Flour S. Pudov from durum wheat (durum). Wheat and wheat flour

All varieties of wheat are divided into soft and hard. Soft - more common, as it is unpretentious, frost-resistant, and can grow on poor soils. But it has a low protein and gluten content. Durum wheat or durum is externally distinguished by rich yellow grains with a pleasant aroma. The plant is usually low-growing and bushy.

Durum varieties have excellent baking qualities and are used to prepare expensive types of bread and pasta.

Durum wheat flour

In the flour milling industry, flour is divided into several groups. The first category includes general purpose products. It is made from finely ground secondary endosperm of grain. Flour is obtained from both hard and soft varieties of cereals. If soft wheat flour is poor in gluten, then it can be enriched with high-quality durum raw materials. The product of the first group is used for baking yeast bread, cakes, dry cookies and muffins.

The second group is bread flour. It is used for baking bread and bakery products. It has a higher gluten content. The third group includes confectionery flour. It is characterized by fine grinding, a small amount of protein and a higher percentage of starch. Confectionery flour is intended for any baking.

The chemical composition of semolina contains many useful trace elements:

  • Potassium;
  • Phosphorus;
  • Calcium;
  • Copper;
  • Manganese.
  • It is also rich in vitamins B, E, PP.

Durum wheat bread

Studies have shown that bread made from durum wheat is more beneficial for the body. But the bread must be well baked, fresh and made from quality ingredients. The loaf should have the correct shape, and the crumb should not contain lumps or hollow chambers. The structure of good bread is dense and homogeneous. Sticky or dry bread crumb indicates poor-quality baking, possible infection with potato bacillus or mold.

A special feature of bread made from durum wheat is its ability to increase blood glucose levels.

A regular loaf takes longer to digest and gradually releases glucose. But buns, baguettes, bagels, donuts and muffins contribute to the rapid formation of glucose and excess weight gain. Therefore, they are contraindicated for those who are on a diet. Yeast-free bread is healthier: yeast fungi survive the temperature effect and continue to actively multiply. This disrupts the healthy intestinal microflora and contributes to the rapid growth of pathogenic bacteria.

Abuse of yeast bread can cause intestinal ulcers, the formation of sand and stones in the liver and gall bladder, constipation, and tumors.

Baking homemade bread

Any type of homemade bread is baked from fine flour obtained by repeatedly grinding wheat grains. It is rich in gluten and gluten and produces a good elastic dough. The finished product remains fresh longer and is not susceptible to mold or infection by various bacteria.

Gluten is a substance that is formed by combining wheat flour with water. It makes the bread rise and fall and is responsible for the pliability and elasticity of the dough. Instead of water, you can use milk or kefir - any liquid is suitable to start the process. A more stable dough can be obtained from hard water.

Salt gives bread a pleasant smell and inhibits the growth of yeast. If you put a lot of salt in the dough, it will rise poorly, if not enough, it will rise well. Sugar plays the opposite role: the more of it, the more active the yeast. The amount of these two products when baking bread must be carefully adjusted so as not to get a rough or bitter dough, as well as dough with poor elasticity.

To make this bread you will need original durum flour. It contains no additives and is more often used for making pasta. The baking process takes place in several stages. The first of them is sourdough. In the morning, dilute 150 g of flour in 190 ml of warm water. Add 30 g of dry yeast. After 12-14 hours, begin kneading the dough. For it you will need:

  • Premium flour - 250 g;
  • Durum flour - 600 g;
  • Water - from 500 ml;
  • Salt - 20 g;
  • Leaven.

Kneading is done by hand. All ingredients are mixed for 10-12 minutes. The dough should be thick and dense, pliable and not stick to your hands. Depending on the quality of flour and leaven, it can absorb 500-600 ml of water. After kneading, the dough is left to rest for 2-4 hours. During this time he is kneaded twice. Then form and place in a baking pan sprinkled with flour. For final proofing, the dough must be left indoors at room temperature for another 2-3 hours.

Bake the bread for the first 10 minutes in an oven preheated to 250°C. Next, the temperature is reduced to 220°C. Baking time depends on the shape and volume of the bread, ranging from 1 to 2.5 hours.

Wheat bread

For this yeast bread recipe you will need:

  • 0.5 kg durum wheat flour;
  • 320 ml warm water;
  • 2 tbsp. sunflower oil;
  • 1.5 tbsp. milk powder;
  • 1.5 tbsp. dry yeast;
  • 1.5 tbsp. Sahara;
  • 1.5 tsp. salt.

This recipe is used to make bread in a bread machine. But you can bake white wheat bread in the oven at a temperature of 200-220°C.

Water and oil are poured into the kneading container, sifted flour, milk powder, sugar and salt are added. Yeast can first be revived by dissolving it in a glass of warm water. If the bread is baked by hand, then after kneading it will need rest time - 2-2.5 hours. The finished dough is laid out in a mold and sent to a preheated oven.

