Types of flour: It’s a matter of ears | BRIGITTE.de

types of flour
Wheat, rye and co.: It’s a matter of ears!

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Wheat or rye, with gluten or without, whole grain or peeled – we answer the most important questions about flour.

Which flour is actually the superhero among the ground cereals?

Basically, the following applies: the whole grain variants of the three classic bread grain types wheat, rye and spelled flour contain more nutrients than finely ground flour because the entire grain grain, including the husk and germ, has been processed in it. They also keep you full for longer and don’t allow blood sugar levels to rise so steeply and drop again quickly. According to the German Society for Nutrition (DGE), the regular use of wholemeal flour can therefore reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia and cardiovascular diseases in the long term.

Spelled scores particularly well with B vitamins, minerals and trace elements and is considered to be particularly digestible. However, it contains even more gluten protein than wheat, so it cannot be used in the case of gluten intolerance. Rye flour contains the most dietary fiber of all types of grain, many B vitamins, secondary plant substances. Oat and barley flour are both top sources of a soluble fiber called beta-glucan, which may lower cholesterol.

And what does the type information on the packaging mean?

They reveal how high the mineral content of the respective flour is per 100 grams. Type 405 therefore means that 100 grams of white wheat flour contains an average of 405 milligrams of minerals such as potassium, iron and magnesium, with type 1050 approximately 1.05 grams of minerals per 100 grams of flour. Wholemeal flours are generally not provided with type numberssince the entire grain and thus the entire mineral and fiber content goes into the flour anyway.

What is the difference between cereal flour and pseudocereal flour?

First of all, the botanical class. Nutty-tasting pseudocereals are cereal-like plants but are not genetically related to bread cereals. Buckwheat, for example, belongs to the knotweed family. Imported from South America, the pseudo-cereals amaranth and quinoa, both foxtail plants, have also conquered their place in this country. The peculiarity: All three types of flour are suitable for gluten-free baking. However, the baking properties are not ideal because there are no gluten proteins. Tip: Doughs with pseudocereal flours, for example, can be made with psyllium husk powder or potato flour for additional binding.

Wheat is now considered the villain among grains. Why?

The bestseller “Wheat Belly” by William Davis certainly had a share in the bad image. In it, the US doctor castigated baked goods made from wheat as the main trigger for diseases of civilization such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. You should definitely avoid wheat completely if you have a diagnosed gluten intolerance (celiac disease) or a wheat allergy. And if diffuse symptoms such as nausea, joint pain or fatigue occur after consuming something containing wheat, this could indicate gluten sensitivity. This means that although the organism does not form antibodies against gluten, it is sensitive to the substance.

In general, there are only a few nutrients and fibers in white wheat flour. Frequent consumption can lead to strong blood sugar fluctuations and sluggish digestion and trigger inflammatory processes. The triggers are probably wheat proteins, the so-called amylase trypsin inhibitors (ATI). However, wheat flour is very popular for baking because of its gluten properties. And without previous illnesses, there is certainly nothing to be said against a light roll or a portion of wheat spaghetti every now and then.

What is the best alternative when baking if you don’t want to use wheat flour?

Gluten-free millet flour, for example, tastes sweet and is therefore particularly suitable for cakes or pancakes. The inherent taste of coconut or almond flour also goes well with muffins or biscuits. In savory dough for pizza or wraps, wheat can be easily replaced with buckwheat flour. And nutty chestnut or hemp flour is ideal for baking bread. Caution: It is not always possible to exchange the amount of wheat flour one-to-one, depending on the type of flour, pay attention to specially tailored recipes.

Do gluten-sensitive people tolerate flour from the ancient grain varieties emmer and einkorn better?

No, because emmer and einkorn are the ancestors of today’s bread wheat and also contain gluten. According to the German Celiac Society, true gluten intolerance (celiac disease) only affects about one percent of the population. Irritable bowel patients, on the other hand, who react to wheat bread with flatulence and cramps, usually tolerate products made from ancient grains better. This is not due to the ingredients, but to the fact that bread made from emmer or einkorn is often made in traditional small bakeries with a longer dough process.

Regardless of the type of grain, the following applies: The longer a dough goes, the fewer of the so-called FODMAPS are contained – These are certain carbohydrate compounds and sugar alcohols that are poorly absorbed by the small intestine, reach the large intestine largely undigested and often trigger the symptoms.

Does whole grain make a difference at all with finely ground flour – or should health-conscious people use coarser whole grain?

Whether a flour is made from the whole grain or, as with white flour, only from the isolated endosperm, actually makes a difference big difference. According to the consumer center, a flour can only be called whole grain flour if it contains all the components of the unpeeled cereal grain – including the germ, husk and outer layers.

And these components contain the most important nutrients and a lot of fiber. Although many believe that there are even more healthy substances in wholemeal meal, wholemeal flour and wholemeal meal only differ in the degree of fineness. The term baking meal, on the other hand, indicates that the sprouts were removed before grinding, but the shells were also processed. Examples of this are the Type 1700 for wheat or the Type 1800 for rye. The disadvantage of wholemeal flour and meal is that it has a shorter shelf life because the fats in the grain germ quickly become rancid.

Bridget

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