Updated November 2026. I first wrote this in 2011, when we were living in Germany and my banana bread kept coming out flat. It’s still one of our most-read posts, so I’ve refreshed it with a quick flour chart, the German baking words you’ll want to know, and answers to the questions you’ve asked in the comments over the years.
In America, it was quite easy. You went into the grocery store, you picked up a bag of flour, you took it home, and you did whatever you wanted with it. It was the flour called for in every recipe known to man: all-purpose flour. And it would make sense that this multipurpose, good-for-everything flour is readily available.
So you move to Germany, and you go shopping, and you find Weizenmehl, and you think: ah, flour is flour, right? This must be all-purpose flour. And you bake with it, and you cook with it, and most of the time things turn out okay… but sometimes things just go horribly wrong. And you start to wonder if it’s you or the flour.
The good news is, it’s not just you! And to be honest, some people have probably lived in Germany for years and never noticed there’s any difference.
If you only use flour for a few things in the kitchen, it may never affect your life. But if you bake bread, cakes, muffins, cupcakes or other yummy flour-based treats, you’re eventually going to run into complications.
Quick answer: which German flour should I buy?
If you only remember one thing: Type 550 is the closest match to American all-purpose flour. Here’s the cheat sheet I wish I’d had:
| If your recipe calls for… | Buy this in Germany |
|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | Weizenmehl Type 550 |
| Cake or pastry flour | Weizenmehl Type 405 |
| Bread flour | Weizenmehl Type 812, or Type 550 plus a little wheat gluten |
| Hearty rolls, bagels, sourdough | Weizenmehl Type 1050 |
| Whole wheat flour | Weizenvollkornmehl (no type number) |
| Rye flour | Roggenmehl Type 1150 (medium rye) |
| Spelt flour | Dinkelmehl Type 630 (white) or Dinkelvollkornmehl (whole) |
| Pizza or “00” flour | Pizzamehl or Italian Tipo 00 |
| Self-rising flour | Not sold. Make your own (see the FAQ below) |
What do the numbers on German flour mean?
The numbers really do stand for something! The type number tells you how much mineral content (ash) is left when the flour is burned: it’s the milligrams of ash per 100 grams of dry flour. So Type 405 has about 405 mg of ash, and Type 1050 has about 1,050 mg.
The higher the number, the more of the whole grain (the bran and germ) ended up in the flour. That means more fiber, more flavor and a darker color. It does not mean coarser: a Type 1050 is ground just as finely as a 405.
The big difference from American flour is that US bags tell you what to use the flour for, while German bags tell you what’s in it. (A reader from Austria pointed out in the comments that she has the exact opposite problem in the US!)
German wheat flour (Weizenmehl) types
- Type 405 is the lightest, finest flour and the one you’ll see everywhere. It’s best for cakes, pastries, pie crusts, cookies and other lighter baked goods. It’s a bit lower in protein than American all-purpose flour, which is why some American recipes (hello, flat banana bread) don’t turn out quite right with it.
- Type 550 is what Americans would consider all-purpose flour. Use it for breads, rolls, cookies, biscuits, muffins and croissants. These days you’ll find it in most German supermarkets right next to the 405.
- Type 812 is closest to bread flour. It gives yeast breads and rolls a chewier texture and the strength to rise and hold their shape. It’s harder to find in regular grocery stores, so many home bakers use Type 550 and add a little wheat gluten instead (about 1 tablespoon of gluten per cup of flour, mixed in well before adding to your recipe).
- Type 1050 is a darker, heartier flour with more bran and wheat germ. It’s great for heavier rolls and breads, bagels and sourdough starters. Look for it at larger supermarkets, organic stores and drugstores like dm, which carries its own organic flours.
- Type 1600 is very close to whole wheat flour, but not quite. It’s often used for darker wheat breads and needs a little more water than lighter flours.
- Weizenvollkornmehl is whole wheat flour. Because it contains the entire grain, it doesn’t get a type number at all.
Rye and spelt flours
Of course, wheat isn’t the only kind of flour you’ll find over here.