Sourdough is prepared from 300 g of flour and 400 ml of water. The ingredients are mixed. The container must be covered with gauze and placed in a warm place for a day. During this time, it is recommended to shake the contents several times. After the allotted time, another 100 g of flour and the same amount of water are added to the starter and left for another 20-25 hours.

The starter begins to work on the third day: it increases in volume, and many bubbles appear on its surface. Add a little more flour and water and leave for several hours. Readiness is determined by the volume having doubled. The resulting mass is divided into 2 parts: bread is baked from one, the other is put in the refrigerator. It can be used for the next time you make bread. In addition to the starter you will need:

  • Flour - about 600 g;
  • Water - 250 ml;
  • Sunflower oil - 3 tbsp;
  • Sugar - 2 tbsp;
  • Salt - 2 tsp.

Sift flour into a container for kneading dough, add sugar, salt and butter. Grind and only then introduce the starter. Add water, constantly stirring the mass. The dough is ready when it easily comes away from your hands, elastic, homogeneous. The future bread is put away to rest for 2-6 hours. The risen dough is kneaded and placed in a mold. It must be high, otherwise the risen bread will fall over its edges and burn. Bread is baked at 180°C.

Coarse or hard flour can also be rye. Black, gray and other dark varieties of bread are prepared from it. To make regular rye bread without yeast, you need to take:

  • 500 ml mineral sparkling water;
  • 3 cups whole grain flour;
  • 0.5 tsp salt.

Mix flour with salt and gradually add water. The dough should be elastic and soft. Grease a baking pan or baking sheet with vegetable oil and lay out the dough. Several cuts are made on the surface to avoid the formation of cracks. Bake the bread for an hour in an oven preheated to 180°C.

Ingredients:

  • 250 g durum wheat flour;
  • 125 g rye flour;
  • 5 g sugar;
  • a glass of warm water;
  • 10 g salt;
  • 4 g dry baker's yeast;
  • tsp honey;
  • 0.5 tsp malt.

Pour 50 ml of warm water into a glass, add a spoonful of sugar and yeast. Leave for 15-20 minutes. Mix half the flour with the remaining water in a bowl and leave to rest for 10-15 minutes under a damp towel. After the allotted time, all ingredients are mixed, kneaded, formed into a ball and placed on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Several cuts are made on the surface, sprinkled with flour, covered with a damp cotton cloth and left for an hour and a half.

Bake bread at a temperature of 220°C for an hour, and for the first 10 minutes it is recommended to place a container of water under a baking sheet.

To prepare you will need:

  • 250 g hazelnuts;
  • 250 g pecans;
  • 900 g durum flour;
  • 20 g baker's dry yeast;
  • 85 g soft butter;
  • lemon;
  • 600 ml warm water;
  • 16 g sea salt;
  • 25 ml olive oil;
  • 250 g lingonberries.

Crush the nuts and fry in a frying pan without oil, stirring constantly. In a large bowl, mix flour, yeast and butter. Add chopped lemon zest and sea salt. The dough should be homogeneous, soft and dense in structure. Pour in olive oil and add nuts and berries. Mix everything thoroughly again. Roll the dough into a ball, cover with a damp cloth and foil, and leave for 40-70 minutes in a warm room.

After the allotted time, knead the dough well again, beat it on the table surface several times, cover it again with a napkin and leave for another 30-40 minutes. Next, place in a baking dish and place in an oven preheated to 230°C. Bake for about an hour, and readiness can be determined by an even golden crust.

Fragrant wheat bread

To make this unusual and delicious bread, you will need:

  • about 150 g of seeds;
  • about 50 g sesame seeds;
  • 0.5 kg whole grain flour;
  • 150 g semolina;
  • tbsp fine salt;
  • 150 g fat sour cream;
  • 25 g dry baker's yeast;
  • 2 tsp linden or clover honey;
  • warm water - 200 ml;
  • sesame oil - tsp.

Sunflower seeds and sesame seeds must be peeled and fried until golden brown in a thick-bottomed frying pan with a small amount of oil. Add a spoonful of sesame oil to the prepared seeds and mix well.

At the same time prepare the dough: mix sour cream, wheat flour, water and yeast with honey. Wait about 15-20 minutes. The finished dough can be determined by the appearance of bubbles on the surface. Add salt and semolina, mix everything well, and leave for another 20-30 minutes. Then add some seeds (leave a little for sprinkling) and stir until done. The dough should be elastic, plastic and easy to handle. Sprinkle flour on top and leave to rise for 2-3 hours. When the dough has noticeably increased in volume, transfer it to a baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining seeds. It is recommended to leave the bread to rest for another 20-30 minutes before the final stage of cooking. Bake for about 50 minutes at 200°C.

