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Food & Ingredients

Flour

Dive into the fascinating world of flour! This humble ingredient, often overlooked, is the secret key that unlocks a world of delightful culinary experiences. From the crusty bread to the flaky pastries, flour forms the backbone of countless delicacies we relish every day. So, let's embark on a journey to explore the different types of flour, their uses, and the magic they bring to our tables.

Tom Tom Founder
Published:
March 26, 2024

You can split flour into these basic categories:

  1. Wheat Flour:
    • Whole Wheat Flour: Made from whole wheat kernels which consist of these three parts:
      • Bran: Mostly consists of wheat fibers.
      • Germ: Nutrient-dense embryo that would sprout into a new plant.
      • Endosperm: The largest part of the wheat.
    • White Flour from Wheat:
      • Made only from the endosperm.
      • In the following sections, it is referred to as white flour.
  2. Other Kinds of Flours:
    • Whole Grain Flour:
      • Made from whole grain kernels or their combinations such as wheat, rye, oat, barley, and more.
    • Gluten-Free Flour:
      • Made from gluten-free ingredients such as gluten-free grains (corn, millet, rice, sorghum), nuts, and starches.
      • The main purpose of this flour is to replace regular wheat flour.

Flour made from whole kernels (wheat or any other) is the healthiest flour option.

Is whole wheat/grain flour the only option?

Whole wheat/grain flour is indeed better for your health as it is richer in protein and contains more fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients compared to regular white flour. While it’s beneficial to use as much whole wheat/grain flour as possible, it can be challenging to completely replace regular white flour in the kitchen. One of the main reasons for this is that whole wheat/grain flour has lower gluten-forming abilities, which makes it harder to achieve lofty breads (unless you use specialized whole wheat bread flour). That’s why many recipes that call for whole grain flour also require a combination with all-purpose or bread flour to prevent the pastries from becoming dense and underdeveloped. However, there’s good news about white flour as well: you can find nutritious white flour that will be healthy in moderate consumption.”

How to select the best possible white flour?

If you select high quality and low processed white flour, you will be able to enjoy a decent amount of nutrients, especially when it comes to protein. Some high quality wheat bread flours, which are not bleached (unbleached) and not bromated (unbromated), can reach up to 15% of protein. How great is it to prepare your bread with white flour, which includes about half of the amount of protein that can be found in chicken!

The bleaching of flour is indeed done to make the flour look whiter and softer, which can help achieve a more consistent and fluffier baking product. The process involves treating the flour with chemicals like chlorine gas or benzoyl peroxide. While it’s true that some nutrients, such as vitamin E, are lost during the bleaching process, the health effects of consuming bleached flour are still a topic of debate. Some studies have linked the consumption of bleached flour to health issues, but these findings are not conclusive.

As for bromating, it is used to improve dough strength, allow for higher rising, and help achieve a nice white color. Bromating is performed by adding a chemical called Potassium Bromate to the flour. Similar to bleaching, some nutrients may be lost during this process. There are indeed concerns about the potential health effects of potassium bromate, including its links to cancer in animal models. However, human studies have not conclusively established a causal relationship between bromated flour consumption and cancer risk¹.

The use of both bleaching and bromating agents in flour varies across different countries. In the European Union, the use of these agents is prohibited. The same applies to Canada and China.

Choosing unbleached and unbromated flour can be a personal preference based on health concerns or a desire for minimal processing. You can achieve great baking results with unbleached and unbromated flour, especially if you follow a good recipe.

In the U.S., some bakers, especially larger producers, do use bleached and bromated flour to improve the consistency of their products and to eliminate the need for skilled bakers to be present in the kitchen. However, many bakers and consumers are becoming more aware of the potential health concerns associated with these agents and are choosing alternatives.

Major kinds of wheat flours:

Cake flour

  • White flour that is for tender baked goods such as cakes, biscuits, etc.
  • Lowest content of protein usually between 6 – 8%.
  • Read more here.

Pastry flour

  • White flour for pies, tarts, and cookies is the perfect balance between flakiness and tenderness of final products.
  • Lowest content of protein usually between 6 – 8%.
  • Read more here.

All-purpose flour

  • White flour that offers the most universal usage and can be used for any baking products.
  • Can include up to 12% of protein.
  • Read more here.

Bread flour

  • It is often called also high-gluten flour since it has high gluten form ability.
  • Most common bread flour is white flour but you can find whole wheat versions as well (in order to whole wheat flour to be a bread flour it bren parts need to be processed finer so it not cut the gluten strands during rising.
  • Great for any kind of pastry using yeasts to rise – bread, cinnamon rolls, buns, rolls, and more
  • Can include up to 15% of protein.
  • Read more here.

Whole wheat flour

  • Healthier flour that you can buy for more nutrients.
  • Whole wheat flour has lower gluten-forming abilities because the shards of bran in the whole wheat flour tear the strands of gluten during rising (unless it is specialized bread flour which solve that problem). That is why is often recommended to combine whole wheat flour with all-purpose or bread flour while preparing bread and pastry with yeasts.
  • Can include up to 14% of protein.
  • Read more here.

Flour with added ingredients

  • You can find flours mixed with other ingredients which are here to make our life a little easier
  • Great example of this kind of flour is self-rising flour which has baking powder and salt added.
  • Read moreabout self-rising flour here.

Conclusion

I personally always have three kinds of flour at home: all-purpose, bread flour (white), and wholegrain. Bread flour is the version that gets used most often because I bake fresh bread and buns a few times a week. When I run out of all-purpose flour, I substitute it with bread flour with no negative results on the quality of the final product. With these three kinds of flour I can bake or cook anything. I also appreciate that having only three kinds saves space in my pantry and prevents the risk of spoiling. The decision of what you use, is up to you and what you like and prefer.

In my recipes I never ask for cake flour or pastry flour since I don’t find them substantially beneficial. Instead of these two flours, I use all-purpose flour and still reach great results. If you prefer to bake with both cake and pastry flours, go ahead and modify the recipes – the amount stays the same no matter the flour you use (or you can modify the base based on your own preferences or experience).

In conclusion, I always prefer to use high-quality flour made in the most natural way possible. I especially avoid flour that has been bleached and bromated. While the bleaching and bromating of flour can enhance certain baking properties, there are potential health concerns associated with these processes. As always, it’s important to make informed decisions about the food you consume and serve to your family.

About the Author:
TomFounder
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