Whole wheat flour is made by grinding whole wheat grains (lat. Triticum aestivum) without separating the bran, germ and endosperm. For this reason whole wheat flour has a shorter shelf life than white flour. It contains natural proportions of these three components. It is usually produced by roller mills and stone mills. Is whole wheat the same as wholemeal?
Historical Background
Wheat is one of the oldest crops, with a history dating back to the Stone Age. Its cultivation, according to researchers, began in the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The industry began to produce whole-wheat flour relatively recently. This was due to the newly discovered health benefits of eating bran, germ protein and dietary fiber. Today, Russia, China, India and the United States are among the major wheat producers in the world.
Whole Wheat Flour in Baking Bread and Other Products
- Structure constructor: provides gluten and starch for the structure of baked goods.
- Hydration: by absorbing moisture, components such as starch, proteins and pentosans bind to form a coherent structure in the bread.
- Flavor: provides a richer nutty flavor thanks to the presence of bran and germ.
- Color: provides a characteristic brownish color due to the characteristic pigments of the bran.
- Nutritional value: the high content of dietary fiber as well as proteins, minerals and vitamins are responsible for the nutritional value of CPM.
- Whole wheat flour can be used in the production of various bakery products such as bread, cookies, crackers and tortillas.
- Whole wheat flour provides gluten, which is a key protein in the development of a protein dough matrix that traps air and gas molecules.
- In cakes and other baked goods, it also provides starch, which helps build structure by gelatinizing that starch.
- When the dough is kneaded, the bran fibers and particles in the flour cut into the gluten network, reducing its gluten strength and gas retention capacity. This leads to a reduction in the volume of the loaf of bread.
- In baked goods, flour can be used alone or mixed with white flour, depending on the bread recipe.
- Because of its coarse texture, this flour is rarely used in mass-produced breads.
Breads and other products will have a thicker crumb, darker color, and richer flavor than baked from white flour. Baked goods made with whole-wheat flour often have a shorter shelf life than their counterparts made with general purpose or higher-grade flour because of their higher oil content.