Sometimes you need just a pinch, and others, you’ll need a few cups full, but no matter what, if you’re a cook, you’ll need flour on hand. It’s not just the key ingredient in baking made-from-scratch cookies, bars and cakes, it’s the backbone of savory dishes that run the gamut from pizza to soups and casseroles to pot pies. A sprinkle of flour can help a sauce set up just right, give structure where there otherwise wouldn’t be any, and so much more. It’s a truly versatile material that is a building block of countless recipes (and these 86 in particular).

