What types of flour do we use in the kitchen?
There are several types of flour and each type has its own characteristics. It is important to take into account the type of flour used if we want to obtain a certain preparation. The flour is obtained by grinding cereal grains, turned into powder. But wheat is not the only source, you can also get flour from corn, rice, nuts or legumes.
What are the types of flour?
When we want to obtain flour from baking preparations, we have to take into account several categories, namely: fine flour (from it we get pancakes or pastries), semi-hard flour (for leavened and sponge cake dough), flour hard (especially for buns, dumplings), cake flour, bread flour and pasta flour.
But, in addition to these types, flour is also differentiated by the various sources from which it comes. For example, wheat is the most widely used cereal for flour production. It is an important source of fiber and helps control your blood sugar. On top of that, it also has vitamins. What vitamins does wheat contain? It contains several B vitamins.
Bread, pasta, pastries are some dishes made from wheat flour.
Why is rye flour healthier?
On the other hand, rye flour is an equally good choice for making mayonnaise bread. The advantage of rye flour is given by the higher amount of nutrients in its composition, compared to wheat flour. It is also a rich source of fiber and helps lower bad cholesterol, LDL, being 14% more effective than wheat flour, according to some studies.
Another type is oatmeal, which is gluten-free and high in protein. It is the most suitable flour when we want to prepare cookies, pancakes or gluten-free cakes.
What does coconut flour contain?
A high protein content is also found in coconut flour, which, like oatmeal, is gluten-free. Coconut flour helps with weight loss because it contains medium chain triglycerides. Coconut flour has a lower density than wheat flour and therefore it is recommended to use more eggs in recipes that include this type of flour.
Therefore, every time we prepare a bread or a puff pastry, it is necessary to take into account the type of flour chosen. Depending on the amount of gluten, the dough changes its elasticity. If we want to get a big, fluffy dough, then it is recommended to use a high amount of gluten. However, the higher the amount of gluten, the shorter the duration of freshness.