Whole grain flour has distinct properties and a composition that differs significantly from refined flour. While the latter is indispensable for making pastries, it’s less than ideal from a nutritional standpoint. Whole grain flour, on the other hand, is the opposite. It’s nutritious, packed with vitamins, minerals, and beneficial substances, but it’s not as suitable for delicate and elaborate baking. Here, everyone must choose what matters more in their food: health or taste.
How Flour is Produced
When people first learned to harvest grains, they processed them without removing the bran and germ, and without any sifting. Consequently, the first bread was made using flour that retained all the components of the wheat kernel.
Later, as grain processing technologies improved, mills and bakeries began to remove the bran from the grains and sift the flour, retaining only the finest particles for baking. Gradually, the food industry moved away from using whole grain flour. However, the poorest segments of the population continued to use this coarse product due to its affordability. And, incidentally, they benefited from it: it’s truly the most nutritious type of flour.
Until the 1980s it was primarily used as animal feed or for alcohol production.
Whole grain flour and coarse-ground flour are often used interchangeably. However, food technologists use these terms differently: they refer to this flour when they want to describe the product’s composition and properties, and they use the term coarse-ground flour when they emphasize the process of its production.
Today, due to the growing popularity of healthy eating, many manufacturers grind a portion of their wheat without pre-treatment and then do not sift the product. Additionally, many naturopaths prepare it themselves by grinding grains in coffee grinders or special home mills. This self-production method guarantees that the grain will not be treated with special chemicals to extend its shelf life. Wheat can be ground at home to obtain an environmentally friendly product.
Benefits
The main benefit of whole grain flour lies in the presence of all the components of the wheat kernel itself. It’s known that almost all vitamins and minerals in wheat are concentrated in the bran – the very bran and aleurone layer that are removed during preparation for milling.
Therefore, the composition of whole grain flour includes B vitamins, vitamin E, H, calcium, manganese, iron, and chromium. These elements have a positive effect on the circulatory, cardiovascular, and digestive systems.
Moreover, the main difference from regular flour is the presence of fiber, indigestible grain husks that stimulate intestinal peristalsis and prevent the absorption of cholesterol and the onset of putrefactive processes. It is fiber that prevents the dough from rising normally during baking. However, its absence in flour products is the cause of metabolic disorders and digestive problems.
Whole grain wheat flour contains a large amount of carbohydrates and proteins, making bread from it suitable for people who are overweight. However, it also has some drawbacks.
Drawbacks of Whole Grain Flour
The main drawbacks are:
- Ability to irritate the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines due to the presence of large particles. This is relevant for people suffering from gastritis and cholecystitis.
- The presence of specific microflora on the grain husks, which can sometimes disrupt the overall composition of the intestinal microflora.
- The possibility of heavy metals being present on the grain husks and in whole grain flour, which accumulate in wheat grown in environmentally unfavorable areas.
- Baked goods made from whole grain flour rise poorly.
These features should always be considered when choosing between regular and whole grain flour. The first two drawbacks can be assessed by trying 1 baked goods several times: if there are no consequences for the body, the product can be safely eaten. The presence of harmful substances can be avoided only by choosing a product produced in environmentally friendly conditions.
In Cooking
It is not very popular in cooking: it rises poorly, and the products made from it seem sticky. It is impossible to make puff pastry from whole grain flour, and even simple baked goods made from it turn out to be coarse.
However, nutritionists unanimously claim that it is precisely these “coarse” properties of whole grain flour that provide health benefits, massaging the intestines and supplying the body with all the valuable substances contained in the grain. Moreover, the calorie content of this flour is almost the same as that of regular flour, and bread made from it is an excellent source of energy and strength. Therefore, it is not surprising that many folk recipes for making gingerbread, bread, pancakes, and fritters are still popular today: along with a wonderful golden crust, the product delights with its benefits and health.