What is wheat and what types of flour are there?
The history of wheat is an important part of the history of agriculture. It has been cultivated for more than 10.000 years. Its domestication is thought to have occurred in the Fertile Crescent about 10.000 B.C.
Now wheat is by far the most important and widely cultivated of the world´s main cereal crops and is grown in every climate from the freezing winter of Russia and Canada to the dry and overpowering heat of India and Iran.
It is only natural that different varieties of wheat, grown under such diverse conditions of soil, climate, and pedigree, should vary greatly in appearance and characteristics. In appearance, wheat may be red or white according to the colour of the bran or outer skin of the grain. In characteristics, it may be hard or soft, “strong” or “weak”.
Wheat (Triticum) is a plant that belongs to the grass family. The whole wheat grain (it is the seed of the plant) is called caryopsis and is divided into 3 parts: bran, endosperm, and germ.
The germ is the minority component of the grain (around 2 – 3 % of its size). Is the embryo and mainly responsible for the plant´s germination. It is a part rich in proteins and fat and contains most of the vitamins and minerals present in the wheat grain.
The bran represents approximately 15 % of the grain. It is the group of outer layers that have the function of protecting the interior of the grain (the endosperm and the germ) against insects, climate, diseases, … Bran contains some vitamins, traces of minerals and certain dieraty fibers, most of which are insoluble.
And lastly, the endosperm represents about 83 % of the grain. It serves as food for the germ or embryo when the grain germinates. Its main components are carbohydrates and proteins but also contains vitamins, minerals and soluble fiber.
The endosperm is the part of the wheat grain from which we obtain the white flour we know.
This flour is obtained from the milling of wheat grains, where the grains are initially crushed to remove the bran and the germ, leaving only the endosperm and transform it into a fine white powder.
Both, the high protein and the low protein flour I have used, are obtained from the milling of the endosperm (white flours). While whole wheat flour came from the milling of the entire grain (endosperm, bran, and germ) and, it has a non-homogeneous particle size (granulometry) and colour.
The name “flour” originates from the Old French word “flur” or “fleur”, which meant “blossom” or “the finest part”. This term was used to describe the best, most refined part of the milled grain, separated from the coarser bran.
And as a curiosity, the name “flour” originates from the Old French word “flur” or “fleur”, which meant “blossom” or “the finest part”. This term was used to describe the best, most refined part of the milled grain, separated from the coarser bran.
The connection to “flower” is evident, as both words share the same root. Over time, the spelling of “flour” became differentiated from “flower” to distinguish between the milled grain and the blossom of a plant.
There are three different flours:
To sum up, there are three different types of flour* (whole wheat, low protein, and high protein or strong flour) with the following nutritional information:
*(The three products used are commercial flours, and can be found in any Spanish supermarket)
Table 1. Nutritional information
Depending on the country you are in, or if you use a different brand of flour than the ones I have used, the nutritional values may change. However, this table will help you to assess the flour you buy, and see what results you can achieve with it when making your sponge cake.
Whole wheat flour.
It is the resulting product from the milling of the whole wheat grain (endosperm, bran, and germ). It has a non-homogeneous particle size (granulometry) and colour.
Whole wheat flour has a high nutritional value. It contains important amounts of fiber, proteins, essential fatty acids, minerals, and B-group vitamins. Whole wheat or whole grain flour are also other ways to name it.
Low protein flour.
Low protein flour has the lowest protein content (10 %). Easy to work, and extendable, making it ideal for pastry as it results in greater volume.
This flour also makes desserts fluffier and provides a finer texture. Depending on the country, low protein flour is also known as week or flour 0000.
Unlike self-rising flour, low-protein flour does not contain leavening agents in its formulation (which is the one I used).
The main difference between low protein and high protein flour is the amount of protein or gluten they contain.
High protein flour.
On the other hand, high protein flour is a type of wheat with a higher gluten content (greater protein quantity). The higher the percentage of gluten, the higher the strength and plasticity of the dough. A dough with a higher gluten content will have better structure and elasticity.
It is also know as: baking, bread, hard flouw or flour 0 and 00.
You can use these three different wheat flours to produce a lot of recipes!
Now that you know more about wheat, it is time to pick a bag of any kind of wheat flour and start baking!
You can prepare any sponge cakes (plain, cocoa, lemon, …) cinnamon rolls, brioche bread, panettone, chocolate chip cookies … choose your favourite!
Did you like this information? Leave your comment below if you want me to make something similar to this one!
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