Calories in Flour, pastry, unenriched, unbleached

What makes flour so powerful?

Pastry flour is milled from soft wheat varieties, which naturally contain lower levels of the proteins glutenin and gliadin compared to the hard wheat used for bread flour. When these two proteins hydrate and are kneaded, they link together to form gluten, the elastic network that traps gas bubbles and gives bread its chewy texture. Because pastry flour yields less gluten, it produces baked goods with a delicate, tender crumb—ideal for pie crusts, cookies, and biscuits. The "unbleached" designation means the flour has been allowed to age naturally through exposure to oxygen over several weeks, rather than being chemically treated with bleaching agents like benzoyl peroxide to speed up the whitening process. Natural aging also oxidizes the yellowish carotenoid pigments in the wheat, resulting in an off-white color. Furthermore, "unenriched" indicates that no synthetic B vitamins (like niacin, riboflavin, or folic acid) or iron have been added back to the flour after milling. While this preserves the wheat's natural state, it means the flour relies entirely on its inherent endosperm composition, which is relatively low in fiber and micronutrients compared to whole wheat alternatives.