What Is Wondra Flour and How Do You Use It?

If you’ve ever found yourself looking closely at the different flour products in the baking aisle, there’s a good chance you’ve come across Wondra flour. But what exactly is Wondra flour? What makes it different from a typical all-purpose flour? And when should you use it?

Wondra flour is a surprisingly versatile ingredient, useful in both baking and cooking. It’s an amazing addition to any pantry, perfect for those looking to make smooth sauces, crispy fried crusts, and light and fluffy pastries. 

At Daisy Flour, we’re proud to provide the guides and resources bakers need to gain new kitchen skills. In this guide, we will outline everything you need to know about Wondra flour and its uses in cooking and baking. We’ll also outline some delicious Wondra flour recipes you can try in your kitchen. 

What Is Wondra Flour?

First things first: What is Wondra flour? And why do so many home cooks and bakers love it?

Understanding Wondra Flour

Wondra flour is a popular brand of instant flour, also referred to as quick-mixing flour. It is a flour that has been carefully formulated and processed to give it the ability to quickly dissolve in liquids without prolonged mixing.

Definition and Composition

The properties that make Wondra flour an instant flour happen as a result of how it’s made. 

Wondra flour is ground wheat flour that is pre-cooked and dried. This heating and drying is a pre-gelatinization process that gives Wondra flour less protein and the ability to dissolve quickly. It is also ground super fine, which also helps it dissolve quickly. 

Differences From Regular Flour

While both Wondra flour and all-purpose flour share some similarities (both are made from wheat and contain gluten), Wondra flour’s unique properties set it apart from all-purpose flour. You’ll most often notice their differences in the following areas.

Flour Texture: Wondra flour is ground super fine, giving it a softer, silkier texture. In comparison, all-purpose flour is coarser. 

Thickening: One of the most popular uses for Wondra flour is as a thickener for things like soup, gravy, or sauce, as it quickly dissolves. Regular flour needs longer cooking times and heat to incorporate into sauces. 

Mixing: The quick dissolve properties and super fine grind help Wondra flour easily incorporate into liquids without clumps or lumps. 

History and Origin

Wondra flour was invented by the Gold Medal Flour Company, which has been manufacturing different flour products since 1880. It all began at their first mill in Minnesota, and the company has been manufacturing flour ever since. 

Benefits and Uses of Wondra Flour

There are many benefits Wondra Flour can bring to both your cooking and baking.

Advantages of Using Wondra Flour

Quick Dissolving Properties

What people love most about Wondra Flour is its ability to quickly dissolve within liquids. This makes it the perfect choice when you’re trying to achieve a smooth texture, like in soups, sauces, or custards.

Thickening Power

Wondra flour can easily dissolve into liquid, making it an amazing thickening agent. When added to liquid and heated, Wondra flour can easily work to thicken thin gravies or sauces. 

Ability to Prevent Lumps 

Cooks also love Wondra flour for its lack of lumps and clumps. Wondra flour is an incredibly fine flour, making it easy to stir into recipes without worrying about clumps forming. 

Culinary Applications of Wondra Flour

Wondra flour is extremely versatile in the kitchen. From sauces to fried foods to baked goods, all kinds of recipes benefit from Wondra flour.

Thickening Sauces and Gravies

As we’ve touched on above, an amazing use for Wondra flour is as a thickener for sauces and gravies. Whisk it directly into liquids to gain a smooth, consistent, thick texture free of lumps.

Coating for Fried Foods

Wondra flour is also an excellent choice for fried foods. Its super fine texture sticks great to food surfaces, and its quick dissolve texture provides a light and crispy fried crust. It’s a good choice for use with fried fish, chicken, or vegetables. 

Incorporation in Baked Goods

Wondra flour can also be used in different baked recipes when you’re looking for a tender, delicate consistency. 

For example, many cooks use Wondra flour for pie crusts to prevent them from being dense. Or, you can use Wondra flour in cake recipes, as it can make a cake consistency similar to what you’d achieve with cake flour. 

Tips for Using Wondra Flour

If you’re looking to use Wondra flour in your own cooking, keep the following tips in mind: 

Best Practices for Wondra Flour

Proper Storage and Shelf Life

Like any baking ingredient, proper storage will help to extend its shelf life. Be sure to store Wondra flour in its original packaging or an airtight container in a cool, dry place. This will prevent heat and moisture from spoiling the product.

Mixing and Incorporating Wondra Flour

To get optimal results when using Wondra flour, take care when incorporating it into your recipes. As with all flour products, we highly recommend using a sifter to remove clumps and keep the texture uniform. We also recommend using a tool like a whisk when mixing by hand to ensure dry ingredients are properly mixed. 