Italian bread

Ingredients for cooking:

  • 400 g durum flour;
  • 180 g of premium flour;
  • 1 tbsp. fine salt;
  • 1 tsp dry baker's yeast;
  • water (about 200 ml);
  • tbsp malt extract;
  • 0.5 cups sesame seeds;
  • tbsp olive oil;
  • 1/4 tsp. Italian herbs.

All dry and all liquid ingredients are mixed separately. The liquid is gradually added to the flour and mixed well. When the dough stops sticking to your hands, cover the container with cling film and put it in a warm place for 20-22 hours.

The finished dough is kneaded on a table sprinkled with flour. Roll out into a layer and fold the envelope in four, then cover with a damp cloth and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Place in a baking dish greased with olive oil and leave for another 2 hours. Bake bread for 30-40 minutes at a temperature of 150C.

What kind of bread made from durum flour do you like? Share your favorite recipe in the comments!

Over the past few years, it has become fashionable to limit carbohydrate intake - the so-called low-carb diet. Oleg Iryshkin, Candidate of Medical Sciences, doctor of sports medicine and sports nutrition, expert nutritionist for the federal network of fitness clubs X-Fit, talks about how harmful or beneficial cereals containing a lot of carbohydrates can really be. Cereals Cereals are very important in nutrition, since they are the main suppliers of complex carbohydrates and how...

If you are going to cook pasta with filling, do not hesitate too much and immediately add the minced meat, which is indicated in the recipe you have chosen, while the dough is still plastic. Do not leave the filling on the dough for too long, otherwise the moisture from it will wet the dough or even tear it. Sprinkle the pasta with durum wheat flour to prevent the cut pieces from sticking together. How to make colored pasta Green pasta (pasta verde). To the main ingredients, add 75 g of stewed spinach, pureed and well drained. Remove 1 egg from the list of ingredients. Purple paste (pasta purpurea). Add 4 tbsp to the main ingredients. l. beet juice. Remove 1 egg from the list of ingredients. Oran...
...The mushrooms should become crispy. Once cool, grind them in a spice grinder. Add 2 tbsp. l. powder to the main ingredients. Chocolate paste (pasta di cioccolato). Add 2 tbsp to the main ingredients. l. cocoa powder. Pasta without eggs For one person, take 100 g of durum wheat flour and 40 ml of water. Knead the dough until it becomes dense and elastic. After kneading thoroughly, leave to rest for at least 20 minutes. From the book "Pasta"...

Nuts, spices, cereals, oils... We collect a pantry of healthy products
...) - it is better to replace the usual wheat flour with it. Whole grain flour contains fiber, so it fills you up faster and better. Be careful: due to the beneficial grain germ it contains, the shelf life of wholemeal flour is no more than 6 months. Pasta made from durum wheat flour. It is more expensive, but better for health and figure, as it contains less starch. In other words, its glycemic index is lower. These are the same complex carbohydrates that take longer to digest and keep you feeling full. Buckwheat noodles. Low in calories, rich in protein and fiber, these noodles are considered dietary products. A must have if you love oriental cuisine. Legumes Legumes are the main source of protein for...

Discussion

01/05/2016 20:30:30, Shmagel Romka

Hmmm...but I fry in olive oil and sincerely believe that it is healthy...it turns out not...many of these products are not a problem to get, but whether they will really be organic is a big question...except maybe In the summer, buy from grandmothers in the markets... and in the winter, it’s generally a big hassle with organics

Nutrition during fasting: proteins and carbohydrates - from legumes and cereals
...Bulgur, a traditional dish of the countries of the East, is a cereal made from durum wheat, prepared in a special way: steamed, dried and crushed. Bulgur is rich in fiber, vitamins, and protein - so it can be safely recommended to adherents of a healthy diet. Couscous, like bulgur, has been known in the East since ancient times. It is made from fine semolina, soaked in water and rolled in flour. It is better to steam couscous - this way the beneficial substances contained in it are preserved. From the book "Eat This, Not That"...

Emergency diet. Blog of user Olga_Mo on 7ya.ru

The energy capacity of the diet is 1300 calories. in 7 days you can lose 4 kg without feeling hungry, more if you exercise. Basic rules: drink as much plain and mineral water as you like, but the amount of skim milk with your tea or coffee should not exceed 250 ml. Every time you sit down to eat, try to eat a large portion of salad - prepare it with celery, lettuce, cucumbers, peppers, apple slices, beans, corn kernels and tomatoes. Refueling...

Wheat bread. Blog of user lastochkamoja on 7ya.ru

Wheat is a class of annual plants of the cereal family, one of the most important cereal species. Flour extracted from grain is used to prepare a delicious loaf and also create other food products; flour production waste is used to feed animals and poultry, and nowadays it is increasingly used as raw material for industry. Wheat is the leading cereal crop in different regions. Wheat grain is the main agricultural element of the international economy: almost 60...

