Flours of the worldAsh · Grind · Protein

What can I use in place of W480 in the United Kingdom?

The recipe asks for Austria's W480. On a shelf in the United Kingdom the closest designation is plain / soft flour — workable with adjustment. Below: the figures side by side, what changes in the bake, and the standards both come from.

§ 01

Find the flour to buy

Say where the recipe is from and what it calls for, then where you shop. You get the designation to buy, the figures side by side, and what might change in your bake.

Recipe from
Austria
The recipe calls for

W480Common wheat

Ash / mineral contentA roller mill not only cracks the grain, but also sorts the fragments and re-combines and re-grinds the separated fractions. This allows to control the amount of the outer layers vs inner parts of the grain that end up in the flour. Because the core of a grain is almost entirely made of starch, and the outer shell has almost all the minerals, this choice determines the mineral content of the finished product. This property of the flour is also called 'extraction': lower extraction means less of the outer shell is in the finished product.0.33–0.58 %fixed by the standardProteinProtein (both total mass and quality) are determined by the grain variety, the soil and the amount of nitrogen fertiliser. The mill cannot change this, but will blend different lots for product consistency. Protein content is mostly watched in wheat varieties, because of its relevance in bread making.9.5–11.5 %typical market range, not regulatedGrind / particle sizeWhen sorting the grain fragments, the mill can also control the particle size of the product. Note that this is different from extraction: Flour of the same extraction grade (i. e., with the same mineral content) can have different particle size.fine or grittyfixed by the standard
Shopping in
United Kingdom
Buy type 1/5

plain / soft flourCommon wheat

Workable with adjustment
Ash / mineral contentA roller mill not only cracks the grain, but also sorts the fragments and re-combines and re-grinds the separated fractions. This allows to control the amount of the outer layers vs inner parts of the grain that end up in the flour. Because the core of a grain is almost entirely made of starch, and the outer shell has almost all the minerals, this choice determines the mineral content of the finished product. This property of the flour is also called 'extraction': lower extraction means less of the outer shell is in the finished product.0.40–0.55 %typical market range, not regulatedProteinProtein (both total mass and quality) are determined by the grain variety, the soil and the amount of nitrogen fertiliser. The mill cannot change this, but will blend different lots for product consistency. Protein content is mostly watched in wheat varieties, because of its relevance in bread making.8.0–10.0 %typical market range, not regulatedGrind / particle sizeWhen sorting the grain fragments, the mill can also control the particle size of the product. Note that this is different from extraction: Flour of the same extraction grade (i. e., with the same mineral content) can have different particle size.finetypical market range, not regulated
W480→plain / soft flour Workable with adjustment
Ash / mineral contentA roller mill not only cracks the grain, but also sorts the fragments and re-combines and re-grinds the separated fractions. This allows to control the amount of the outer layers vs inner parts of the grain that end up in the flour. Because the core of a grain is almost entirely made of starch, and the outer shell has almost all the minerals, this choice determines the mineral content of the finished product. This property of the flour is also called 'extraction': lower extraction means less of the outer shell is in the finished product. about the same 0.33–0.58→0.40–0.55 % fixed by the standard→typical market range, not regulated
ProteinProtein (both total mass and quality) are determined by the grain variety, the soil and the amount of nitrogen fertiliser. The mill cannot change this, but will blend different lots for product consistency. Protein content is mostly watched in wheat varieties, because of its relevance in bread making. −1.5 % 9.5–11.5→8.0–10.0 % typical market range, not regulated→typical market range, not regulated
Grind / particle sizeWhen sorting the grain fragments, the mill can also control the particle size of the product. Note that this is different from extraction: Flour of the same extraction grade (i. e., with the same mineral content) can have different particle size. fine fine or gritty→fine fixed by the standard→typical market range, not regulated
Where the figures come from
Ash / mineral content 0.33–0.58→0.40–0.55 % fixed by the standard→typical market range, not regulated
Protein 9.5–11.5→8.0–10.0 % typical market range, not regulated→typical market range, not regulated
Grind / particle size fine or gritty→fine fixed by the standard→typical market range, not regulated
What you might have to change
  1. About 1.5 pp less protein. Reduce water by 2–4 %, mix less, handle gently — it tears sooner and holds less gas.
  2. United Kingdom: protein itself is not regulated, so two bags of the same designation can vary significantly. Read the nutrition panel for the actual number.
Practical implications of these numbers

Higher ash content More water absorbed, faster fermentation, more flavour. The bran particles can impair the gluten network. Mix gentler, ferment shorter.

Protein up More water needed, longer mixing, better gas retention and oven spring, chewier crumb. Wrong for sponge and shortcrust.

Grind coarser Slower hydration. The dough firms up over the first twenty minutes after mixing, as the water is absorbed.

Practical implications of these numbers

Higher ash content More water absorbed, faster fermentation, more flavour. The bran particles can impair the gluten network. Mix gentler, ferment shorter.

Protein up More water needed, longer mixing, better gas retention and oven spring, chewier crumb. Wrong for sponge and shortcrust.

Grind coarser Slower hydration. The dough firms up over the first twenty minutes after mixing, as the water is absorbed.

Other options

  • strong white bread flour Limited as a substitute Ash / mineral content 0.50–0.65 % Protein 11.5–13.5 % Grind / particle size fine
  • very strong white Limited as a substitute Ash / mineral content 0.50–0.68 % Protein 14.0–15.5 % Grind / particle size fine
  • brown flour (~85 %) Limited as a substitute Ash / mineral content 0.90–1.30 % Protein 12.0–14.0 % Grind / particle size fine

Open the full comparison

The standards behind these figures