What is the best flour for baking bread. Which flour is better? The healthiest flour - types of other flour
Of course, there is no absolutely correct flour. We can only call flour that is of high quality and better than others for solving a specific problem. So if you think that the best flour is premium white wheat flour, then you are a little mistaken. Why - now you will find out.
Each baked product has its own flour
For the needs of the baking industry in Russia, wheat and rye flour are most often used, although in fact there are many more types of flour.
Wheat flour Made from so-called soft wheat varieties. Sometimes it is allowed to add durum varieties, but not more than 20%. Wheat baking flour is divided into grades depending on the grind size, gluten content and whiteness (ash content). According to GOST, the highest grade of wheat flour is the extra grade. Next in descending order are the highest grade, semolina, grade 1 and 2 flour, and wallpaper flour closes the list.
Flour of the highest grade and “extra” grade is the most delicate, airy, suitable for baking cake layers, buns, muffins, and sponge cakes. It can also be used as a thickener for sauces.
Krupchatka is ideal for baking muffins, Easter cakes - in general, for yeast dough. But it is not suitable for unsweetened dough, since the dough made from grains does not rise well, and the baked goods quickly become stale.
First grade flour is an excellent choice for those who intend to bake pies, pancakes, rolls and pancakes.
Second grade flour is good for homemade bread, gingerbread and cookies. This flour is often mixed with rye flour.
Dark wallpaper flour with a large amount of bran is suitable for baking bread: it turns out tasty and contains a large amount of useful minerals and vitamins.
Rye flour also divided into varieties: seeded, peeled, wallpaper and special. It differs from wheat in its grayish color and the presence of inclusions - tiny particles of the grain shell. There is practically no gluten in rye flour, so it is often used in a mixture with wheat flour. Bread, pancakes, and pies are baked from rye flour.
Healthy flour
Everyone's favorite white wheat flour contains practically no useful substances. And other types of flour do not shine with usefulness, so manufacturers often fortify it. But there are very interesting types of flour in the world, not only suitable for cooking, but also very healthy. For example, spelled flour, or spelled flour. It is produced from wild varieties of wheat and is used in baking, in the production of pasta, and at home it is suitable for baking pizza and all kinds of buns and pies.
Buckwheat flour made from buckwheat, has a dark beige color and a characteristic taste. If you couldn’t find it in the store, you can easily make your own buckwheat flour at home. You just need to wash the buckwheat, dry it and grind it in a coffee grinder. Buckwheat flour makes delicious pancakes and pancakes. You can bread cutlets in it, add it to casseroles, and use it to make porridge for kids.
Flaxseed flour It has an interesting nutty taste and excellent binding properties. Therefore, they not only bake bread from it, but also add it to minced meat, soups, omelettes, casseroles, and also use it as a breading.
Oat flour necessary for baking oatmeal cookies and preparing oatmeal jelly. You can also make it yourself by grinding regular Hercules flakes. For those who watch their figure, it is considered especially valuable almond flour: It makes excellent baked goods, and it contains much fewer calories. Almond flour is just as easy to make at home.
Barley flour It is poor in gluten, but is considered a dietary product. It is mixed with wheat flour when baking, and cookies and pancakes are baked from it.
Corn flour popular in many countries, where it is widely used to make national dishes: mamalyga, Mexican corn cakes, ugali, Italian polenta, Uzbek bulamik and Hutsul banosh. The value of corn as a food product is questioned these days due to the fact that it is grown using GMO technologies, but if you want, it is quite possible to find environmentally friendly corn flour.
Rice flour is gluten-free, therefore does not cause allergies and is widely used in the manufacture of baby food. It makes crispy bread, delicious noodles, wonderful pancakes, airy homemade pies and cakes.
And there is also bird cherry flour, from which biscuits are made of unearthly tenderness. But not everyone manages to find such flour: they mostly buy it online, since it is not yet available in stores.
High-quality flour: how to determine it
Stores today offer us dozens of types of flour. But it is rarely possible to check flour for quality directly on the sales floor: it is sold in sealed paper bags. On the other hand, this is good, because there is a firm rule: never buy flour packaged in plastic. In plastic, the flour cannot “breathe” and acquires a musty smell, and inside the bag the processes of self-warming of the flour begin.
You should not buy flour with an expiring shelf life. Flour that has been stored for a long time cakes, loses its flowability, and microorganisms develop in it. Therefore, choose a package with the latest packaging date (usually sellers hide such packages in the depths of the shelves).