60 g sifted whole grain wheat flour; 40 g of sifted soft wheat flour (farina di grano tenero tipo "00"); 1 kg of pears (Williams, Duchess varieties); 2 chicken eggs; 8 g baking powder; 2 tbsp. l. freshly squeezed lemon juice; 80 g sugar; 20 g butter for greasing the pan; flour for dusting the mold. You will also need: 3 medium bowls...
...40 g of sifted soft wheat flour (farina di grano tenero tipo "00"); 1 kg of pears (Williams, Duchess varieties); 2 chicken eggs; 8 g baking powder; 2 tbsp. l. freshly squeezed lemon juice; 80 g sugar; 20 g butter for greasing the pan; flour for dusting the mold. You will also need: 3 medium-sized bowls, a mixer, a round springform pan with a diameter of 26 cm. Separate the yolks from...

Cereals: "educational education" for parents. Nutrition for children up to one year old

Corn grits. This cereal is rich in starch and iron, vitamins B, E, A, PP, but the calcium and phosphorus content in it is not too high. A distinctive feature of corn porridge is its ability to inhibit fermentation processes in the intestines, reducing flatulence (bloating) and colic. Porridge made from corn grits usually requires a long cooking time, so in the past it was rarely used in feeding small children. However, modern instant corn porridges do not require long preparation and are easily digestible. Oat groats. Contains a relatively large amount of vegetable protein. Rich in vitamins B1, B2, necessary for the normal functioning of the nervous system. Oatmeal is a “champion” in terms of calcium and phosphorus content, which are necessary for...

Discussion

Useful article, no fuss, a lot of interesting information! My daughter is already 10, we eat porridge every day with milk and water with butter. When she was very little, we had an allergy to milk, I was worried that it would remain like this for the rest of her life, but then gradually everything went away.
I try to cook different grains. And cereals too, we especially like oatmeal with bran. I just read in the article that “oatmeal is a “champion” in terms of calcium and phosphorus content,” and I was glad for myself that I was feeding my child correctly! We tried cereals from many companies, I can recommend Uvelka, we have been friends for a long time. Eat porridge - you will be healthy!

05/01/2010 01:37:32, sdf

Wallpaper (9.3%). 2nd grade flour (6.7%). 1st grade flour (4.4%). Premium flour (3.5%). The most high-calorie, easily digestible and less healthy, it contains the most starch - 68.5%. The three varieties of rye flour are arranged like this. Wallpaper is the richest in dietary fiber content (13.3%). Ripped (12.4%). Seeded (10.8%). Here is the approximate energy value by type of bread (kcal per 100 g): rye - 180; in rye-wheat - a little more than 200; in wheat - from 220 to 300; in thin lavash - 270-280;...

Discussion

I also think that bread in the morning is a nice thing, and in the afternoon you can eat some bread, in terms of energy, bread is not the most high-calorie, if you compare it with nuts, seeds and all fat-containing products. Carbohydrates are still broken down faster.

07.27.2009 10:25:52, YULIA P.

I personally think everything is good in moderation. Those. bread, especially the right kind - it is very necessary and important. A sandwich made from whole grain bread before 12 noon, for example, IMHO... won’t do any harm :)

In 1639, members of the guild finally defeated their rival bakers: from that time on, by a special decree, they were prohibited from making pasta. In 1699, the guild of noodle makers changed its name, becoming the guild of pasta makers. Water, flour and bronze To produce dry pasta (pasta secca or pastasciutta), durum wheat flour is used. It has less starch and more protein than soft flour. It is mixed with water, after which the dough is pressed through metal grates. Bronze ones are considered the best, since they leave the edges of the pasta a little loose, and this guarantees that such pasta will subsequently absorb water well during cooking and bind (or, as they say...

Discussion

During pregnancy, I only dreamed of baking. The smell itself drove me crazy. But I already gained a lot of weight, the gynecologist didn’t allow me. So I secretly run to the store while my husband is sleeping at home and eat right there without leaving the store .Then constipation began. I sat on Forlax for a week to restore my stool, I dreamed that I would give birth and I would eat as much as I wanted. But no, everything went away after the birth. And even now I bake buns for myself, I don’t even eat much myself

If food contains excess carbohydrates, but little energy is consumed, then carbohydrates become the building material of adipose tissue. Sugar is most often an integral part of various confectionery products, baked goods made from premium white flour, syrups, etc., i.e. foods rich in refined and simple carbohydrates, which are nutritionally poor but calorie dense. In addition, eating a large amount of sweets during pregnancy can become a trigger for the development of allergies in the unborn child, especially if relatives or the parents themselves already have allergic diseases...
...Healthy foods containing carbohydrates include fruit jelly or yogurt, marmalade, jam, mixed grain and whole wheat crackers, mixed grain bread, sprouted wheat, whole grain cereals, and durum wheat pasta. Starting from the second trimester of pregnancy, a woman is recommended to limit the consumption of confectionery products due to the direct relationship between the content of carbohydrates in the diet and the weight of the fetus. The amount of sugar should not exceed 40-50 g per day (one teaspoon contains approximately 10 g of sugar, which is 20 kcal). Sweet...
...Sweet substitutes with zero calorie content have also been developed - cyclomates. They are 30-50 times sweeter than sugar, the daily dose is up to 3.5 g. Aspartame (Nutrasvit and Ikvel) is the most common sugar substitute. It is often used in the production of so-called "low-calorie" foods and drinks to reduce their calorie content. Aspartame is a combination of two amino acids - phenylalanine and asparagine. Judging by the studies conducted, they do not have any harmful effects on the body of pregnant women. Foods and drinks containing aspartame are not dangerous if consumed in reasonable quantities. Sa...

