Flour for pasta, pastry and cakes in France

Hi Matt,

I live in France and find it difficult to buy flour for pasta, pastry and cakes. Can you please advise me on what flour to buy?

Many thanks,

Marie.

Answer: Hi Marie,

I've spoken to an American foodie friend who lives just outside Paris. Here is what she advises:

"Flour gets classified by different qualities such as as ash content, protein content, and other things. Each country does it differently of course.

"Farine Type 45. In France, the flour that is readily available at the grocery store has an ash content of 45. I believe this is equivalent to what you would call superfine double zero (00) flour or 'doppio zero' in Italian (i.e. the perfect flour for making egg pasta - Matt)

"Farine type 55. The substitute for what we English speakers call all-purpose or general flour is farine type 55. This is less commonly available, but by looking at the packages you can find it in France.

"Farine fluide. There is another type of flour called farine fluide. This is still a type 45 but it has been sifted and will more readily mingle with the liquid ingredients.

"Semoule fine de blé dur. This would be the one to go into your eggless pasta, made just with water (see this page - Matt)."

Hope that sorts things out for you Marie... if you discover anything else please feel free to drop an additional comment here.

Matt.