Whole grain flour is much superior in nutritional value to high-grade flour ...

Modern technology for making flour means that the grain is first ground and then sieved through a sieve.

The finer the grind, the more "ballast substances" can be weeded out.

The most "pure", in this sense, flour - flour of the highest grades.

Fine grinding allows you to filter out absolutely all "impurities", including the flower coat and grain germ (vitamins, unsaturated fatty acids, minerals, etc.), including fiber, leaving only pure starch (carbohydrates).

The nutritional value of such flour (the amount of kcal) is really very high. But from the point of view of the biological value of the product, it is a carbohydrate "dummy".

In such flour, nothing useful and necessary for the body remains. He cannot create new cells from carbohydrates, for this he needs all the variety of macro- and microelements laid down in a whole grain by nature.

MODERN FLOUR VARIETIES

Today, modern industry offers 5 varieties of wheat flour:

• grains,
• premium flour,
• flour of the first grade,
• flour of the second grade,
• wallpaper

and two varieties of rye flour:

• sown
• peeled.

All these varieties, both in the past and in the present, differ from each other in the size of the grinding and the ratio of the peripheral parts of the grain (shell and embryo) and flour grain (endosperm).

Wheat flour varieties differ from one another in yield (the amount of flour obtained from 100 kg of grain), color, ash content, varying degrees of grinding (particle size), the content of bran particles, and the amount of gluten.

According to the percentage yield of flour when grinding grain, flour varieties are divided into:

• grit 10% (only 10% of the total amount of grain in a volume of 100 kg is obtained),
• premium grade (25-30%),
• first grade (72%),
• second grade (85%) and
• wallpaper (about 93-96%).

The higher the flour yield, the lower the grade.

Krupchatka - consists of homogeneous small grains of light cream color, which are particles of endosperm (grains) with a size of 0.3-0.4 mm, does not contain shells and soft powdery particles.

There is almost no bran in it. It is rich in gluten and has high baking properties. Grit is produced from special varieties of wheat and is distinguished by the larger size of individual particles.

It is advisable to use this flour for such products as cakes, pastries, etc. For unsuitable yeast dough, grit is of little use, since the dough from it is poorly suited, and the finished products have poor porosity and quickly stale.

Flour of the highest grade - consists of finely ground (0.1-0.2 mm) particles of endosperm, mainly inner layers.

It differs from grains in that grains are not felt between the fingers when rubbed.

Its color is white with a slightly creamy shade. Premium flour contains a very low percentage of gluten. The best category of the highest grade is called "extra". Often used as a thickener in sauces and also suitable for baking.

This type of flour is most common in the manufacture of the highest grades of flour products. Wheat flour of the highest grade has good baking properties, products from it have a good volume and fine developed porosity.

First grade flour - soft to the touch, finely ground, white with a slightly yellowish tinge. Flour of the first grade has a fairly high content of gluten, which makes the dough from it elastic, and the finished products are of good shape, large volume, pleasant taste and aroma.

First grade flour is good for uncooked baked goods.(rolls, pies, pancakes, pancakes, sautéing, national types of noodles, etc.), and for baking various bread products... Finished products from it stale more slowly.

Second grade flour - consists of particles of crushed endosperm and 8-12% of the mass of flour of crushed shells. Flour of the 2nd grade is larger than the flour of the 1st grade. Particle sizes 0.2-0.4 mm. The color is noticeably darker due to the high content of the peripheral parts of the grain - usually white with a yellowish or grayish tint. It is white in color with a noticeable yellowish or brown tint, contains up to 8% bran, it is much darker than the first-class. It can be light and dark.

Such flour is better in terms of baking qualities - baked goods from it are fluffy, with a porous crumb. It is mainly used for baking table varieties of white bread and non-flavored flour products. It is often mixed with rye flour. This flour is used in the manufacture of some confectionery products (gingerbread and cookies).

Wallpaper flour (wholemeal flour) - is obtained by grinding the whole grain.

The flour yield is 96%. The flour is coarser, the particles are less uniform in size.

It is produced from all types of soft wheat varieties, it contains 2 times more bran than flour of the 2nd grade, color with a brown tint.In wallpaper flour, the content of bran particles is the highest.

In terms of its baking properties, it is inferior to varietal wheat flour, but has a higher nutritional value.

The shells of grain contain protein substances, vitamins of groups B and E, mineral salts of calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium. The kernel of the grain is rich in starch and contains significantly less protein and other nutrients than its peripheral layers. Therefore, flour made from whole grains or with the addition of finely ground bran in their nutritional value is significantly superior to high-grade flour.