- Rye (Roggenmehl): Type 1150 is the most common rye flour and the one you’ll want for a typical loaf of German rye bread. Lighter rye flours (like Type 815 or 997) make lighter breads and rolls, and darker ones (Type 1370 or 1740) make heavier, more rustic loaves. Roggenvollkornmehl is whole-grain rye, and Roggenschrot is coarsely ground rye for breads like Pumpernickel. With the darker rye flours, recipes often have you mix in some wheat flour for the best results.
- Spelt (Dinkelmehl): Dinkel Type 630 is a light spelt flour that can stand in for Type 405 or 550 in many recipes and makes lovely breads. Spelt’s gluten is more delicate than wheat’s, so be careful not to over-knead it. Dinkelvollkornmehl is whole spelt flour.
More often than not, a regular 405 is all you need for coating Schnitzel before the egg and breadcrumbs, or for everyday baking. But when you start baking your own bread (especially artisan loaves) or getting serious about homemade pizza dough, it’s worth exploring the world of German flours.
Where to buy flour in Germany
- Every supermarket (Aldi, Lidl, Rewe, Edeka, Kaufland, Penny, Netto) carries Type 405, and most carry Type 550 too.
- Larger supermarkets like Rewe, Edeka and Kaufland usually have a few more options: rye, spelt, whole wheat, Type 1050 and Italian pizza flour.
- Drugstores and organic shops (dm, Rossmann, Bioläden and Reformhäuser) often have the widest range of organic flours, plus wheat gluten (look for Weizengluten, sometimes sold for making seitan).
- Online, you can find nearly every type, including Type 812, from mills and baking shops.
A German baking words cheat sheet
Flour isn’t the only thing that can trip you up in the baking aisle. Here are the words I wish I’d known sooner:
- Mehl: flour
- Weizen / Roggen / Dinkel: wheat / rye / spelt
- Vollkorn: whole grain
- Backpulver: baking powder (usually sold in single-use packets, each enough for about 500 g of flour)
- Natron: baking soda
- Hefe / Trockenhefe: fresh yeast / dry yeast
- Speisestärke: cornstarch
- Puderzucker: powdered sugar
- Brauner Zucker / Rohrzucker: brown sugar / cane sugar (German brown sugar is usually drier than American brown sugar)
- Vanillezucker: vanilla sugar, often used in place of vanilla extract
- Backmischung: baking mix (some bread mixes already include the yeast)
Shopping for meat too? Our guide to German pork cuts will help at the butcher counter.
Your flour questions, answered
Over the years, so many of you have left questions in the comments. Here are the answers to the most common ones.
Is there self-rising flour in Germany?
Not that I’ve ever found, but it’s easy to make your own. For every 1 cup of flour, whisk in 1½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
Which German flour is closest to American all-purpose flour?
Type 550. If your cakes or quick breads come out flatter or denser than the recipe photos when you use 405, try switching to 550.
Which flour should I use for roti or chapati?
Traditional roti and chapati are made with Indian atta, a finely ground whole wheat flour. You’ll find it at Asian and Indian grocery stores across Germany. If you can’t get atta, readers have had good results with Weizenvollkornmehl, or a mix of whole wheat flour and Type 405 or 550.
Which flour is best for frying and coating?
Type 405 or 550 both work. For crispier fried chicken or Schnitzel, try 550, and add a panko or breadcrumb layer after the egg wash.
What should I use for fluffy, American-style donuts?
Yeast donuts need a bit more structure, so use Type 550, or mix in some Type 812 if you can find it.
Is there a German version of white whole wheat flour?
Type 1050 or 1600 will get you closest. They have more of the grain and fiber than white flour, but a milder flavor than full Vollkornmehl.
Can I use Italian “00” flour for pizza?
Absolutely. It’s easy to find in German supermarkets these days, often labeled Pizzamehl. Type 550 also makes a good everyday pizza dough.
I’m in the US and a recipe calls for German Type 1050 or Swiss Ruchmehl. What can I use?
Neither is easy to find in American stores. A mix of bread flour and a little whole wheat flour gets you close. Start with about 3 parts bread flour to 1 part whole wheat and adjust from there.
