Flours

The term flour refers to the product obtained from the grinding of soft wheat and which is used for baking in the kitchen or in pastry. Flours differ from each other from the type of base product that is used for grinding.

Instead, the term "semolina" indicates the flour used for the production of pasta and bread-making.

Flours: what are the types of flour?

The types of flour, divided by type of ground product, are:

• soft wheat flours
• durum wheat flour
• cereal flours
• non-cereal flours
• legume flours
• starch flours

Flours: what is flour?

The name flour takes its name from the same Latin term that derives from "far" (or "spelled").

Generally flour is the product derived from the grinding of dried fruits or from the seeds of different plants from which different types of flours are obtained.

Some examples of flours deriving from the grinding of dried fruits or seeds are for example:

• spelled flour
• corn flour
• wheat flour
• rice flour
• oat flour
• rye flour
• chestnut flour
• chickpea flour
• almond flour
• buckwheat flour (low in gluten)
• millet flour (low in gluten)
• sorghum flour (low in gluten)

Soft Wheat Flour

Soft wheat flour is obtained by grinding soft wheat (Triticum aestivum). The maximum grinding yield of soft wheat reaches 80%, depending on the type of wheat and the type of desired final product, and the remainder is made up of bran, germ or farinaccio.

The soft wheat grinding process involves 5 stages.

The phases during the soft wheat grinding process are:

When the mill receives the product, it proceeds to pre-cleaning to improve its conservation.

To prepare the product for grinding, proceed with the other steps starting with cleaning.

During cleaning, specific impurities are eliminated through cleaning steps in multiple machines. The most important step in cleaning is when the wheat is actually brushed on the outside to remove dust, dirt or other impurities such as mold.

We then proceed to wet the grain to improve the grinding phase. The wetting allows easier separation of the bran (the outer part of the grain) during grinding.

We proceed with the cleaning steps again to improve the quality of the final product.

The last step in the grain grinding process is to actually grind the grain so that it is made into flour.

Soft wheat flours: how refined is soft wheat flour?

Soft wheat flour has different levels of refinement or refinement.

The refinement levels of soft wheat are: :

• soft wheat 0
• soft wheat 00
• soft wheat 000
• soft wheat 0000

By law in Italy it is not allowed to refine soft wheat beyond 00, while in other countries it is up to 0000 (especially in South America).

Soft wheat flours: all types of soft wheat flour, as they are called in the world and what characteristics they have

The following table summarizes the main characteristics of soft wheat flour, with the denomination divided by Nationality (Italy, United States, Germany and France).

Here are the types of soft wheat flour, with international names, and their characteristics.

Whole Wheat Flour

Wholemeal flour is the result of grinding wheat together with its bran . Whole wheat flour, unlike what you think, is not made up of 100% ground wheat because by law there are limits to the presence of ashes (or minerals) in the final product to be respected. Due to the legal limits for the ash content, a part of the bran is removed. In particular, the bran is removed, that is the outermost part of the skin, because it is less rich in vitamins and less tasty than the bran.

Comparison between soft wheat flours: differences between 00 flour and wholemeal flour

00 flour and wholemeal flour are the result of a different grinding of the same wheat. Compared to wholemeal flour, 00 flour is more refined and free of bran or small bran.

In wholemeal flour a part of the bran is removed due to the legal limits in the ash content (minerals) in the finished product.

The legal limits for the ash content in 00 flour are 1.3% - 1.7%.

The legal limits in the ash content in Wholemeal Flour are 2% - 2.2%.

Types of Wholemeal Flours: differences between Real wholemeal flour and Reconstructed wholemeal flour

Wholemeal flour, stone ground from a single grain, is not to be confused with reconstructed flour, in which Type 0 flour is combined with bran.

Despite having the same amount of fiber, reconstructed flour is much poorer than the most precious nutritional substances of whole wheat: vitamins, minerals, enzymes and fats.

Comparison between 00 flour and wholemeal flour: differences in nutritional principles

Additives and Preservatives in Flours

More and more mills are adding additives to the flour they produce in order to meet the needs of the market and to ensure the perfect preservation of the product for domestic use.

By additives we mean: treatment agents, anti-caking agents, artificial adjuvants or dry vegetable gluten.

The additives permitted by law are: various enzymes, dry gluten, ascorbic acid (E300), L-cysteine ​​(E920), silica dioxide and silicates (E551 - E559) and phosphoric acid di / tri / poly-phosphates ( E338 - 452).

Flour without additives

Some mills, still faithful to the millenary traditions of their territory, do not add additives or preservatives to the flour produced. This means for them a lower production and consequently lower quantities sold.

Despite the lower flour productivity, these mills are able to have direct and lasting relationships with a vast clientele. The customers of the mills that grind flour without additives and preservatives are among the lovers and connoisseurs of the very high quality of the final product obtained with their flour. Often it is the wheat producers themselves who bring their wheat grains to the mills to get the best out of their flour. Another large slice of customers of these mills is represented by people intolerant or allergic to additives and preservatives in flour.

We select mills that do not add additives, while maintaining the natural quality of the product.

To guarantee the quality and healthiness of the flour, many mills stop grinding and delivering flour in the periods between spring and summer. This avoids problems due to the natural processing and storage of the flour between spring and summer (including fungi, insects and other health problems) which endanger the good and correct conservation of the product.

Semolina Flour or Durum Wheat Flour

Semolina flour is the main product of durum wheat grinding. Compared to soft wheat flour, semolina flour has a limited percentage of fine parts below 180 microns.

Traditionally it was mainly produced in the regions of Southern Italy and was mainly made for the production of pasta.

The re-milled (or granulated) semolina flour is obtained by re-milling the semolina and is therefore thinner than the semolina itself. The re-milled semolina flour is used for bread making, both pure and mixed with other flours.

If used pure semolina flour, as well as re-milled semolina flour, make the dough and the final product yellow in color, tastier than soft wheat flours and guarantees a longer shelf life of the product. </ p>

Whole semolina contains more fiber than normal semolina.

The main characteristics of DURUM WHEAT FLOURS on the market in Italy, summarized in the table, are:

What are Cereal Flours?

The cereal flours distributed in Italy and around the world are:

• Spelled flour
• Corn flour
• Rye flour
• Rice flour
• Glutinous rice flour
• Millet flour
• Teff flour
• Flour Atta
• Tang flour

What are Non-Cereal Flours?

The non-cereal flours distributed in Italy and around the world are:

• Wheat flour
• Amaranth flour
• Hemp flour
• Quinoa flour
• Moringa flour

What are Legume Flours?

The legume flours distributed in Italy and around the world are:

• Chickpea flour
• Pea flour
• Bean flour
• Soybean meal
• Bean flour

What are Starch Flours?

The starch flours distributed in Italy and around the world are:

• Potato flour or potato starch
• Corn flour or corn starch
• Chestnut flour
• Cassava flour (or tapioca flour)