You should check purchased flour at home, assessing its color and tasting it. The color of flour does not always have to be white: some flours are made from grains with hulls, so they are darker than flour made from refined grains. The color also depends on the degree of grinding of the grains: coarse flour is darker. Normally, the color of baking flour of the highest and first grade is white (a cream tint is allowed), the second grade is white with a yellow or grayish tint. There should be no lumps, black dots (weed particles), bugs and larvae in the flour.
The taste of high-quality flour should not be sour, too sweet, bitter, or have a musty or moldy taste. If you chew the flour a little, there should be no feeling of sand on your teeth.
Improperly stored flour can go rancid. Lower grades of flour are more susceptible to this, since they contain more fat-rich germ particles. So we repeat the advice - read carefully everything that is written on the packages and choose the freshest one.
Hello, my dear readers!
I think many people have noticed how often I write about how I’m trying to switch to a completely healthy diet.
And this is impossible without giving up most of the usual, but useless or even harmful products.
Unfortunately, one of them is white wheat flour.
Let's take a closer look at the harm of white flour and what the healthiest flour exists and where to buy it.
From this article you will learn:
The healthiest flour and the most harmful flour
Why is white wheat flour harmful?
Let's start with harmful white wheat flour.
Absolutely useless, which causes great harm, especially to those who suffer from gluten intolerance - the protein component of gluten, the adhesive component of some grains (wheat, rye, barley).
Many people don't even realize that the cause of most of their illnesses is that terrible gluten.
It is capable of triggering pathological processes in the body, causing various autoimmune diseases, the consequences of which affect all organs and systems of the body.
The higher the grade of flour, the whiter it is, the longer its shelf life, the less useful it is, the more severe and aggressive processing the grain from which it was made was subjected.
Such flour provokes mechanisms for gaining excess weight, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, the development of pre-diabetic conditions, and diabetes itself.
In this flour, during the process of obtaining it, grinding and sifting, nothing living and useful remains, only starch.
This is a harmful high-carb dummy that saturates us with empty calories and even harmful chemicals that may be present in it.
Yes, yes, don't be surprised!
Modern technologies for the production of white wheat flour include methods of chemical bleaching, adding raising agents, stabilizers, preservatives and even antibiotics.
Therefore, some flour can be stored for several years, which is absolutely impossible for this product.
And most importantly, no one controls the quality of this flour.
Alas, this is not my invention and not my sick fantasy, all the books on healthy and environmentally friendly nutrition repeat this, they make programs about it and make documentaries, confirming everything with real and reliable facts.
How to replace white wheat flour?
Of course, it is best to completely avoid all flour and anything that contains gluten.
But not everyone can do this, for some it is simply an incredible feat to give up bread and not everyone will do it.
But, if you strive for a healthy diet, you will have to learn how to bake your own sourdough bread using healthy flour.
I found several options for this flour.
Let's take a closer look at them.
The healthiest flour - types of other flour
The following types of flour are best used for baking bread:
- Spelled or spelt
The most environmentally friendly whole grain flour.
It is made from wild wheat, it contains proteins, minerals, and fiber, but it spoils quickly and has little storage.
Spelled protein differs in structure from wheat gluten and has a different effect on the body.
Recent studies have found that spelled gluten did not cause allergies in half the cases in those who suffered from gluten intolerance to regular wheat.
- Rye flour or wallpaper flour
This is the coarsest flour. It contains all the particles of the whole grain, including its shell.
This is a more valuable product that is rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Ideal for baking rye bread.
- Coarse wheat wallpaper
This flour is produced in Russia by three companies: Belovodye, Diamart and the Solnechny agricultural complex.
According to the manufacturers, this flour is obtained from environmentally friendly grains, without chemicals and synthetics.
You can bake everything from it the same way as from white wheat flour.
If you really want to bake, try using the following types of flour, but do it as little as possible and use only complex sourdough baking recipes:
- Buckwheat flour
This is flour that is obtained from buckwheat grains. You can cook other baked goods from it. Add to bread
- Oat flour
My favorite flour.
I have completely replaced white wheat flour with it, I add it to pancakes, pancakes, and bake, but I do it very rarely.
There are also many other types of flour, I buy sesame flour, corn flour, rice flour, and even sprouted and ground sprout flour.
What is the healthiest flour - conclusions
Today you can find many options for replacing white wheat flour.
Of course, your baked goods will not be so beautiful, but their quality and usefulness for your body will undoubtedly increase.
But here the technique of preparing this will also play a huge role; it should be without yeast, with lactic sourdough, but that’s another topic for discussion.
Watch this video to see what real bread should be like and why bread in stores can be dangerous.
