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Starch vs. Flour — What's the Difference?

Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on September 25, 2023
Starch is a carbohydrate extracted from plants, used for thickening; flour is a powder made by grinding grains or other foods, primarily used for baking.
Starch vs. Flour — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Starch and Flour

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Key Differences

Starch is a natural carbohydrate found in many plants, acting as a store for energy. Flour, on the other hand, is the finely ground endosperm of a cereal grain, particularly wheat, often used in baking.
While starch is mainly used to thicken sauces, gravies, and other foods, flour serves as a fundamental ingredient in bread, cakes, and pastries. Both starch and flour can have similar thickening properties, but their results in dishes can vary.
In terms of nutritional content, starch primarily offers carbohydrates and minimal protein or fats. Flour, depending on the source, contains proteins (like gluten in wheat flour), fats, and some vitamins and minerals in addition to carbohydrates.
Though both starch and flour come from plant sources, their processing and application in culinary contexts differ. Starch is extracted from plants and purified, whereas flour is the result of grinding grains or other edible parts.

Comparison Chart

Nature

Carbohydrate extracted from plants.
Powder made by grinding grains or other foods.
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Primary Use

Thickening agent in foods.
Baking and cooking.

Contains

Mostly carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates, proteins, and sometimes fats.

Derived From

Various plants (like corn, potatoes).
Grains (like wheat, barley) or other sources (almond, rice)

Gluten Content

Does not contain gluten.
Wheat flour contains gluten; others may or may not.

Compare with Definitions

Starch

Starch is often extracted and processed for various culinary applications.
Cornstarch is a popular thickening agent used in cooking.

Flour

Flour is often used as a base in baked goods.
Flour, water, and yeast are basic ingredients for making bread.

Starch

Starch is a complex carbohydrate found in plants.
Potatoes are a rich source of starch.

Flour

Flour is a powder made from grinding raw grains or roots.
Wheat flour is commonly used in baking bread.

Starch

Starch serves as an energy storage molecule for plants.
Corn stores its energy in the form of starch.

Flour

Flour is a staple in many cuisines around the world.
Flour tortillas are a staple in Mexican cuisine.

Starch

Starch is used as a thickening agent in many recipes.
Starch is often added to gravies to give them a thicker consistency.

Flour

Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods.

Starch

Starch can be modified for specific industrial applications.
Modified starches are used in certain food products to improve texture.

Flour

A powder obtained by grinding grain, typically wheat, and used to make bread, cakes, and pastry.

Starch

Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage.

Flour

Sprinkle (something, especially a work surface or cooking utensil) with a thin layer of flour.

Starch

An odourless, tasteless white substance occurring widely in plant tissue and obtained chiefly from cereals and potatoes. It is a polysaccharide which functions as a carbohydrate store and is an important constituent of the human diet.

Flour

Grind (grain) into flour.

Starch

Powder or spray made from starch and used before ironing to stiffen fabric or clothing
Crisp linen, stiff with starch

Flour

A fine, powdery foodstuff obtained by grinding and sifting the meal of a grain, especially wheat, used chiefly in baking.

Starch

Stiffness of manner or character
The starch in her voice

Flour

Any of various similar finely ground or powdered foodstuffs, as of cassava, chickpeas, or bananas.

Starch

Stiffen (fabric or clothing) with starch
Starch your collar to keep it straight and stiff

Flour

A soft, fine powder.

Starch

(of a boxer) defeat (an opponent) by a knockout
Ray Domenge starched Jeff Geddami in the first

Flour

To cover or coat with flour.

Starch

A naturally abundant nutrient carbohydrate, (C6H10O5)n, found chiefly in the seeds, fruits, tubers, roots, and stem pith of plants, notably in corn, potatoes, wheat, and rice, and varying widely in appearance according to source but commonly prepared as a white amorphous tasteless powder.

Flour

To make into flour.

Starch

Any of various substances, such as natural starch, used to stiffen cloth, as in laundering.

Flour

Powder obtained by grinding or milling cereal grains, especially wheat, or other foodstuffs such as soybeans and potatoes, and used to bake bread, cakes, and pastry.

Starch

Starches Foods having a high content of starch, as rice, breads, and potatoes.

Flour

The food made by grinding and bolting cleaned wheat (not durum or red durum) until it meets specified levels of fineness, dryness, and freedom from bran and germ, also containing any of certain enzymes, ascorbic acid, and certain bleaching agents.

