All Purpose Flour vs. Bread Flour in Bread

Preview: 

Since quarantine, I have been very intrigued by the process of bread making. Therefore, I have tried many different bread recipes, and have finally found one that never fails me. Before finding my favorite recipe, I tried multiple recipes, and the main difference I noticed was the different types of flour that the recipes would request. Therefore, I decided to experiment with how different types of flour affect the bread.

Process: 

The base recipe I used was:

https://www.lifeasastrawberry.com/easy-crusty-french-bread/

The process for both loaves of bread was the same, except for switching out what flour I used. 

The following pictures and captions represent my process:

Ingredients for both loaves of bread

All the ingredients in a bowl, during the mixing process

The all-purpose flour dough (left) and bread flour dough (right) at the beginning of the rising process

The all-purpose flour dough (left) and bread flour dough (right) at the end of the rising process

Both dough balls after the 1st rising process, and before baking

Results:

After baking both loaves of bread, I decided to bring them to my gymnastics practice, so I can get my friend's blind reactions and opinions to both loaves. I did not tell them which loaf had which type of flour. I first gave each person “bread #1” (which represented the loaf with bread flour). My friends and coaches described this loaf, as dense, and with a softer crust. Ava Buquoi said: “This tastes more factory-like.” Victoria Roberts said: “It tastes like Panera bread” (because Panera’s bread is tougher). My coach Stefanie Anglin said: “This one would go well with soup because it is denser.” After hearing all these comments, I decided to let them try bread #2 (which represented the load with all-purpose flour). People described this loaf as fluffy, and airy, but with a tougher crust. Ava Buquoi said: “Bread #2 was softer and tastes better, along with it being easier to eat.” Victoria Roberts concluded by saying: “I like bread #2 much better.” Other comments were made such as “Bread #2 would be better for sandwiches,” and “This one tastes much fresher.” In conclusion, everyone enjoyed the loaf made with all-purpose flour much better, because of its fluffiness and softness. 

Final result of both loaves of bread, all-purpose flour loaf (left) and bread flour loaf (right)

The Difference in the 2 Flours:

The only difference is that bread flour has a higher protein and gluten content, than all-purpose flour. This means that bread flour would take longer to rise, which could have been why bread #1 was denser.