Discussion

Well, here we go... why didn’t you like the pancakes? milk, eggs and flour a little butter... and what could be harmful about that. I would like more explanations about this. Otherwise they will write: it’s impossible, but they won’t bother to explain... Honestly, I don’t think that a sprig of greenery will cause uterine contractions, you need to eat at least 1 kg of it.
And I would like to add about Aspartame on the packaging (I saw it in Europe) they write that it is prohibited for use by children under 3 years of age and pregnant women, so good old sugar is better than all this chemicals. By the way, it is added to many drinks like Light (Coca-Cola and derivatives), look carefully at the composition.

04/12/2006 16:23:42, Alice

But it seems to me that a little bit of everything is possible and it won’t make things worse, in small quantities everything is even useful, of course, except food with all sorts of additives (E)

In addition, they prevent it from turning into a hard lump that easily breaks through the dough shell, as happens with pork filling. The dough for dumplings should be stiff (water content up to 42%) and plastic. In many ways, its quality depends on the gluten content in flour (it should be at least 25%) and the type of grain. Experienced housewives advise using durum wheat flour so that the dumplings do not stick together or become overcooked. By the way, the size of the dumplings is also important. They should not be very large (nowadays in some restaurants there is a fashion for saucer-sized dumplings - “Three Bogatyrs”, “Gulliver’s Dumplings”). Otherwise, the taste is distorted and instead of a dumpling you get something like a boiled cheburek. Meanwhile, store-bought dumplings are very different from their ancestors. By...
...This is how pickles develop a specific taste, and they last longer. By the way, dried and crushed horseradish leaves save the brine from becoming cloudy. To do this, add a tablespoon of this seasoning to a three-liter jar of brine. However, horseradish root is still used more often. It is served with dumplings, fish and meat dishes. You can buy it in a jar ready to use. However, often such horseradish, almost like a radish, is only slightly bitter. If we don’t like it, we buy its roots at the market and prepare our own homemade seasoning. The magical properties of horseradish. Once, English scientists studied exotic extracts of the peoples of Africa (they rub arrowheads with horseradish...

Discussion

Tell me, dear, do you currently have enough time to make dumplings? Why don’t you go to work?!

20.09.2005 16:45:11

Durum is a type of wheat rich in gluten. Therefore, flour from this durum wheat (durum) is perfect for making homemade noodles, pasta, pizza, dumplings and dumplings. Bread, desserts and other baked goods will also turn out delicious with it. This flour speeds up metabolism, strengthens the immune system and improves the condition of skin and hair.
Whole grain flour is rich in fiber, therefore it is useful for digestion; it retains much more vitamins and nutrients in comparison with premium flour. It is suitable for dietary nutrition.
The flour is ground on stone millstones. With this grinding method, it does not heat up as much as in metal mills, and is less subject to oxidation.

***
I love baking bread myself. I like to add seeds and different flours to it. I'm always looking for new taste sensations. Now durum wheat flour (semolina) has appeared in my diet. The bread turns out delicious. I made lasagna according to the recipe from the package, it was eaten so quickly that I didn’t have time to take photos. The small packaging volume is very convenient. You won’t cook every day, and opened flour shouldn’t be stored for long. At the current price I can buy durum wheat flour as needed.

Elena Nikolaevna, map

xxx5543

The product “Durum wheat flour (durum) is what we call “semolina” in Russian. So this name “flour” can and does mislead the Russian buyer. I work with Italy, so I will refer to my experience. In Italy this product is called “semola”. Since Italians do not cook porridge and, in principle, do not know what it is, semola is actually used when preparing dough for homemade pasta or pizza, it is added to the main flour. Russian housewives are unlikely to do this, unless after Italian culinary courses. I will use this “flour” as semolina. But for semolina it is a little expensive... the only difference from ordinary semolina is that it is made from durum wheat. I am sending photos separately and in comparison with semolina. This one is a little yellower and that's it.
Tatyana Romanovna, map

xxx 3448

***
Excellent durum wheat flour! I didn't even have to sift! I prepared a quiche with lightly salted sockeye salmon. Recipe: 250 gr. Mix durum wheat flour from VkusVill with a pinch of salt, add a farm egg from VkusVill, 2 tablespoons of cold water and 125 gr. butter VkusVill. Knead the dough and put it in the refrigerator for an hour. Place in a baking dish and prick with a fork, place in an oven preheated to 180 degrees. Meanwhile, blanch the broccoli and cut the lightly salted sockeye salmon into small pieces. Place sockeye salmon and broccoli on the crust, beat 4 eggs with cream and pour over the mixture of broccoli and sockeye salmon. Place in the oven. Grate the Gouda cheese and sprinkle over the quiche 5 minutes before it’s ready. After 5 minutes, the quiche with sockeye salmon and broccoli is ready. Bon appetit