Adjusting Measurements in Recipes

It’s also important to pay attention to your recipe consistency and adjust measurements as needed when using Wondra flour. 

In most cases, recipes use Wondra flour as a one-to-one replacement for all-purpose flour. However, its quick dissolve nature can make Wondra flour act as more of a thickener than you’re looking for, changing batter consistency. Add small amounts of Wondra flour when incorporating, and balance with water or milk if your batter is too thick or dry.

Wondra Flour Recipes 

Here are some delicious Wondra Flour treats to try at home:

Wondra Flour Gravy

Wondra flour works incredibly well for gravies and sauces like this one.

• ¼ cup butter or pan drippings
• 2 cups chicken or beef broth 
• Salt, pepper, and seasonings to taste
• ¼ cup Wondra flour

INSTRUCTIONS

• Heat up butter and/or pan drippings in a saucepan over medium heat. 
• Whisk in your Wondra flour until the mixture is smooth, whisking continuously for 2-3 minutes.
• Once flour and butter/drippings are light brown and smooth, add in the broth. Whisk to avoid lumps. 
• Continue to whisk and cook the combined mixture for 5 minutes. 
• Season with salt, pepper, and herbs to taste. 
• Remove from heat and serve. 

Serving Suggestions and Variations

We recommend serving this gravy paired with chicken or beef dishes. It’s perfect over meats, potatoes, or rice. To make this a vegetarian gravy, sub in a vegetable broth and season with additional herbs.

Crispy Wondra Flour Chicken

Wondra flour is surprisingly great in recipes that call for deep frying. Here’s how to use it. 

Ingredients and Instructions

For this recipe, you’ll need: 

• 4 boneless chicken breasts, skinless
• 1 cup Wondra flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• Vegetable oil or frying oil of your choice

INSTRUCTIONS

• Combine Wondra flour with salt, pepper, and paprika in a shallow bowl.
• Take chicken breasts and coat them in the flour mixture. Ensure all pieces are evenly coated.
• Take a large pan, and heat oil over medium-high heat. Oil should be heated to 350°F. 
• Place chicken in hot oil, cooking for 5-7 minutes per side. The internal temperature of the chicken should be 165°F when finished. 
• Remove chicken and let drain off excess oil. Let cool before serving. 

Tips for Achieving a Perfect Crispy Coating

To ensure all pieces are perfectly fried, it’s important to make sure the oil is hot enough before adding pieces. Also, don’t overcrowd the skillet, which can alter the oil temperature and lead to inconsistent frying. 

Wondra Flour Buttermilk Pancakes

Delicious, homemade pancakes are even better with Wondra flour! 

Ingredients and Instructions

For this recipe, you’ll need:

• 1 cup Wondra flour 
• 2 tablespoons sugar 
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
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• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons melted butter 
• Additional butter for cooking

INSTRUCTIONS

• Combine Wondra flour with baking soda, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl.
• In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, melted butter, and egg. 
• Pour wet ingredients into dry, mixing to combine. Take care not to overmix the batter, and let it rest for 5 minutes.
• Heat a pan or griddle, and melt butter over the surface.
• Use a ¼ cup to pour pancakes onto your pan.
• Cook until bubbles form on the pancake surface, then flip. Cook until golden brown. 

Ideas for Toppings and Variations

You can do many fun things to change up your pancakes! Add flavorings like vanilla or cinnamon to your batter to change things up. You can also top them with things like whipped cream, maple syrup, jam, Nutella, and more. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

These are the most frequently asked questions people have about Wondra flour. 

Can I substitute Wondra flour with regular flour?

Wondra flour can not be substituted for regular flour in all instances. Due to its unique properties, Wondra flour is better suited for things like pastries or things that require quick dissolved flour, like sauces and custards. 

If recipes call for all-purpose flour, you can use Wondra flour in baking with a one-to-one ratio. If a recipe calls for a specific flour, we don’t recommend Wondra flour as a substitute. 

Is Wondra flour gluten-free?

Wondra flour is not gluten-free, as it is finely ground wheat flour. 

Where can I purchase Wondra flour?

Wondra flour can be purchased in most grocery stores and can be found in the baking aisle. 

Can I use Wondra flour in bread recipes?

Wondra flour is not recommended for bread recipes. Bread benefits from flours with coarser textures, such as all-purpose flour or bread flour. 

Try Cooking With Wondra Flour



As you can see, you can do tons of amazing things with Wondra flour! This amazing instant flour is well-loved by cooks for its quick dissolving properties, perfect for making smooth sauces and light and airy cakes. We highly encourage you to try it for yourself and experiment in the kitchen.

Want to learn more about different flours? We have a ton of different resources on Daisy Flour ready for you to explore! Click here to read more of our amazing flour content.