What do gravy, crepes and pie crust have in common? (Other than being delicious, obviously.) They can all be improved by one ingredient: instant flour.
What exactly is this magical ingredient? Instant flour, sometimes referred to as Wondra (a popular brand name), is a finely milled, low-protein flour that’s been pre-cooked and dried out. Because of this, it dissolves instantly and doesn’t clump when added to hot liquids like all-purpose flour would. It also means you don’t have to cook out that raw flour taste beforehand, which streamlines your overall prep time.
OK, so how can I cook with it? Replace instant flour in sauces and batters that call for all-purpose flour. Use it in your gravy recipe to get it silky smooth and lump-free. It makes a super-crispy breading for fried fish or veggies, and because it dissolves so quickly, your Sunday morning crepe batter doesn’t have to rest as long before you get cooking. But our absolute favorite application? Piecrust. Swapping it with all-purpose makes for a far flakier bite, thanks to its low-protein content. (Protein means gluten, and gluten means tough crust.)
Anything else I should know? Yes. Instant flour is not interchangeable for every recipe. Since it’s low protein, it won’t behave the same in recipes that rely on all-purpose flour for gluten formation (read: chewiness), like bread or pizza dough. And because some baking recipes are so precise, you might not get the fudgy brownies you’re looking for if you swap.