Store your flour the smart way
Whatever flour you end up with, store it in an airtight container. We learned that the hard way during our pantry moth infestation, and it’s a lesson I’ve never forgotten.
Hungry for more? Find all our favorites in No Ordinary Kitchen, from homemade Lebkuchen to our moistest buttermilk biscuits.
Free checklist
The Pantry Moth Reset
Our step-by-step checklist to get rid of pantry moths and keep them gone. Grab it free:
I knew there was some difference but didn’t know exactly what the numbers were all about! Thanks for clarifying 😉
Very interesting…………
You are becoming a “Cullenary Expert”….
Your mom was a pretty good cook in her own time.
Interesting….just made my first loaf of rye bread (without the wheat gluten, which i didn’t have, and turned out surprisingly well, though more like a dense, chewy muffin)…..thanks for the explanations – makes a lot more sense now:)
THANK YOU! I was always wondering this! Now it all makes sense… 🙂
thanks Tiffany,
this really was so useful. I do alot of baking while in Germany and have spent way too much time in stores trying to noodle this out. Finally this one is solved. got the leavening issues sorted and look forward to greater success in June.
Thank you Thank you! Friends and I have been struggling with our baking and I think this will really help!
Who would have thought that something as simple as flour could cause so much chaos in the kitchen, right? 😉 Glad I could help out!!
lol Germans tend to make almost everything more complicated than it needs to be. Part of our nature I guess.
No they don’t! They raise it to a level a little higher than other people are used to!
So true… 🙂
Hello Tiffany, its my first week in Germany and the thought of going grocery shopping is giving me chills . Today I went to buy wheat flour for making chappathis (indian flat bread) and bought home Weizenmehl 405( courtsey googletranslate, they dont take cooking serious enough to give specific numbers :P) , but the texture is similar to the all purpose flour we get in India .I dnt think there is 1050 or 1600 in the shops nearby ,so can u please tell what wheat gluten is and hw to use it ? may be its german too
Thank you for summarizing this! This is great and exactly what I needed! Until I moved to Germany, I never knew that buying flour could be so complicated. 🙂
Crazy right? It still makes me wonder some days. But I’m starting to get more adventurous with the flour here which is a good thing. Now if only I could get baking German bread right 😉
You helped me a lot with all this … good luck with your mission! I love German Bread, being German there is no better Bread in the world other than ours there… The northern countries, no doubt are great at this too! Cheers and many thanks indeed!
I can’t thank you enough for this post! I’m an American living in The Netherlands and live 10 mins from the german border. I shop there all the time because they have a better selection of baking items..the bread here has frustrated me to no end. In the netherlands they only sell bread flour with the yeast already in it! I have been searching for 5 years on where to get my own..I am now armed with a list and will be shopping in germany this weekend for bread flour 🙂
Glad I could help!
I find it a bit funny that you travel to Germany to shop at the grocery store, because we used to do the same in Holland as well. Brown sugar for example is something you can’t get here. And although I can make my own, it’s just not so much fun. 🙂
Hi, I am Saylee from India.i am interested in buying German flour type 550 for baking purpose.can you guide me where i can get type 550 German flour in india.
I’m just now posting a thank you…I finally headed into Germany and went to Kaufland armed with my list of numbers..lol I was able to get spelt,my beloved bread flour and rye..I can’t thank you enough!!!
Glad you found everything you needed, Sonya! We used to have a Kaufland nearby when we lived near Darmstadt. They usually have a great selection! Thanks for saying thanks!! I’m so glad I could help. 🙂
I keep forgetting to ask but is there a german version of White Whole Wheat Flour? i cant find it in the netherlands as of yet and wasnt sure if there was a version in germany.
Hi Sonya,
Type 1050 should be what you are looking for. It’s considered “light” wheat flour. Hope that helps! 🙂
Thank you!!!!!
Good brief introduction of flours in Germany.
Recently we are working on receips of bread maker, feeling challenge now.