Wallpaper flour used mainly for baking table breads, and rarely used in cooking.

Coarse wallpaper flour is the largest flour grinding. Accordingly, the wallpaper flour is sifted through a coarse sieve.

During wallpaper grinding, absolutely all components of the grain remain in the flour. This is the flower shell of the grain, and the aleurone layer, and the grain embryo. Accordingly, wallpaper flour retains all the biological value of whole grain, and all of its healing qualities for the human body.

Flour is fine and coarse.

Wholemeal flour- whole grain flour. With coarse grinding, almost all the grain is ground into flour, which consists of large particles, contains cell membranes, bran (2nd grade wheat, wallpaper).

Fine flour- This is flour from the endosperm, i.e. the inner part of the grain. When finely ground, white flour, tender, consists of small particles of grain, the outer layers of which are removed (wheat 1st grade, premium grade). It contains mostly starch and gluten and is practically free of fiber.

The finer the grinding and the higher the grade of flour, the less proteins and especially minerals, vitamins, and more starch in it.

As for the terminology, the coarsely ground grain is called meal, and the finer grain is called flour.

The flour obtained during a single grinding can be called "whole grain" (since all parts (100%) of the whole grain: fruit and seed coat, embryo, endosperm particles, etc. remain in the flour). However, until recently, it was better known by the names "Fodder" or "fodder".

It is worth noting that flour, ground in a mortar, in a coffee grinder or on the rollers of the grinding system at a mill, will differ greatly from each other, and their baking properties will also differ.

Wheat flour of the second grade It stands out among other options with a darker shade and a coarse structure, since it contains a large number of grain hulls, the percentage of which should not be more than 10. Gluten is within 25%, but there is not much starch in this variety. The color of this flour can vary from grayish to brown. For use in cooking, this kind of wheat flour is often combined with the former. The distinctive features of such flour include the presence of the smell and taste of bread. The dough prepared on the basis of such flour turns out to be voluminous, but what is interesting is that baked goods and bakery products do not become stale for a long time. Most often, non-rich pastries and table bread are made from it.

Beneficial features

The benefit of second-grade wheat flour is the presence of various substances that are important for normal life. Products made on its basis are especially appreciated by people who follow their figure. This kind of flour contains a large amount of B vitamins, which are important for the nervous system and metabolic processes. Second-grade flour also contains vitamins PP, H, E and A, which are important for many functions in the body. It also has a wide mineral composition, which increases the speed of many chemical processes, and they also control the amount of glucose in the blood. Wheat flour of the second grade is used in health food.

Cooking use

Wheat flour of the second grade is most often used for making dumplings, waffles and other similar products. Some confectionery products are also prepared on its basis, for example, various options for cookies and gingerbread. When combined with rye flour, you can make delicious dietary baked goods.

Harm of second grade wheat flour and contraindications

Wheat flour of the second grade can be harmful when consuming products prepared on its basis in large quantities.

Different flours will differ in taste, color, fineness of grind and baking behavior, as well as nutritional value. We figure out in which cases it is better to overpay for the words "extra" and "premium" on the packaging, and when it is better to use the more useful first and second grade.

It's about the grain

Several centuries ago, people made flour by simply grinding grain in stone millstones. The color of such flour was brown, the grinding was coarse, and the quality of the finished products was very different from what we are used to.

With the development of technology, they learned to clean the grain from the outer shell, and make flour from the central part of the grain. The baked goods began to turn out lush and beautiful. Fully refined grain is now used to make premium flour, which is distinguished by its white color and fine grinding. However, along with the refining, almost all the vitamins and trace elements contained in the shell are removed from the grain, therefore, from the point of view of benefits, premium flour can be called the least useful flour.

Fans of a healthy lifestyle prefer the so-called whole grain flour, that is, made from unrefined grain and as close as possible in its properties to the one that our ancestors made. The downside is the fact that due to the low content of gluten, which gives the dough fluffiness and volume, a lower volumetric bread yield is obtained from whole grain flour. In addition, such baked goods are characterized by a more porous structure, dense crumb, and a specific taste is not suitable for some types of products.

The flour of the first or second grade helps to find a balance - it contains more, in comparison with the highest grade, the amount of nutrients and the amount of gluten sufficient to raise the dough. Ultimately, the choice remains with the consumer, with his personal preferences. You can make high-quality bread from any flour, but its appearance, taste and useful properties will differ depending on the variety used.

