what is bleached flour

Bleached flour is all-purpose flour in which chemicals, such as chlorine dioxide and benzoyl dioxide, have been added to hurry along the flour’s aging process, producing a flour that is whiter and brighter. The chemical aging makes for a flour with a finer grain and one that has more volume and a finer texture than one that is aged naturally (aka unbleached flour). The bleaching process uses bleaching agents like benzoyl peroxide or chlorine dioxide to break down the starches and proteins in flour, making it softer and more absorbent. Baked goods made with bleached flour can take on more fat and more sugar, making the final result extra tender and rich, with a softer texture. While bleached flour is not bad for you, some chemical compounds in bleached flour have been linked to adverse effects in animal and test-tube studies. More research in humans is needed to evaluate the safety of these bleaching agents.