You really seem to be quite good at comparing german and american flour. 😀
It’s funny how you know everything about this, while I (as a german) never noticed (or maybe I just ignored it 😛 ) there was a number on the flour packet. Now I feel so educated. So all-purpose flour is just type 550? Is it really totally regardless of wether you’re using Weizen-,Dinkel- or Roggenmehl?
The numbers are regardless of the type (Weizen, Dinkel, etc) but generally you’ll find Dinkel & Roggen as a type 1150.
I honestly might never have noticed it if I hadn’t ended up with flat banana bread time after time. For many items, it makes little difference. But some baked goods just need the all purpose flour.
Thank you for this! I am not american but I have some american recipes I’d like to try and American flour just doesn’t make sense to me (all purpose flour is supposed to be T 550? T 530 is way more versatile! But apparently you don’t even use that…aaah cultural differences.)
I have family that lives in USA and everytime they come visit they buy a lot of flour here. They say the flour is incomparable.
So thank you very much for this!
Is there a German equivalent to self rising flour?
Hi Joe, I haven’t seen self-rising flour in Germany but it’s easy to make yourself. It’s just flour with baking powder and salt added.
Hello All,
I was planning to make roti/ chapati by using wheat flour type 405, should I try this or wait for the comment as i dont want to waste it…. can anyone guide me here so i can open the packet,
Thank you so much!
My husband and I go Germany a lot because we close to the border in the Netherlands.
We have spend many times in store trying to figure it out, still leaving empty handed.
Not this time! 🙂
Hi Tiffany, My wife and I fell in love with a Swiss Brown Bread on a recent anniversary trip to Europe. From the recipes I have found, it requires “Ruchmehl”, which one site approximated as being like German 1050 flour mixed with some whole wheat. Have you used Ruchmehl, or heard of a way to approximate it in the US? (I am, btw, nothing like a master baker…I make the occasional loaf). Is german 1050 flour available here? Thanks for any help you can offer!
Mark
Columbus, IN
Great artical and very helpful. I am a Canadian living in Germany and not having much luck with things like brownies or sugar/butter cookies. They always come out more like cake. I tried omitting the baking powder but still the same results. I’m using the 405 flour.
Hi. I want to ask which flour we should use for frying items like fried chicken or Indian fried samosas as I use 405 type for frying purpose but my items turn out to be soggy after few minutes. I will be very thankful to you for your reply and help.
You could try 550 instead? It’s usually a bit more similar to all-purpose flour. I also like to add a bit panko/breadcrumbs mix after an egg coating if doing fried chicken or schnitzel.
Why is it not possible to use Pininterst to safe this very useful write up/blog? Or perhaps I didn’t see the option? Linkd in us soooo outdated 😁😁
Thank you so much for this article,
I live in the Netherlands near the German border and I buy albert heijn wheat flour and patentbloem in the Netherlands and I buy type 405 flour in Germany. I have not had much luck with american cake recipes that ask for all purpose flour, because my cakes turn out way flatter or the texture looks different than the pictures from the recipes. I thought it could be my flour,because I do not have those problems with Dutch cake recipes. I am Dutch and never used American all purpose flour before so I have nothing to compare it too. So in your opinion German typ 550 flour works exactly the same as american all purpose flour? Have you made a cake recipe you used to make in America with all purpose flour and now tried it with type 550? Did it turn out exactly the same? If so, what is your favorite 550 brand and ill head out to Germany today to buy some.
x hallo can some one tell me which type is whole grain flour
It’s so funny that Americans find buying flour complicated when it tells you exactly what’s in the package – not what to use it for.
I have exactly the opposite problem (after having moved to the US 5 years ago; I am Austrian): I have difficulties buying the right flour here, because I don’t really know what I am buying. The bag usually just tells me what *most people* are using it for…which is usually not what *I* want to use it for. No information about how coarse or fine the flower is, or how much germ or bran it contains. Interesting how different cultures approach buying food in very different ways.
And there is also the Italian flour “00” or “0” for pizza dough. I didn’t know that beforehand, but Italians always insist on the types 0 or 00 for pizza and I tried it myself. You can get this in good supermarkets as “pizza flour”, but it can also be ordered from Amazon. ☺️
Hi, which flour is best for fluffy American style glazed donuts?