Each product has its own grade

Wheat flour grade	What is the best use for	Specifications
Extra, supreme	for baking lush, beautiful bread. It is these varieties that are present in the recipe for the Moskovsky loaf. for yeast, puff and shortcrust pastry. for sauces and gravies: due to fine grinding, this flour is good for using as a thickener.	The most refined varieties of flour, which are obtained from the central part of the grain. Color - white, maybe with a creamy tint. They contain the largest amount of starch, a low amount of proteins, the minimum amount of fiber and fat. Vitamins and minerals are practically absent. High baking properties: finished products have good volume and splendor.
Krupchatka	for baking products from rich yeast dough with a high sugar content (cakes, pastries).	It differs from other varieties in the larger sizes of its constituent particles. It contains almost no bran, that is, the shells of grains, which means the absence of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Color - light cream. It is poorly suited for uncooked yeast dough, and finished products have low porosity and quickly stale.
First grade	for uncooked pastries (pies, pancakes, pies) for breading for homemade pasta	In addition to the central part of the grain, a small amount of its shell is included in the composition. Color - from white to white with a grayish or yellowish tint. There is a little more protein, sugar, fat, fiber, vitamins and minerals than premium flour. A sufficient amount of gluten guarantees an elastic dough, from which products with good shape and volume, aromatic and tasty are baked. In addition, baked goods made from such flour stale more slowly.
Second grade	for non-tasty flour products (bread, gingerbread and biscuits).	In addition to the central part of the grain, the composition includes a significant (8–10%) amount of the grain shell. The color is darker than that of premium flour: from light with a yellowish to darker with a gray or brown tint. In terms of the content of valuable substances (protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber) it surpasses flour of the highest grades.
Wallpaper flour	for baking table sorts of bread.	Coarse whole grain flour. It consists of 96% of the same parts as the grain itself, of relatively large, non-uniform particles. Color - cream with brown tint. Such flour retains the maximum possible amount of vitamins, macro- and microelements, protein, fat, dietary fiber that the grain possessed. Fiber is 12 times more than premium flour. Products made from it are less fluffy and more porous.

During the study of the Russian quality system, it was found that some manufacturers produce flour of the first grade, passing it off as the highest. To choose a really worthy product, we advise you to study

Product description

Wheat flour is perhaps the most popular baking flour in the world.

Types and varieties

Flour of "extra" grade- the most refined (refined) flour grade. Produced only from the central part of the grain - endosperm, has the finest grind, as well as a weak ability to retain water. It is ideal for confectionery.

Flour of the highest grade also made from the center of the grain. This flour can be purchased at any store and it best suits the needs of the home baker. But the problem is that the packaging will most likely contain the same numbers indicating the chemical composition and nutritional value of the flour. In reality, these will be completely different products. Not better, not worse, but just different, each is good for some products. The main parameter that significantly affects the results of the work of a home baker is the strength or moisture content of flour. The strength of the flour determines the amount of water required to obtain a normal dough consistency. The more water the flour takes, the stronger it is, or, in other words, the more moisture-absorbing it is. Strong flour good for rich products: they will turn out more magnificent. Weak flour more suitable for confectionery: they are softer, more crumbly.

First grade flour also quite often used for baking baked goods. It can be distinguished by its creamy color, which it owes to a small amount of bran, up to 3% of the flour weight. Remember real bagels, elastic, fragrant, with a light beige, slightly rubbery crumb? They were baked according to GOST from the first grade flour. This flour can be found quite often in chain stores.

V flour of the second grade there is already much more bran - up to 8% of the flour weight, which is why it acquires a beige hue and is coarser to the touch than premium and first grade flour. Second-grade flour is not easy to buy, except to order in an online store. Or cook it yourself, replacing 8% of the weight of the 2nd grade flour required by the recipe with wheat bran. By the way, they can be found in the healthy food sections of large supermarkets.

Whole grain (wallpaper) flour, unlike varietal, is produced from whole grains, it contains not only the middle part of the wheat grain - endosperm, but also the germ and bran. Such flour is considered the most useful, but this does not mean that you need to give up bread made from other flour.

Flour of the highest, first and second grade, as well as whole grain, have different properties, are ready to absorb different amounts of moisture, gluten develops in different ways. Therefore, you cannot just take and replace the flour indicated in the recipe with another flour. That is, you can replace it, but the result will not be the same as the author of the recipe intended!