In general, decide for yourself, my dear readers, how you will continue to feel about white wheat flour; I made a choice for myself.
A huge selection of other healthy flours can be found here, click on the banner, choose and buy!
Alena Yasneva was with you, see you again!!!
Photo on the cover of the post @ zoeytoja https://depositphotos.com
Potato bacillus is a soil microbe that carries flour from grain. Its spores remain viable during baking. And under favorable conditions (warmth, high humidity, close to neutral acidity), potato bacillus begins to multiply.
After a few days, the crumb of wheat bread turns into a sticky, viscous dirty-brown mass with a sharp, specific odor.
Rye-wheat bread is not at risk of potato disease, since its acidity is much higher than that of wheat bread.
However, no signs of potato disease were found in any of the samples at the end of the experiment. This means that all tested flour is of high quality and not contaminated with potato bacillus.
According to TR CU 021/2011 “On the safety of food products,” flour contaminated with potato sticks cannot be used for baking white bread. And such flour is strictly prohibited from being sold in stores, at retail. But not all manufacturers comply with this.
Thus, according to the results of a previous inspection by Roskontrol, in 2016, potato disease was detected in bread baked from flour “Sokolnicheskaya”, “Makfa”, “Predportovaya”, “Nastyusha”, “Eating at Home”.
Current examination has shown that flour producers "Sokolnicheskaya" And Makfa corrected the situation. No unpleasant disease was detected in flour "Aladushkin", whose manufacturer simultaneously produces Pre-port flour (participant in the previous test).
As part of a fan study by Roskachestvo, the quality and safety parameters of 25 samples of wheat baking flour under the following trademarks were studied: Aladushkin, Aleyka, French Thing, Victoria, GOROSHEK, Gosudarev AMBAR, Domashennaya, Imperial Recipe, LENTA, Lukhovitskaya, NASTYUSHA, OKAY, Ryazanochka, S.PUDOV, Sokolnicheskaya, One Hundred Recipes, Tomsk Mills, Extra, SOUTH OF RUSSIA, ARO, CLEVER, MAKFA, Myllyn Paras, NICE DAY. The sample included the most popular federal brands among Russians and a number of large regional brands. All products presented in the study were of domestic origin. The cost of the samples (the study involved flour in packages weighing 1 and 2 kg) ranged from 45 to 270 rubles per unit of product at the time of purchase.
STANDARD OF THE RUSSIAN QUALITY SYSTEM
The standard of the Russian quality system is, for the most part, identical to the current GOST, but it establishes more stringent requirements for the quality of raw gluten. In addition, the increased standard included consumer parameters that evaluate flour in terms of its basic baking properties. Flour can be considered worthy of the Russian Quality Mark only if it produces at least 500 cm 3 of bread (per 100 g of flour), and the prepared product itself meets the standard in its shape, color, and elasticity of the crumb. To assess the freshness of the product, an additional parameter for determining the acid number of fat was also introduced into the Roskachestvo standard.
All shades of white
Flour, like any food product, must meet its basic organoleptic characteristics. Both GOST and the Russian Quality System standard put forward requirements for them. A high-quality product should have the taste characteristic of wheat flour, not contain foreign impurities, not be bitter and not have a musty smell. The current standards also define the palette of flour colors quite strictly: options from white to cream shades are allowed. In addition, high-quality flour should not “crunch”, that is, contain foreign impurities. This crunch, as well as the musty smell, was not found in any of the studied samples. However, the product under the trademark had a color that did not match the flour OK. And in goods Homemade, One Hundred Recipes, S.PUDOV, SOUTH OF Rus', CLEVER an extraneous taste was noted - bitter, sour or long-lasting flour. All these products were labeled as complying with GOST, which ultimately was not confirmed during laboratory tests, which means that the manufacturers misled the consumer with the product labeling.
Reference
Flour samples of exclusively premium and extra grades took part in this fan study. This is the product that is in greatest demand among Russians. Flour of the first and second grades will also be examined by Roskachestvo in the near future. The results of such independent laboratory tests will be published on the Roskachestvo portal.
Cleanliness is the key to the highest quality
For many consumers, the quality of flour is directly related to its grade. There are several types of flour, and you can read more about them. In general, the grade of flour depends on how well it was cleaned from the grain shells in production. The higher the grade, the less residue of such shells should be in the flour. Their quantity in the product is determined by laboratory study of the ash content parameter. To do this, flour is burned in ovens, and then the amount of unburned minerals in the residue is examined.
