what they’re doing, this is an excellent choice for cakes, pastries, pasta, pizza, and breads. All-encompassing.
It’s a best flour for bread machine, an amazing all purpose flour that can be used for conventional baking, as well.
But that’s true of all of the above flours.
Your family will be immensely happy.
It’s amazing for pizza crusts and pasta, after all it’s Italian, but it works beautifully for pastries, as well, because it’s extra fine.
And that’s it guys.
If you want to explore more of what a bread machine can do, check out these bread machine cookbooks.
I hope I gave you a good starting point in choosing the best flour for bread machine, whatever setting you might be planning on using.
Best Flour for Bread Machine FAQs
If you still have a few problems with picking the best flour for bread machine for your recipes, let’s answer some questions to round-up everything you need to know.
1. Is there a difference between bread flour and bread machine flour?
There’s absolutely no difference there are no flours that are ground just for bread machine use. The flours that we use in a bread maker are the same flours that we would use if we were to knead the dough by hand. When we mention bread flour, we’re usually referring to white flour for making all kinds of bread. If we’re getting white bread flour, that’s the one we use for the basic white and dough settings on a bread maker. For the same settings, if you don’t have bread flour then we can use all purpose flour. There’s little difference between the two.
2. Can I use regular flour in a bread machine?
You should use the type of flour the recipe requires. If you’re making white bread or pizza dough, you can use white bread flour or all purpose flour. If you’re making whole wheat loves, you’ll have to use whole wheat bread flour. Gluten free flours or flour mixes for gluten free loaves. The cake setting will call for pastry, cake or all purpose flour.
3. What is the best flour to use in bread machine?
It depends on the recipe you’re making. In my guide on the best flour for bread machine I reviewed the best options based on the settings that a large majority of bread makers come with: white basic, whole wheat, dough, gluten free, and cake settings.
