The Word on Weightloss

Have you been searching for healthy flours that taste anything but healthy?

Well then, you’ll want to consider the different types of whole wheat flour available.

Types of whole wheat flour? Yes, there are several types of whole wheat flour. While some have the typical whole wheat taste, others have a lighter taste, reminiscent of white flour. Some are ideal for yeast breads, others for cookies and cakes. Some have a high protein content; others are much lower.

Here’s a guide to choosing what types of whole wheat flour to use.

Soft Wheat Varieties

For cookies, biscuits, cake, pie crust, or some other pastry that doesn’t require yeast, a soft wheat is best. Soft wheat varieties contain about 6-10% protein. This means that they have are low in gluten, and don’t perform very well in yeast breads.

There are two varieties of soft wheat:

• Soft red winter is what you will typically find sold as whole wheat pastry flour. It has a heavy taste and dark color.
• The other is soft white. Flour made from soft white wheat has the lowest protein content and lightest color of any whole wheat flours. Its taste is quite similar to that of white flour. Go ahead and try whole wheat flour made from soft white wheat in this recipe for Cranberry-Orange Scones.

Hard Wheat Varieties

Hard wheat varieties are significantly higher in protein, with approximately 10-14% protein content. This makes hard wheat flour ideal for yeast breads.

Three varieties of hard wheat are available:

• Hard red spring and hard red winter wheat have the highest protein content. They are both used for breads and hard pastries. Flour made from these varieties has a brownish color and distinctive whole wheat taste.
• Hard white wheat has a slightly lower protein content than the red varieties. If you’re looking for whole wheat flour that tastes like white flour, try white whole wheat made from hard white wheat. Experiment with white whole wheat flour in a recipe such as Everyday Whole-Wheat Bread.

Durum Wheat

Durum wheat has the highest protein content. It is frequently ground into semolina for pasta. It can also be ground into flour and used in yeast breads. Durum wheat does not perform well in cakes or biscuits. 

So, fool your tastebuds and pick up any of these healthy whole wheat flour alternatives the next time you visit the supermarket.