Anna, map

xxx6990

Excellent quality flour. Ideal for making pizza, pasta, noodles. I made soup dumplings from it and was very pleased with the result - they didn’t get overcooked and the soup was delicious even the next day.

Anna, map

xxx8226

Before you start baking the product, you need to purchase baking flour. But it’s not enough to buy the first package you come across - you need to know what kind of result you want to get at the final stage of preparing a culinary work.

The fact is that flour is not just a product obtained by grinding grains of various cereal crops. It has its own characteristics and differences. Most often we use baked goods made from wheat flour, but there are also other types of grinding cereals. Wheat flour is divided into soft and hard varieties. Knowing all this, how can you figure out which flour is best for baking?

Varieties of flour varieties

Any nutritionist will tell you with confidence that the consumption of flour products should be in moderation. The thing is that flour contains fast carbohydrates, which are very quickly absorbed by the body, causing it to feel hungry before the required time. Another feature of such carbohydrates is that they are able to be deposited in layers of subcutaneous fat and accumulate there. This leads to unwanted obesity in a person. Let's look at several varieties of baking flour below, which we don't know everything about:

  • Rye flour contains many amino acids that are necessary for metabolic processes in the body. Also, a large amount of dietary fiber are complete proteins, which are so important for humans. It is rich in B vitamins, phosphorus, complex carbohydrates and calcium. People with gastrointestinal problems should consume rye flour products in small quantities.
  • Rice flour. The peculiarity of this cereal is that it contains almost no gluten. It is useful for all ages and contains 1% fiber, biotin, zinc, amylopectin.
  • Buckwheat flour is used in the diet menu for people suffering from a low amount of hemoglobin, liver disease, hypertension and atherosclerosis. It is popular due to the presence of a large number of trace elements, lysine and leucine.
  • Oatmeal has a small amount of starch and is easily digestible. Helps normalize blood sugar and regulate fat metabolism.
  • Corn flour. It contains more sugar than wheat flour. As well as B vitamins, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus. Cereals and their grinding are recommended for people with cardiovascular diseases and biliary tract diseases.

Wheat flour varieties

As we already know, wheat flour is made from hard and soft varieties. Let's look at how they differ from each other.

  • Soft wheat varieties are ground from cereals, which is called “00 flour” or “type 00”. This is the simplest flour among other varieties. Flour made from soft wheat varieties is suitable for almost all culinary dishes and is widely used in cooking. The "00" marking indicates a very fine grind. Flour products ground this way are very quickly digested in the human gastrointestinal tract.
  • Durum wheat is used for making and breading fish, meat or other products. This flour contains more protein and fiber, unlike soft wheat varieties. And it is indispensable when baking bread products.

But only you yourself can answer which flour is better, based on your goals and wishes.

Flour products from soft wheat varieties

For professional bakers, Manitoba wheat flour is of particular importance. It is made from soft wheat varieties that were grown in Canada in the province of Manitoba. But since it is widely used in Italian cuisine, many believe that it is an Italian product. Of course, it is produced in many European countries, including Italy, but its homeland is Canada.

Many professionals call Manitoba flour “strong” because it contains a large amount of protein (up to 18%, when ordinary soft flour has no more than 11.5%) and has strong water absorption (up to 80% of its weight). Thus, from a small amount of flour you can get a significantly larger amount of dough.

Features of baking flour

We already know that Manitoba flour is a strong flour. It is this characteristic that provides baked goods with good quality. For example, Italian bakers use this type of flour to make high-quality muffins. Even a slight addition of this grinding to ordinary soft flour - and baker’s creations become real culinary masterpieces.

When in contact with water, Manitoba produces a lot of gluten, due to the presence of gluten and gliadin in its composition. For this reason, the fermentation process starts: on its surface you can see the formation of small bubbles in large quantities. Thanks to this feature, the dough is ideal for baking bread, pizza or other products that require a fermentation process.

What is cooked with Manitoba flour?

This flour is ideal for baking bread and pizza. Where else has it found its culinary application? First of all, this is a confectionery path. Sweet fluffy buns, sweet pies (for example, panettone - a Milanese Christmas cake, pandoro - with powdered sugar), donuts, croissants, pancakes, muffins, scones and much more.