Another parameter by which the type of flour is determined in laboratory conditions is the study of its whiteness. High-grade flour is more refined; it contains fewer grain shells, which can give the product a dark shade.
The standard of the Russian quality system for the parameters of whiteness and ash content of flour has established requirements identical to the requirements of GOST for premium flour. It is gratifying that all the products presented in the study were able to meet the requirements of the highest standards for these indicators.
Reference
It is important to note that the ash content in first-grade flour is always higher, which means it will be healthier. The fact is that maximum purification of grains for the production of premium flour deprives it of a large number of substances important for humans: potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, etc. However, a product made from first grade flour will not be as fluffy as one made from premium flour.
To stick or not to stick
Gluten, or gluten, is contained in each ear of wheat and is a sticky elastic mass. Despite the rare individual intolerance to this substance and the modern fashion for gluten-free products, it is worth understanding that gluten contains a large amount of amino acids, carbohydrates and vitamins. In general, the amount of gluten is one of the determining parameters characterizing the quality of wheat grains and, subsequently, the baking properties of flour. Baking made from flour rich in high-quality gluten will be more airy, voluminous, porous, and fluffy. Proper gluten has a positive effect on the rise of the dough and, ultimately, on the finished product. Both GOST and the Russian quality system standard require that the amount of gluten in premium flour be at least 28% of the total volume of the product. However, its quality also plays an equally important role in the final product. That is why the increased standard of Roskachestvo has tightened this parameter compared to the current GOST. All manufacturers were able to provide the required amount of gluten in products, and its high quality, corresponding to the increased standard, was noted in 14 products.
Reference
The parameter that determines the freshness of flour is the acid number of the fat. The high fat content in flour negatively affects its shelf life. Such a product quickly becomes rancid and develops an unpleasant taste and smell. As with the peroxide number, which determines the freshness of sunflower oil, the acid number inevitably increases with the storage time of the product. It is interesting that the current technical regulations and GOST standards for flour do not impose any requirements on the acid number of fat. However, such an important requirement for this parameter was included in the standard of the Russian quality system. All products tested were able to meet the increased standard.
Free fall
The dough, made from high-quality flour, should be quite thick. A special enzyme, namely alpha-amylase, is responsible for this property of flour. The activity of this enzyme is determined by the so-called falling parameter, and this name has a well-founded etymology. To study this characteristic, flour is added to the liquid and, with the help of special mechanics and instruments, the speed of free fall of a special ball is established, which is thrown into the resulting jelly-like mass. The faster it falls, the higher the likelihood that the flour is not of sufficient quality. The requirements for the fall parameter in the Russian quality system standard have been significantly tightened in comparison with the current GOST. Nevertheless, most of the products were able to match them - 21 samples out of 25.
The characteristic of the mass fraction of moisture in the product is also closely related to the drop parameter. Flour, although it may seem strange, must contain liquid. Moreover, if there is a lot of it, the flour will lose its taste properties and will be susceptible to various diseases, and if the flour is too dry, then the alpha-amylase enzyme will not work. That is, the falling number will decrease, which means that the flour will lose its binding properties. The optimal moisture balance was noted in each product studied.
Reference
Each of the presented samples was also studied for the content of toxic elements (cadmium, lead, arsenic, mercury), pesticides (HCCH, DDT and its metabolites, organomercury pesticides), various types of mold and grain disinfectants. The results of laboratory tests confirmed that none of the specified parameters exceeded the mandatory standards.
No pests allowed
Nevertheless, a number of samples were infected with pathogens of the so-called potato disease. The potato bacillus spores that provoke it can withstand temperatures up to 130 degrees, and therefore easily pass into the final flour product. The disease makes the bread crumb soft, moist and sticky. You can read about how contamination of bread with pathogens of potato disease affects human health. During laboratory tests, an increased number of potato stick spores was found in flour Imperial recipe, Lukhovitskaya, NICE DAY. Despite the fact that pathogens of potato disease are contained in almost any flour, the detection of their high concentration is a violation of the basic requirements of the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union 021/2011 “On food safety”.
Lush and beautiful
The Russian quality system standard, unlike other current standards, considers flour primarily as the main ingredient for baking. That is why he included seven additional parameters that determine the most important properties of flour in baking.
According to the Roskachestvo standard, premium flour, in order to qualify for the Russian Quality Mark, must provide a certain volumetric yield of bread (500 cm 3 of bread per 100 g of flour), and the product baked according to the methodology established by GOST must have an appropriate correct shape that is not lost neither before nor after its preparation. The standards also apply to the bread crust - it should be smooth, brown in color with slight shades in the palette. The crumb, in turn, should be white and elastic.
