what is all purpose flour

All-purpose flour is a versatile type of wheat flour that is milled from hard red wheat or a blend of hard and soft wheats, typically at an 80:20 ratio. It is suitable for all types of baked goods, such as bread, biscuits, pizza, cookies, muffins, and can also be used to thicken gravies and sauces. All-purpose flour is a medium-strength, medium-gluten flour that is designed to be acceptable for making crusty breads as well as delicate pastries and cakes. It is a blend of strong and weak flours formulated to be suitable for most purposes, such as baking, cooking, coating meats, vegetables, and as a thickening agent for sauces and gravies. All-purpose flour is usually around 12 percent gluten, give or take a percent depending on the brand. In the United Kingdom, all-purpose flour is commonly referred to as plain flour.