In the test kitchen, we use Gold Medal unbleached all-purpose flour for our baked goods (unless a recipe states otherwise) because we like to use products that are as natural as possible. Bleached flour contains additives that whiten the flour and, in some cases, affect its baking properties. Occasionally, we call for bleached flour when it makes a difference. For instance, we sometimes use cake flour (which is always bleached) because the chlorine that’s used to bleach it has an effect on the wheat starch that produces a more finely textured cake.