If you knead the dough with flour with a weak gluten level, the fermentation process will be longer and the dough will take a long time to rise. Some bakers use Manitoba as a complement to weak flours, with the addition of a small amount of yeast. This slows down the rate at which the dough rises (up to 2 days) and makes the baked goods crispier and softer. This technique is used in the process of creating pizza. This is why Italians use Manitoba so often.

Finally

Manitoba flour from soft wheat varieties undergoes strict quality control at every stage of its production. From the moment of sowing wheat to its production. But this is exactly what ensures high-quality baked goods on your table!

It has excellent taste, it has the right color and consistency. It is for this reason that dough made from this type of flour can rise so high and provide fluffiness to the baked product. Whatever you cook with Manitoba flour, your baked goods will be worthy of the highest praise, have amazing taste and quality.

Anyone who loves homemade bread and homemade pasta will agree with me that the most important point is the right choice of flour. In order to choose the right flour for the best result, or, more importantly, to correctly mix different types of flour with each other, you need to know their main characteristics.
First of all, you need to consider what grain the flour is made from.
I write only about what I have tried myself, so I will mention here those types and varieties of flour that I have tried and are familiar with.

First of all, this

farina di grano tenere (triticum aestivum) - soft wheat flour,

farina di grano duro (triticum turgidum durum) - flour from durum wheat,

farina di segale (secale cereale) - rye flour

farina di farro (triticum turgidum dicoccum) - spelled flour

Soft wheat flour

In Italy, soft wheat flour is differentiated by ash content. The ash content of flour is the amount of minerals contained in it. The higher the ash content in flour, i.e. the more mineral salts it contains, the lower its quality.
According to this indicator, the following types of flour exist in Italy:

Type of Italian flour Ash content Exit
flour type 00 0,55% 50%
flour type 0 0,65% 72%
flour type 1 0,80% 80%
flour type 2 0,95% 85%
wholemeal flour
(integrale)
1,70% 100%

In the table I show the ash content and the so-called “yield”. Yield in flour milling is the amount of flour obtained by grinding 100 parts by weight of grain. Wholemeal flour, as you can see, has a 100% yield because... For its production, the entire grain is used, all its components: the inner part of the grain (endosperm), the shell, and the germ. To make type 00 flour, only the inner part of the grain (endosperm) is used.

The table does not show some subtypes of Italian flour, because, for example, for homemade pasta I personally chose flour type 00 with the nomination calibrata, which means calibrated, i.e. coarse, specially ground. This flour is yellowish in color and feels like sand. It makes an excellent sfoglia (a layer of rolled out dough), it rolls out well, does not tear, dries quickly, is easy to manipulate, and the finished product is sort of rough to the touch, what is called pasta ruvida, i.e. rough paste. The sauce sticks to this pasta better and does not roll off. In the Emilia-Romagna region, such dough is especially valued, from which tagliatelle and lasagna are made here.

If we compare Italian and Russian flour, we get the following picture:

Type of Russian flour Ash content Exit
Premium flour 0,55% 30%
First grade flour 0,75% 72%
Second grade flour 1,25% 85%
Wallpaper flour 0,07-2,0% 96%

But it is not enough to know only the ash content and flour yield to understand how flour will behave during the process of kneading and baking bread. For this, there are various parameters, among which the most important is the strength of the flour, which is designated by the letter W. To measure this parameter, an instrument called Chopin's alveorgaf is used. Flour with a high W absorbs more water and is more suitable for long proofing. The strength of flour affects the volume of baking and the porosity of the crumb - the higher the W value, the more coarsely porous, dense and elastic the finished product is.
This strength parameter is not indicated on packages of flour for home use, however, there is a table that will help you understand the strength of flour based on the amount of proteins in it, which can just be read on a packet of flour.

Russian premium flour has weak strength and a low percentage of proteins - 10.3. Therefore, for example, pizza from it turns out to be fluffy, tall, and finely porous; such indicators are not typical for Italian pizza. But there is still a replacement for such flour - flour with a high protein content. Different manufacturers in Russia designate such flour differently - special, enhanced, extra. The main thing is that when purchasing, make sure that the protein content in the flour is appropriate.

In Italy you can find a very strong type of flour. This is Manitoba flour. It allows for long proofing of dough, up to 15 hours. Manitoba is the name of the Indian tribe and one of the regions of Canada in which this special type of grain with high gluten content is grown. Today, Manitoba also refers to other types of flour with W>350, regardless of the origin of the grain.
In Italy you can find Manitoba flour with a protein content of 21.53%. This is a fairly expensive flour and is suitable for baking panettone and other baked goods that require particularly long proofing times.
Many recipes advise mixing Manitoba with other types of flour.
Like, for example, in these recipes of mine, which I attached to the post:
Maritozzi buns

Italian Easter braid

Sandwich croissants

Lately I have been especially fond of wholemeal flour (integrale). Coarse flour in Russia includes wallpaper flour (96% flour yield from raw materials) and whole grain flour (100% flour yield). Of course, someone will say that you can’t bake sweet pastries from such flour. He would be right if he said that such flour rises poorly, often falls, and the finished product has an unsightly appearance and a gray color. But after eating such bread, a person becomes full faster. This flour is rich in fiber, which is so necessary for us, because it cleanses the body of toxins and feeds the microflora of our intestines, on the condition of which immunity and health depend. In a word, long live bran!

