Gold Medal Unbleached All-Purpose Flour: A Flour Test for Pound Cake, Cookies, and Bread

The inspiration for this post started in just that way, with me standing in the baking aisle like a weirdo, wondering what that bag of Gold Medal unbleached all-purpose flour would do for all of the fun bakes in my kitchen. If you’re also so inclined to stare longingly at paper bags of flour in aisle 5, then this post is for you.

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I recently put Gold Medal flour – a classic flour – through a months-long flour test in my kitchen—not to compare it to others, but to understand what it brings to the table in my own bakes. From tender pound cakes to chewy cookies, this is what I discovered.

Table of Contents

A Quick Note Before We Begin

Let’s start here: this is not a comparison post. This isn’t a battle between big names. This post is simply my personal and professional evaluation of Gold Medal’s Unbleached All-Purpose Flour—a flour that’s been widely available in American grocery stores for decades. It was my Mommy’s default flour, and I remember many Sundays, watching Gold Medal flour particles filling the air while she made her absolutely delectable bakes.

This is not a sponsored post. No paid promotion. Just me, sharing my real-life results to help you feel confident about your flour choices. Its purpose is to help you become more confident when you put that next bag of flour in your cart.

The Specs: What Makes Gold Medal Flour Unique

Let’s talk specs. Here’s what you’ll find on the bag—and more importantly, what I experienced in my kitchen:

Gold Medal Unbleached All-Purpose Flour has a protein content of about 10.5%, which means it strikes a balance between tenderness and structure in a number of baking preparations. That protein level comes from a blend of hard and soft red wheat, and the result is a flour that creates a soft crumb, while still standing up to mixing and shaping.

In my kitchen, I use 128 grams as the cup equivalent for flour. That means that each “cup” of flour weighs 128 grams in the Begin with Butter Kitchen. While some bakers use 120 grams per cup and others use 135 grams per cup, 128 grams is what I’ve landed on as the standard for the BwB Kitchen, and it’s what I use for all of the recipes on my site.

Why am I talking about grams again? Because I’ll always encourage you to set aside measuring cups and measure by weight instead. It’s not just for professionals—it’s for any home baker who wants to bake with consistency and confidence. That digital scale isn’t just a fancy accessory; it’s your secret weapon to absolutely incredible baking.

At the time of this writing, a 5-pound bag rings up at around $6.49 at my local grocery store, though prices can vary, especially regionally or online. (You can always check my Amazon Storefront for the most current price; prices for baking supplies tend to go down about two months before major holidays.) And perhaps the most helpful feature? It’s widely available. You don’t have to trek across town or order online—this is a workhorse flour that you can pick up on a Tuesday grocery run (just don’t forget the flank steak, fennel, and broccoli that you initially went into the store for, k thanks 😉).

Performance in Pound Cake (My Favorite Test)

If you know me, you know pound cake is where I test everything. And Gold Medal unbleached flour did not disappoint.

I used this flour in every single cake from my Twelve Days of Pound Cake 2024, and here’s what stood out:

The crumb of these cakes was pleasantly plump and airy, with those beautiful little air pockets that signal excellent mixing and flour performance. The cakes rose beautifully tall, a result I attribute to the flour’s moderate (but substantial) protein content. That 10.5% provided a perfect balance between yielding structure and beautiful pound cake tenderness. The flavor? Rich and buttery, with no aftertaste—which stood in stark contrast to the bleached version of the flour, which I stopped using early in testing due to a very present residual flavor. I also found the Gold Medal flour slightly more forgiving than higher-protein alternatives (which makes it more beginner-friendly!); it tolerated a bit of extra mixing without turning tough.

Let me tell you, BB: if a flour can pass the pound cake test, it earns a spot in my pantry. Gold Medal flour did that. And I’ll be honest: using an ingredient that my Mommy loved so much in her own home kitchen—more than 40 years ago—made me feel closer to her in the most unexpected, tender way.

Cookies, Bread, and More: Everyday Results

First up: cookies. My son, who is both a cookie enthusiast and critic, couldn’t detect a difference between his beloved snickerdoodles made with Gold Medal and those I typically make using King Arthur flour. The taste was excellent, the texture remained chewy and soft in the middle, and the spread during baking was controlled and consistent. (Important note: protein content in flour is but one of the things that controls spread in cookies. Limiting or avoiding cookie spread is largely a function of re-solidified fats, after your cookie dough has had a lil’ rest in the fridge. Higher-protein content AP flour does give an important assist with this, though!)

