Contents
In this article you will learn, among others:
- Which flour is the best?
- How is graham different from wholemeal flour?
- Better to choose graham or wholemeal flour?
- What to use graham flour for?
- How to make a wholemeal chocolate cake?
Which flour is the best?
Graham or wholemeal? This is one of the most frequently asked questions by people on a slimming diet. What is the answer? It depends on what we are going to use such a product for. To answer this question, we need to consider how flour is produced at all.
Flour is obtained in the process of grain milling, which consists in grinding grain and intermediate products into particles of various sizes. The parts of the grain, i.e. the endosperm, the fruit-seed coat, and the germ behave differently during this process. The endosperm is brittle and breaks down easily, the flexible cover is crushed into much larger pieces.
How is graham different from wholemeal flour?
During simple milling, i.e. a process where the whole grain passes through the grinding machine only once, we get flour wholemeal, called whole grain. The resulting flour is dark, has a lower baking value, but has a higher nutritional value than light flour.
“During simple milling, wholemeal flour is obtained, and complex – graham flour”
This is what a simple milling looks like, the result of which is wholemeal (wholemeal) flour. The situation is different during complex grinding. Here, after each grinding, the endosperm particles (for flour) and the casing (for bran) are separated. It is during this process that graham flour is made. In contrast to wholemeal flour, it is made by strongly grinding part of the grain: coarsely ground bran is added to the finely ground endosperm.
Better to choose graham or wholemeal flour?
For us, it might not matter much whether the flour comes from simple or complex milling, but there is a difference. Well, graham flour is wheat flour type 1850, i.e. containing 1,85 percent. ash. It belongs to dark wheat bread flours. Same goes for wholemeal flour. The latter, however, is defined as containing more ‘ash’, exactly 2 percent. (type 2000).
“Graham flour contains about 83 percent. endosperm, 14,5 percent bran and 2,5 percent. embryos – has a composition similar to that of the whole grain ”.
Name | Type | Ash content |
Cake, “five hundred” | type 450 | to 0,50% |
Luxurious | type 550 | from 0,51% to 0,58% |
— | type 650 | from 0,59% to 0,69% |
Bread | type 750 | from 0,70% to 0,78% |
— | type 1050 | from 0,79% to 1,20% |
Sitkow | type 1400 | from 1,21% to 1,60% |
Graham | type 1850 | from 1,61% to 2,00% |
Wholemeal, shredded bread | type 2000 | not more than 2,00% |
Table. 1. Types of wheat flour.
One of the basic indicators used during a slimming diet is the type of flour, which informs us about the ash content in 100 g of flour. For example, type 750 wheat flour contains 0,75 percent. ash.
What to use graham flour for?
Graham flour is used, among others. for the production:
• Bread
• Buns
• Crackers
Wholemeal flour is mainly used for the production of wholemeal bread and wholemeal pastries. In fact, however, both types of flour are used interchangeably in homes.
Both wholemeal and graham flour contain more aleurone layer and fruit-seed particles than light flours. They also have less starch, more protein, lipids, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and dietary fiber. Importantly, they also have a lower energy value. For comparison 100 g of light wheat flour equals 356 kcal, and the same amount of wholemeal wheat flour – 343 kcal.
Although in recipes where wholemeal or graham flour is not indicated in the list of ingredients, we should use plain flour, in most cases we will get away with such a substitution. Moreover, baked goods will be healthier and more valuable. Below is a recipe for a dough based on wholemeal flour.
How to make a wholemeal chocolate cake?
Ingredients: 1,5 cups of wholemeal flour 1 apple 2 eggs A handful of raisins 2/3 cup of milk 1 tablespoon of sugar 3 tbsp cocoa 1 teaspoon of baking powder
Manner of execution 1. Grate the apple into chips. 2. Mix all ingredients. 3. Put into the preheated to 180 ° C oven for 30 – 40 minutes (to a dry stick).
Bon Appetit!
And which flour do you recommend? What are your opinions on wholemeal flour?
Photos: 1, 2.
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