All-purpose flour in the UK and abroad
For an American cake or cookie recipe, the UK bag you usually need says plain flour. Leave the self-raising bag for recipes that ask for it.
Quick answer
Plain flour is the UK equivalent of all-purpose flour: white wheat flour without added baking powder. Ireland, Australia and New Zealand also call it plain flour; in Canada, look for all-purpose flour. US all-purpose flour has roughly 10-12% protein and suits everyday baking. Use plain flour in the amount the American recipe specifies, and keep its separate baking soda or baking powder as written.
What to buy where you live
| Country | Local name | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| UK and Ireland | Plain flour | Self-raising already contains baking powder |
| Australia and New Zealand | Plain flour | Choose the version without added raising agents |
| Canada and US | All-purpose flour | Use the recipe's flour type when it names a specialty flour |
| Germany | Weizenmehl Type 405 or Type 550 | 405 for cakes and pastry; 550 for breads and pizza |
| Austria | W480 glatt or W700 | W480 for cakes and pastry; W700 for bread doughs |
| France | Farine T55 | T45 is suited to cakes and pastry |
| Italy | Farina 00 or farina 0 | For cakes, look for dolci or lower protein |
| Spain and Mexico | Harina de trigo or harina de todo uso | Harina de fuerza is stronger bread flour |
| Argentina and Uruguay | Harina 000 | 0000 is used for cakes and pastry |
| Indonesia | Tepung terigu protein sedang | Medium protein, about 10-11% |
| Brazil | Farinha de trigo tipo 1 | Com fermento means it contains leavening |
These are practical choices for cooking from a US recipe. Flour labels don't line up exactly across countries, and the recipe matters: the flour you choose for a tender cake may differ from the bag you buy for pizza dough.
Plain flour vs all-purpose flour and other bags
| Flour | How it differs | Effect in a US recipe |
|---|---|---|
| Plain or all-purpose | White wheat flour without added leavening | The usual choice for everyday baking |
| Self-raising or self-rising | Contains baking powder and sometimes salt | Can add more leavening than the recipe expects |
| Strong or bread flour | More protein, about 12-14% | Suited to yeast doughs; can make cakes and cookies tougher |
| Lower-protein cake or pastry flour | Less protein than an everyday flour | Can make yeast dough softer and slacker |
American all-purpose flour comes bleached or unbleached. Neither label means self-rising. If the ingredient line says all-purpose, choose a bag without added raising agents even when the recipe also calls for baking powder.
Cornflour is another separate product. In UK recipes it means corn starch, used for thickening rather than as the main flour in a cake. The cornstarch and cornflour guide explains the transatlantic naming problem.
Read flour numbers without guessing the protein
German Type numbers describe mineral content, also called ash content. French T numbers also refer to ash. These numbers aren't protein percentages, so a larger number doesn't directly tell you how strong the dough will be.
Italian 00 also doesn't promise low protein. A pizza flour labeled 00 can have 12-13% protein, enough to behave differently from a flour intended for cake. Look for a bag labeled for dolci when baking cakes, or read its protein information.
For a first attempt at an American recipe, choose the local match suited to that dish before changing anything else. Swapping flour and changing the liquids at the same time makes it harder to work out why a batter or dough feels different.
Use the same flour amount, measured carefully
UK plain flour can replace US all-purpose flour in the stated amount for most everyday baking. Keep the rest of the recipe intact. Plain flour doesn't supply the baking soda or baking powder the ingredient list calls for.
A US cup of all-purpose flour weighs about 125 g when you spoon the flour into the cup and level the top. Scooping directly from the bag can add 20-30 g. That extra flour can make the mixture dry even when you've bought the right bag.
Use the recipe's gram weight when it provides one. If it only gives cups, the cups to grams tool can help you measure flour by weight. Don't use a liquid cup's volume as a gram weight for flour.
Avoid fixing a flour problem with extra leavening
A tougher cake after a flour swap may reflect higher protein or an overfilled measuring cup. Adding more baking powder won't remove that extra flour or change its protein. Check the bag and your measuring method before adjusting the recipe.
Self-raising flour needs its own recipe adjustments, so don't treat it as an automatic replacement when all-purpose is unavailable. The baking soda vs baking powder guide explains why those separate ingredients can't be exchanged casually either.
Questions
What is all-purpose flour in the UK?
Buy plain flour. It's the usual UK equivalent for an American recipe calling for all-purpose flour, with no baking powder already mixed in.
Is plain flour exactly the same as all-purpose flour?
It's the practical equivalent for most everyday recipes. Protein varies between bags, so check the label when a delicate cake or a yeast dough depends on a particular flour strength.
Can I use self-raising flour instead of all-purpose flour?
It isn't a direct swap because self-raising flour already contains baking powder and sometimes salt. Use plain flour unless the recipe gives instructions for using self-raising.
Is 00 flour the same as all-purpose flour?
It can be a useful local choice, but the 00 label doesn't tell you the protein content. Choose a cake-oriented 00 for cakes rather than assuming a pizza 00 will behave the same way.
Keep reading
- Free kitchen toolsCups to grams for the recipe in front of youConvert cups to grams by ingredient, with worked examples for flour and sugar. Check US and metric cup sizes, measuring methods and butter amounts.
- Ingredients explainedIs cornstarch the same as cornflour?US cornstarch is UK cornflour. Learn which powder to buy, how it differs from US corn flour, and how to thicken a sauce without lumps.
- Ingredients explainedBaking soda vs baking powder: which to useLearn the difference between baking soda and baking powder, how to substitute them, test freshness and find the right name in another country.