Cereal grains are covered with a husk (or seed coat), under which we find the endosperm and a relatively small germ, surrounded by a thin aleurone layer. Each of these four components is dominated by different nutrients:
In the so-called simple grinding, the grain is ground once. In this way wholemeal flour is producedor otherwise – dark or wholemeal. It is worth emphasizing here, because it is sometimes a source of confusion that wholemeal flour can be produced from both wheat and rye, as well as a number of other cereals. It is not the grain used that makes the bread wholemeal (dark, whole grain), but the way the flour is ground.
If there is a straight grind, you must have guessed it also exists complex regrind 🙂 It exists and is exactly what it is called. This process takes advantage of the fact that different parts of the grain react differently to the milling, breaking up into particles of different sizes. This property allows them to be separated from each other, in particular – the endosperm from other elements. We call these “other elements” bran.
Due to the complex milling, it is possible to obtain a finely ground, white flour containing almost only endosperm and minimal amounts of bran. Bread from such flour rises more easily, is more “fluffy” and is considered by many of us to be tastier than plain milled flour.
Unfortunately, the advantages of such bread end in the taste and ease of preparation.
Because, as you’ve probably noticed, by getting rid of the bran, we get rid of the parts of the grain that contain the greatest variety of nutrients. There is little more than the starch and protein from the endosperm (gluten in many grains). In addition, the glycemic index of products from such flours increases, because the lower amount of fiber and other ingredients slows down the absorption of carbohydrates.
This is why bread and pasta are often blacklists of people who are slimming and authors of popular diets. However, it does not have to be this way, and it should not even be. The key is, of course, to rely on whole grain products, containing all the richness of ingredients that grains offer us.
Types of flour
To help us determine what kind of flour we are dealing with, they are classified in terms of the so-called ash. Don’t worry, there are just minerals behind this not-so-appetizing word. 🙂 The word “ash” is adequate in that it is about what remains after baking the flour in a sufficiently high – far beyond the capabilities of our ovens – temperature. (And those are the minerals.)
In any case, flour is assigned a type, e.g. 2000 or 500. This number is nothing more than the percentage of minerals (ash) in a given flour, multiplied by 1000. Flour type 2000 therefore contains 2% minerals, and flour type 500 – only 0,5%, which is 4 times less.
What types of flour can you find in the store and what are they good for?
| Type | The names under which you can meet her | Ash content | Application |
| 2000 | wholemeal, whole grain | to 2% | bread |
| 1850 | graham | 1,61% – 2,00% | bread |
| 1400 | sieve | 1,21% – 1,60% | bread |
| 1050 | 0,79% – 1,20% | bread | |
| 750 | bread | 0,70% – 0,78% | bread |
| 650 | 0,59% – 0,69% | heavier doughs, such as yeast | |
| 550 | luxury | 0,51% – 0,58% | heavier doughs, such as yeast |
| 500 | Poznań, Wrocław | to 0,58% | more compact dough structured, pancakes, cake french, dumplings etc. |
| 450 | cake | to 0,50% | light cakes |
A curiosity here is graham flour. It is classified as wholemeal flour, although it comes from complex milling. How it’s possible? The previously separated bran is added back to the finely ground endosperm at the last stage.
Sometimes on the market you will also find flours of even higher types, eg 3000. In this category, however, it is difficult to find wheat flours, they will rather be spelled or rye flours.
Importantly, the difference between individual types of flours is not only limited to minerals. With the increasing type of flour, the amount of all nutrients present only in bran grows more or less proportionally: vitamins, fatty acids or – conducive to slimming – fiber.
Whole grain products therefore:
- even in smaller portions they can provide more valuable nutrients than products from lower flours type;
- they are slightly lower in calories;
- They are characterized by a lower glycemic index (e.g. due to the higher fiber content), thanks to which they ensure a feeling of fullness for a longer time.
Gluten in bread: yes or no?
The issue of gluten in bread is quite troublesome, especially if you intend to bake it yourself. The two most popular baking grains, wheat and rye, naturally contain gluten, and you can also find these proteins in their flours. While there are gluten-free wheat flours, they are only suitable for thickening soups and similar uses. Just like in the saying “there will be no bread from this flour” …
No wonder gluten is the real “glue” of molded dough.
Fortunately, unless you have medical contraindications – celiac disease, allergies, or gluten sensitivity – you don’t have to, or even shouldn’t, give up on it. Research has shown that a gluten-free diet is associated with an increased risk of vitamin B deficiency and certain minerals: magnesium, calcium and iron.
The elimination of gluten will not accelerate the rate of weight loss, because it depends only on the size of the caloric deficit. It may even turn out that such an additional dietary change will make it difficult for you to maintain your weight loss regime, as it will mean giving up many popular dishes. And the longer list of limitations means more effort to implement them and a more difficult test of your willpower. In addition, an unnecessary test.
In the era of a pandemic, many of us have devoted ourselves to experimenting with baking bread ourselves. Regardless of whether the motivation was the desire to try something new, recall the old passion, the desire to pass the time or use up the stocks made in early spring ;-), all that remains is to applaud. Maybe not all your baked goods, especially the first ones, will be as effective as those from the bakery, but at least you can be sure that you will not find artificial improvers or leavening agents in the bread.
However, you cannot assume that home-made bread is always more beneficial to your health than bakery bread. After all, the range of types of flour that are suitable for baking bread is quite large. If you reach for “seven hundred”, you can expect that your bread will contain 3 times less minerals (and many other valuable substances) than the commercial wholemeal bread.
On the other hand, if you are just getting started with baking, flours of the lower types may be a good idea – the risk of failure is lower. A few pale flour loaves will not disturb your diet (especially if you eat them with your family or share them with friends), and will allow you to acquire skills that will pay off in home production of whole grain bread 🙂
| Is dark bread always dark? |
| Contrary to appearances, color is not an indicator of whether we are dealing with dark bread. Some producers and bakers color the pale bread with caramel or barley malt extract, which gives it a dark color. Unfortunately, it does not gain any nutritional value, only the (already relatively high) amount of easily digestible carbohydrates grows. |
Whole grains to whole grains
As if there was not enough confusion with the difference between wholemeal, dark and wholemeal bread (let us recall – all these names hide the same thing ;-)), bakeries and ovens have recently been conquered by … whole grain! 😉
Fortunately, there is no philosophy here – they are simply whole grains of selected plants, such as sunflower or flax, added to the bread dough. However, it is worth remembering that the addition of such grains will not change white bread into whole grain bread. Whole grains in such bread constitute a relatively small part of the weight of a loaf or rolls. Of course, they will provide valuable, often unique nutrients, but they will not compensate for the lack of nutrients that result from the use of non-whole grain flour.
However, since we mentioned unique grains, we present below some suggestions for “grainy” additives. Thanks to them, your bread will not only be healthier, but also more effective.