Next: bread. I used this flour in both my Simple Sunday Artisan Bread and my Anytime Pizza Dough. While it’s not bread flour because it doesn’t have as high a protein content and the gluten structure isn’t quite as robust for trapping carbon dioxide bubbles from your yeast, it’s still an incredible product for bread, in that the gluten structure gives more than enough strength to capture even the most aggressive yeast growth from carbon dioxide (think: yeast farts 😂). The rise was just a touch less dramatic than what I achieve with bread flour, and the crumb was slightly tighter, but still light and airy. It’s the kind of flour I’d happily reach for in a pinch if I didn’t have bread flour on hand.

I’ve gladly reached for this flour over and over since I started using Gold Medal.

Texture and Color in Real Bakes

Let’s get into texture and color. I found them consistent across the board, with a few nuances worth sharing. In my pound cakes—especially the Very Vanilla Pound Cake that graces the cover of my cookbook—the flour yielded a slightly darker interior than other flours I’ve used. But it wasn’t an unpleasant difference. In fact, the deep color complemented the rich, buttery flavor and added a sense of warmth to each slice. The crumb remained soft and plush, with that signature “pleasantly plump” bounce I’m looking for in a well-made pound cake.

Cookies baked with this flour had a beautiful, soft crumb that held together just the right amount—no dissolving into dust, and no jaw work required. The color was what I expected: slightly brown, thanks to the sugar caramelizing just enough. The results? A cookie that was perfectly crisp on the edges and delightfully chewy in the center. (And, most importantly, a cookie that DIDN’T SPREAD).

When it came to bread, the color was also in line with what I usually achieve; I love a deep golden brown loaf, and this flour delivered. The texture, however, was slightly less airy than what I’d get with a higher-protein bread flour. This wasn’t a surprise, and it didn’t diminish the quality of the bake—just something to note for those seeking lofty holes in their boules.

For quick breads and muffins, the results were equally strong (photos coming soon…they disappeared too quickly!). The crumb was moist and flavorful, with a slightly darker, but delicious tone—again, consistent with what I saw in the pound cakes. Quick breads are often rich with eggs and liquid, and this flour had the strength to incorporate all of that without collapsing under the weight. The result? A gorgeous, high-rise loaf that didn’t crumble and fall apart, and that sliced like a dream.

Pan Release in Bundt Pans

As for pan release, particularly in Bundt pans, I did notice a slightly stickier finish when using baking spray alone. My working theory is that the increased moisture in the cake batter (due to the slightly lower protein) is to blame. This was not a huge loss, as the cakes did eventually come out 90% clean. But when I used my trusted flour-and-butter greasing technique, as I demonstrate in this how-to guide, the release was absolutely flawless. In fact, I’d go so far as to say this flour is perfect for that method.

Freezing Baked Goods

Freezer test? Passed. When freezing baked goods made with this flour, the results were comparable to what I’d expect from any other quality all-purpose flour. My best advice? Freeze as soon as your baked goods have fully cooled. This will lock in moisture and maximize freshness when you’re ready to serve.

Need help getting your freezer game up? Check out my post on Storage Tips for Make-Ahead Desserts!

Moisture Retention: A Noticeable Difference

While I positively adored the results that I got from Gold Medal flour during these last months of baking, there is one thing that I noticed and wanted to pass along to you:

Baked goods made with this flour seem to dry out a bit faster. I’m still investigating the “why,” but it’s something I’ve noticed consistently—especially with cakes and cookies. On average, I’d estimate the shelf life of those bakes is reduced by about a day compared to bakes made with slightly higher-protein all-purpose flours.

It’s not a dealbreaker, especially if you’re serving the same day. But it’s something to keep in mind if you’re baking ahead for events or gifting.

Should You Sift Gold Medal Flour?

Gold Medal’s packaging says sifting isn’t necessary.

I respectfully disagree.

Even if the flour is finely milled, sifting is about more than just breaking up clumps. It helps incorporate air into your batter, encourages even blending of dry ingredients, and serves as a last line of defense against the occasional speck of something that doesn’t belong (yes, even bugs or bag lint).

For more on this, see my post: Don’t Skip the Sift

The Bottom Line

Final thoughts? Gold Medal Unbleached All-Purpose Flour is a solid, dependable flour with a gentle learning curve—perfect for home bakers who want beautiful, consistent results from their bakes.

When it comes to pound cakes, it gets my full approval. For cookies, it’s earned high marks in my household. And while I’ll always reach for bread flour first for my loaves, this flour more than holds its own in a pinch. I still have to test this one on pies, pastry, and biscuits, and I’ll update the post once I’ve done that.

If you’re just getting started in baking or need a flour that’s widely available and performs consistently, this one belongs on your shelf.

Let me know in the comments: have you used Gold Medal before? What did you bake? And did you notice any of the same things?

See you next time!