Starch

Stiff behavior
"Dobbs, the butler ... isn't as stiff as he used to be.
Ann, my brother's new wife, has loosened up his starch a bit" (Jennifer St. Giles).

Flour

Powder of other material.
Wood flour, produced by sanding wood
Mustard flour

Starch

Vigor; mettle
"Business travel can take the starch out of the most self-assured corporate titan" (Lisa Faye Kaplan).

Flour

Obsolete form of flower

Starch

To stiffen with starch.

Flour

(transitive) To apply flour to something; to cover with flour.

Starch

(uncountable) A widely diffused vegetable substance, found especially in seeds, bulbs and tubers, as extracted (e.g. from potatoes, corn, rice, etc.) in the form of a white, glistening, granular or powdery substance, without taste or smell, and giving a very peculiar creaking sound when rubbed between the fingers. It is used as a food, in the production of commercial grape sugar, for stiffening linen in laundries, in making paste, etc.

Flour

(transitive) To reduce to flour.

Starch

Carbohydrates, as with grain and potato based foods.

Flour

(intransitive) To break up into fine globules of mercury in the amalgamation process.

Starch

(uncountable) A stiff, formal manner; formality.

Flour

The finely ground meal of wheat, or of any other grain; especially, the finer part of meal separated by bolting; hence, the fine and soft powder of any substance; as, flour of emery; flour of mustard.

Starch

(uncountable) Fortitude.

Flour

To grind and bolt; to convert into flour; as, to flour wheat.

Starch

(countable) Any of various starch-like substances used as a laundry stiffener

Flour

To sprinkle with flour.

Starch

To apply or treat with laundry starch, to create a hard, smooth surface.
She starched her blouses.

Flour

Fine powdery foodstuff obtained by grinding and sifting the meal of a cereal grain

Starch

Stiff; precise; rigid.

Flour

Cover with flour;
Flour fish or meat before frying it

Starch

Stiff; precise; rigid.

Flour

Convert grain into flour

Starch

A widely diffused vegetable substance found especially in seeds, bulbs, and tubers, and extracted (as from potatoes, corn, rice, etc.) as a white, glistening, granular or powdery substance, without taste or smell, and giving a very peculiar creaking sound when rubbed between the fingers. It is used as a food, in the production of commercial grape sugar, for stiffening linen in laundries, in making paste, etc.

Flour

Flour can vary in type based on its source or protein content.
Almond flour is a popular gluten-free alternative.

Starch

Fig.: A stiff, formal manner; formality.

Flour

Flour can also serve as a thickening agent in certain recipes.
Flour is used to make a roux in many sauces and soups.

Starch

To stiffen with starch.

Starch

A complex carbohydrate found chiefly in seeds, fruits, tubers, roots and stem pith of plants, notably in corn, potatoes, wheat, and rice; an important foodstuff and used otherwise especially in adhesives and as fillers and stiffeners for paper and textiles

Starch

Stiffen with starch;
Starch clothes

Common Curiosities

Is cornstarch the same as corn flour?

No, cornstarch is pure starch, while corn flour contains proteins and other components.

Why is wheat flour popular in baking?

Wheat flour contains gluten, which provides structure in baked goods.

Can I substitute starch for flour in recipes?

It depends on the recipe; while both can thicken, results may vary.

What is starch primarily used for?

Starch is primarily used as a thickening agent in foods.

Which has more carbs, starch or flour?

While both are carb-rich, pure starch has a higher carb concentration than most flours.

Can I use rice flour as a thickening agent like starch?

Yes, rice flour can thicken, but the consistency and result might vary from starch.

Why do some baked goods need high-protein flour?

High-protein flours provide more gluten, which can give structure and chewiness to baked goods.

Is flour a type of starch?

No, flour contains starch but has additional components like proteins.

Are there gluten-free starch options?

Yes, many starches like potato and tapioca starch are gluten-free.

How is starch extracted from plants?

Starch is extracted by breaking down plant cells and then separating it from other components.

Can flour be made from sources other than grains?

Yes, flours can be made from nuts, seeds, and even legumes.

Are there nutritional differences between starch and flour?

Yes, while starch is mostly carbs, flour can contain proteins, fats, and vitamins/minerals.

Do all flours contain gluten?

No, only flours from gluten-containing grains like wheat have gluten.

Why do some recipes require both starch and flour?

Combining both can offer a desired texture or consistency in the final dish.

What happens if I use a starch-heavy flour in bread?

The bread may lack structure and be denser due to lower gluten content.

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Author Spotlight

Written by
Fiza Rafique
Fiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Tayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.

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