It's important to understand
The bread baked from each product presented was made under absolutely identical conditions, using identical ingredients, using the same technology, in an oven equipped with all the necessary modern control equipment. These studies were carried out in a specialized laboratory accredited to conduct such examination.
As a result, the “standard” bread was made from only nine samples of flour, which could be called the best flour for bread. For sixteen products, deviations from the forms established by the Roskachestvo standard were recorded.
Bread, noodles, pancakes, pasta, dough... Flour is the basis of many dishes. It's hard to say what would happen if I had to cut it out of my daily diet. Meanwhile, experts recommend giving up products made from white wheat flour for the sake of beauty and health. What alternatives exist and how are they useful?
Why look for a replacement for wheat flour?
This type of flour is easy to digest, but does not contain nutrients such as minerals, vitamins or fiber, so it does not properly feed the body.
Its main component is starch or sugar. After eating wheat flour products, we quickly feel hungry again. This leads to an increase in the number of calories consumed. Fortunately, wheat flour, although the most popular, is far from the only one. This is well known to people with celiac disease, who cannot consume it due to the gluten contained in white flour. So what should you choose? Which flour is best for baking bread, and which makes a great sauce?
Rye flour
This is the best flour for baking bread. It is best to choose type 2000, 1400 or 750. The type of product is determined by the ash content, i.e. minerals that were burned along with the flour sample. The higher the number, the greater the nutritional value it indicates.
Rye flour contains alkaloids that help lower cholesterol levels and reduce the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis. The lignans present in the product protect against the formation of malignant tumors.
Unlike wheat flour, rye flour contains less starch, but is difficult to digest. But after eating with it, a person feels full for a longer time. Rye flour contains many vitamins and minerals that regulate metabolism.
Potato flour (starch)
Potato flour, formed by separating starch from potato tubers, perfectly absorbs moisture. Thanks to this property, it is used primarily in cosmetics (for example, as talc). In cooking, potato flour is most often used as a thickener for sauces. Its advantage is also the absence of gluten.
Corn flour
Becoming the “daily bread” for people with gluten intolerance, corn flour is formed by grinding corn kernels. But the absence of gluten is not its only advantage. Corn powder is rich in fiber and vitamins A, B, E, as well as magnesium and potassium. It prevents the development of diseases such as obesity, heart problems and cancer. Corn flour is used for biscuits, pancakes, and cakes. This is a very good replacement for wheat flour.
Try with cornmeal:
Soy flour
Another type of flour that contains zero gluten is soy flour, which also contains very little starch. But it contains potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, phosphorus, iodine, vitamins A, C, D, E, B (including folic acid). Soy flour is rich in isoflavones, which regulate female hormonal levels and alleviate menopausal symptoms. The product reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis, slows down skin aging and lowers cholesterol levels. As for culinary benefits, soy flour can be used in pasta, bread, cookies, pancakes.
Rice flour
This powder is obtained by grinding white rice. It contains manganese, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, B vitamins and starch. There is no gluten in it. The product is recommended for allergy sufferers and people with digestive problems; it is good to use for stomach irritation and diarrhea. Rice flour is used in a variety of baked goods and to thicken sauces.
Oat flour
Containing only trace amounts of gluten, oat flour is the result of the process of grinding oat grains. It is rich in fiber, B vitamins, iron, calcium, and unsaturated fatty acids. This representative of the “flour family” lowers the level of “bad” cholesterol, preventing its absorption from food, and regulates gastrointestinal motility. Thanks to its fiber content, it ensures a feeling of fullness for a long time. Oatmeal is best for baking, the most popular recipe in this topic is.
Amaranth flour
This alternative, which is not yet popular among us, contains much more easily digestible protein than milk and slows down the aging process. It is also a source of unsaturated fatty acids, known to help lower cholesterol levels. This flour is used in the production of pasta, bread, and other baked goods.
Millet flour
Another food that people with celiac disease can consume is millet flour. It does not contain gluten and is characterized by a high content of protein, B vitamins and mineral salts. Due to the large amount of iron, it is recommended for pregnant women and people with anemia.
The product has warming and antiviral properties; reduces the amount of mucus secreted, which is recommended for cataracts. Millet flour is suitable for baking, pancakes, thickening sauces and soups.
Almond flour
It is made by grinding raw almonds. This flour is an excellent source of vitamins: E, PP, B1, B2, zinc and magnesium. It is characterized by a low glycemic index. Thanks to the vitamin E content, the product improves skin condition.
