starch vs. Flour - what's the difference?

The culinary arts have produced an undeniably long list of seemingly indistinguishable ingredients. Along with butter and shortening are flour and starch. After all, confusing starch with flour is not a surprise, since both are used in cooking and baking.

It goes without saying that flour and starch play a vital role in countless recipes. Whether you use them as thickening agents for sauces, breading for frying, or as main ingredients in baking, avoiding these two ingredients is nearly impossible.

This brings us to the central question: What is the difference between starch and flour?  Starch is a simple carbohydrate, and flour is the powder that results from grinding raw whole grains. Flour contains high levels of starch, but the starch does not contain flour. Starch contains empty calories, while flour contains some protein and minerals. They can be used in a similar way in cooking, but the starch is better for frying as it makes a crispier breading.

Of course, this short answer barely scratches the surface. Therefore, to adequately address this issue, this guide will delve into the specific characteristics, nutritional content and practical applications in the kitchen of these two foods. So don’t stop reading.

starch vs. Flour - How they are made

If we look at starch and flour, and rely solely on what they look like, it would be very easy to confuse them.

After all, they are both white powders with almost identical textures. In addition, they are also derived from plants, such as potatoes, wheat, rice grains or corn.

Despite sharing a common origin, one of the most striking differences between flour and starch is the amount of processing that goes into their production. Whole grain flour, for example, only needs a minimal amount of processing. 

Starch production, on the other hand, is a totally different story, since you have to remove almost everything else before you get to the final product. Remember that starch is one step away from being considered a sugar. 

To really understand these substances, we need to take a closer look at them.

What is starch?

Simply put, starch is a form of carbohydrate, albeit a simple one.

Remember that plants store their excess energy in the form of starch . This is true for cereals like rice, corn, and wheat, but it also applies to crops like potatoes. 

Although it originates from plants and grains, the starch undergoes a rigorous reduction process before turning into a white, odorless and tasteless powder . Of course, it contains remains of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms.

Starch, being a simple carbohydrate, can easily produce glucose once digested. Glucose helps provide the body with the energy it needs to function.

With that said, it’s pretty clear why starch has found a multitude of uses in the kitchen. For example, starch is commonly used as a sweetener and thickening agent in recipes.

What is flour?

Flour, on the other hand, is a powder that we obtain by grinding or crushing raw grains.

Traditionally, the beans are crushed between stones or wheels until they become the white powder we all know.

Of course, technological advances and modern machinery have made the process more efficient over the years, but the same concept still holds true.

Flour made from cereals has many forms. Listed below are some of the most commonly used types of flour:

• Wheat flour
• Rice flour
• Cornmeal
• Spelt flour
• Rye flour

Notice that, throughout history, these cereal flours have been used as main ingredients in various staple foods in different cultures around the world.

Whether you are going to bake bread, make dough or prepare sauces, any type of flour will always be an indispensable tool to have in the pantry.

starch vs. Flour - Proper Use

As you probably already know, both flour and starch are incredibly versatile ingredients in the kitchen.

Below are the different ways to use them when frying and making sauces. This serves to show how their properties can affect how they are used in the kitchen.

make sauces

Take note : both flour and starch are great if you want to make thick sauces . However, in this regard, starch has a clear advantage. Here we briefly explain why:

• Starch is flavorless - The fact that starch is flavorless makes it an ideal thickening agent for sauces. It is the definition of a neutral palate. This means that you won’t be forced to adjust the recipe to achieve your desired flavors when using the starch, because it just blends in deep, so to speak, and lets your other ingredients shine through.
• Starch makes sauces look good - Once fully incorporated into your sauce, starch helps create a glossy glaze. This makes your sauce look more tempting and appetizing.
• Starch doesn’t clump - One of the main complaints home cooks have with flour is that it tends to clump. This means that you will have to work to smooth the sauce if you want to get it to the right level of consistency. Of course, this is not the case when working with starch, since it never cakes during the cooking process.
• Starch has twice the thickening power of flour - Compared to flour, starch has twice the thickening power. This means that you also have to use smaller amounts. For example, instead of putting 2 tablespoons of flour, you will only have to use 1 tablespoon of starch.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you should always choose starch over flour when working with sauces. Listed below are some of the benefits of flour:

• Flour is versatile - It must be said here that using the starch with vinegar-based sauces, or any highly acidic mixture, would be inadvisable. It just won’t mix well. Fortunately, this does not happen when working with flour.
• Flour works best with fat - If you’re working with rich, buttery sauces, flour is definitely the go-to.

Ultimately, the choice to use starch or flour ultimately depends on the type of sauce you’re making.

For example, if you are going to make a flan or a sauce, starch will be your best option. However, if you want something creamy, you may want to use flour.

to fry

Flour and cornstarch work perfectly for frying.  They make an excellent breading. However, there are subtle differences that you should be aware of.

Specifically, flour will not be able to give you the perfect crunch that we all seek when making a fried chicken recipe.

It goes without saying that starch is the best breading option for frying. It can give you the perfect browning and sweet crunch you want with every bite.

By the way, not only do you need the right starch and/or flour to fry up a delicious meal, you also need the right pot!

starch vs. Flour - Nutritional value

Now that we’ve established the various manufacturing processes for flour and starch, as well as the various ways to use them, it’s time for us to take a look at another crucial aspect to discuss. We refer to the nutritional value of flour and starch.

Below is a table showing the number of vitamins and minerals you can expect from cornmeal compared to cornstarch.

Nutrition Facts for Corn Flour vs. Corn Starch

As the table above makes explicitly clear, whole wheat flour is significantly more nutritious than starch. This is true in all respects.

The most notable is the amount of protein found in the flour. To be more precise: flour has at least 16 times more protein than starch.

In terms of important vitamins and minerals, starch does literally nothing. That being said, based on the data itself, it’s clear that you can expect very little nutrition from starches.

Therefore, it is fair to say that they are what have been called empty calories.

It should also be noted that fad diets, especially gluten-free ones, use high levels of starch.  Note that this is the case in many of these gluten-free recipes . That is why most of these diets are contrary to their supposed objectives.

Clearly, this is a case where knowing the ingredients can make a real difference in the healthiness of your diet.

There you have it, everything you need to know about starch and flour. We’ve covered everything from the making process to their different uses in the kitchen, as well as the nutritional value you can expect from these ingredients.