Durum wheat flour

I really like using durum wheat flour. In flour made from durum wheat, the starch grains are smaller and harder, its consistency is fine-grained, and there is relatively much gluten. Such flour is strong, absorbs more water and is used for baking bread and, of course, for making pasta - pasta.
Semolu is obtained by grinding durum wheat. It is yellowish in color and does not look like powder, but like fine sand. In southern Italy, secondary grinding of durum wheat (semola rimacinata) is practiced. Bread baked from durum wheat has a special crumb texture and a yellowish color associated with a high content of carotenoids. This bread keeps well. The most famous bread made from semolina is bread di Altamura. Compared to soft wheat, semola has a higher content of proteins (14-15%), dietary fiber (9-19%) and mineral salts (potassium, iron, phosphorus) and vitamins E, B1, B3.

Let me add that in Russia this is second-grade flour, also called “durum”. This is the flour whose packaging bears GOST 16439-70. It is under this GOST that Russian industry produces flour from durum wheat.

Rye flour

It must be said that rye flour is little used in Italy. Much less than we would like. However, almost all Italians who have tried my black bread at least once were delighted with it. Recently in Italy they began to produce a ready-made mix for baking black bread. Its composition is as follows:
89.3% is flour from the following cereals and grains -

soft wheat flour type 00
Rye flour
sesame seeds
barley flour
corn flour
oatmeal flour
rice flour.
Then cane sugar, sea salt, dextrose, and malt flour are added.

The result is an unusually aromatic, very dark bread that remains soft for several days.

Rye flour is also included in the finished composition called “7 grains” along with soft and hard wheat, spelled, oats, corn and barley. This flour looks similar to whole wheat flour.

Spelled flour

"I will serve you well,
Diligently and very efficiently,
In a year, for three clicks on your forehead,
Give me some boiled spelled."

Yes, yes, it was this spelled that Balda asked the priest. Spelled (in Italian farro, in German dinkel) is the oldest grain, wheat, containing the largest amount of proteins - from 27% to 37%. Gluten proteins, which this cereal is so rich in, contain 18 amino acids essential for the body, which cannot be obtained from animal food. The ancient Romans and Egyptians regularly consumed it. It is mentioned in the poems of Homer, in the works of Herodotus, Theophrastus, and Columella. Spelled was sown over a vast territory from Ethiopia and South Arabia to Transcaucasia. Spelled was distributed almost throughout Europe. For some reason unknown to me, over time it was almost completely abandoned, but in the last 20 years, interest in spelled has returned with renewed vigor. I even found such interesting information that in Wales, for example, a bakery was opened where you can buy the most expensive bread in the country - “Bread of Heaven”. It costs 2 pounds sterling, which is four times more expensive than regular bread, and, according to manufacturers, it is made from real spelled wheat, which was present on the table of Christ and the apostles during their last meal.
They also write that studies conducted in the USA have proven that spelled gluten in half the cases does not cause allergies in people sensitive to this element in wheat grain. Some scientists even claim that it, on the contrary, helps fight celiac disease.
The spelled grain is protected by tightly fitting scales, which protect it from the adverse influences of the external environment, so spelled can grow in almost all climatic zones. Spelled is unpretentious.
In Italy, there are many recipes with this wonderful cereal, which in some sources is referred to as “black caviar of cereals.”
Spelled flour is universal. It comes in whole grain and white.
Spelled flour can successfully replace flour from soft wheat varieties. The dish will only benefit from this in terms of taste and, of course, healthiness.
The properties of gluten make spelled flour an excellent product for baking healthy bread. Products made from this flour are distinguished by their crispy crust, dense crumb and indescribable aroma and taste.
Any paste with or without filling is made from this flour; it is also suitable for sweet pastries, cakes, cookies, not forgetting pancakes and flatbreads. It makes an excellent strudel dough and phyllo dough. Spelled flour is used to thicken sauces. It is great for bechamel, sweet creams and puddings. Spelled flour and the grain itself add a delicate nutty flavor to the dish and many people use it for this reason alone. You just need to remember two important things: spelled flour requires more water when kneading and the dough rises more slowly than soft wheat flour. But when it comes to benefits and health, you can wait a little, right?

And today I found it in my kitchen
flour for frying
flour for piadina
sweet baking flour with baking powder
rice flour
corn flour
almond flour.

But more about this some other time.