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3rd Class Flour, What's It All About

For starters i cannot make this Hard Monay if i did not bring any 3rd class flour or soft weak flour to New York. Once i ran out of 3rd class and tried Cake Flour, it turned bad, do not even think of using All Purpose, it will be soft but not chewy as this one made with yes, 3rd class indeed. So third class is hard to find here in the US if you will use that term. You have to say or look for soft wheat flour, that's it, not hard wheat flour, not cake or All purpose but something in between these two. It is easy to find in the Phil., just ask your local bakery suppliers and they know it is Tercera. Tercera is not for bread, bakers use it basically for cookies, cakes and other pastries, but we bakers know how to create bread recipes using part of this flour with the bread flour or hard wheat flour. It makes a softer version of any of your fave breads, with a cheaper price tag. Plus if i own a bakery, i get to use the third class for my cakes and cookies, lowering my food cost in the end. Both Cake and All purpose flours are expensive, third class is at least 15 pesos cheaper. Here, i baked a batch of Hard Monay which is a favorite amongst my students, it is chewy, sweet, milky and filling. Just dunk it in hot coffee and you are good to go.
Sugary top, delightfully Pinoy. Hard Monay, if you proof it longer, it will taste the same but will be bigger of course, and not as siksik or fine in texture. Be sure to catch up with my baking lessons if you want to learn how to start a bakery, my classes will start this October 15, 17 and 19. Only 7-8 students will be accepted. www.breadmakinglessons.com

Comments

hi. i am going to make "hopia seboyas baboy" and i'm in the states too. the recipe calls for "3rd class flour" and you tried to mention "soft weak flour" and "soft wheat flour" in explaining what is a substitute for 3rd class flour. What do you mean by it? If you don't get what I mean, you might want to re-read your blog. Please get back to me ha? Big thanx!
Unknown said…
BROILED HIBISCUS 3rd class flour is actually "soft wheat flour" only here in the Philippines we use to called it tercera clase or 3rd class. you might want to ask is there is a 1st and 2nd class flour? yes there it is
albert manuel
Anonymous said…
aaahh!!!alas!!! I found the answer! third class flour is soft wheat flour!!!thank youuuuu sooooo much!!!!im looking for third class flour here in UK,they cudnt tell as well...so glad for this article!!!
Anonymous said…
What's the purpose of 2nd class flour?I was reading all the comments and now I know what kind off flour I need to buy.in us it's easy to find the flour.
Aira Amosin said…
I’m part of this group on FB and there’s a viral recipe about Soft Rill that includes Bread Flour. I have a Third Class Flour (Hard) and I’m a little confused if it’s bread flour or not. Since a lot of users on that group says it’s better for cookies and some said Bread Flour is 1st class. But when we asked in the Baking store, they said it’s Third Class. I’m confused.
Anonymous said…
1st class is bread flour. You will get a better rise from the dough using it. 3rd class is more for cookies or items you don't need a big rise. You will get more air bubbles in 1st class. You could go all purpose which is also here in Philippines. I'm an old Baker from Canada now living in the Philippines. Hope that helps.
Shirley said…
Correct.1st class is bread flour and ypu cannot use 3rd class for breads because the protein content of 3rd class is only 9 to 9.5 .
Shirley said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Shirley said…
2nd class is Segunda or All purpose flour. Protein content is at 10 to 11 %. 2nd to Primera or First class wc is Bread flour
Shirley said…
Bread flour or first class is at 12 to 14.5% that's why it's called 1st class or Primera
Unknown said…
1st class flour is bread flour
2nd class is all purpose flour because its consistency is between the bread and cake flour
3rd class flour is also called cake flour use for cakses,
Unknown said…
Thank you for the explanation. Now i know. God bless
trisha said…
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Unknown said…
3rd class flour is referred to as "pastry flour" in the US, normally used for pastries, cookies, muffins, etc.

It's not exactly "cake flour" which has an even lower protein content, i.e. lower gluten formation.

I suppose, if you need to rank them gluten-wise, it will be:

1. Bread flour (1st class)
2. All-purpose flour (2nd class)
3. Pastry flour (3rd class)
4. Cake flour (I have never seen this referred to as 4th class anywhere, it's just usually called cake flour).

For more detailed explanation of the different types of flours, one of my go-to references is https://www.seriouseats.com/2020/07/wheat-flour-guide.html
Lovely said…
1st Class Flour - Bread Flour (Hard Wheat Flour)
2nd Class Flour - All Purpose Flour (Everyday Bake Value)
3rd Class Flour - Pastry Flour (Soft Wheat Flour) (i.e. Cookies, Crackers, Biscuits, Cupcakes etc.)
Anonymous said…
The author use 3rd class flour because Hard Monay does not need to rise & airy although Monay is a bread. Thank you for people here who shared their knowledge about the difference between 1st, 2nd, 3rd & cake flour. Not anymore confused which flour to buy in baking my pandesal in the absence of "bread flour" in the grocery. Truth is bread flour is hard to find here in my place. 1st class flour is bread flour & always available.
Unknown said…
Thank you for this article! I have been looking for a while now but what the difference between the classes of flour. Thanks everyone!
Unknown said…
Can i use third class flour in making pita breads?
Sherqv17@gmail.com said…
You can't use 100%3rd class to make the Pita because it still needs that gluten to make the Pita rise, but you can use all purpose flour, 100%.

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