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The term "flour" defines the product obtained by grinding cereals or other products. In common terminology the term "flour" generally indicates that of wheat and in particular of soft wheat, while the term "semolina" is used for durum wheat flour.
Flour and Semolina
The "flour" is a finely ground product, at the sight the grains are indistinguishable, to the touch it is like an impalpable powder, like talc.
The "semolina" is a flour whose visible grains are clearly visible, to the touch it is like sugar (granulated).
The main difference therefore between flour and semolina is in the granulometry, coarser in the semolina, fine, very fine in the flour.
The semolina itself is classified according to the granulometry in:
For semolina, the terms of
wheat flour
From the grinding of soft wheat, a yield of flour between 70-82% is obtained, the remaining 18-30% is made up of bran, bran, germ, farinaccio.
The waste products (bran, bran, farinaccio) can be used in animal feed if not treated according to the law, otherwise in human ones.
Flours derived from low extractions (yield or sifting 70-75%) come from the central part of the grain and are distinguished to the naked eye for purity and whiteness. They are denominated in Italy
On the contrary, a flour with a high extraction rate (about 80%) will be less clear, as it contains the flour coming from the external part of the grain (aleuronic layer), in relation to the ash content (minerals) they can be called
Wholemeal flour should be obtained from the crushing of whole wheat seeds, however, since the outermost bran, unlike the small bran, is less rich in vitamins and with a less pleasant taste, for technical and organoleptic reasons, it is often obtained from refined grains and subsequently added in bran.
Flour bread-making factor
The most important property of flour is the "bread-making factor" (also called "Strength"), ie the ability to resist processing over time.
The strength of the flour derives from the quality of the ground wheat to produce it and in particular from its protein content, or from the water-insoluble protein units "gliadins" and "glutenins" contained in it. These simple proteins placed in contact with water and thanks to the mechanical action of mixing, form a protein complex called "gluten", which forms the backbone of the dough.
The bread-making factor or strength is indicated with “W”.
A high W value indicates a high gluten content; the higher the W value, the more gluten it contains, the more the flour will absorb water and the more resistant and tenacious the dough will be and it will rise slowly, because the meshes of the gluten network will be denser and more resistant. Conversely, a low level of W indicates a flour that needs little water and rises quickly, but which will give a light dough (and bread) that is light and not very consistent.
Here is an index of W:
Flours in retail trade have a variable bread-making factor:
The "Manitoba" flours, take their name from a specific region of Canada, but are grown all over the world, have a high protein content and therefore a greater capacity to absorb liquids, greater elasticity and resistance but do not identify the value of the factor bread-making (Strength), so they are not necessarily stronger than other varieties.
Packages for domestic use in general contain the W value of the flour, but also the composition of the product. If the W value is not present, some indication is given by the protein value expressed in grams:
Flour bread-making factor
The most important property of flour is the "bread-making factor" (also called "Strength"), ie the ability to resist processing over time.
The strength of the flour derives from the quality of the ground wheat to produce it and in particular from its protein content, or from the water-insoluble protein units "gliadins" and "glutenins" contained in it. These simple proteins placed in contact with water and thanks to the mechanical action of mixing, form a protein complex called "gluten", which forms the backbone of the dough.
The bread-making factor or strength is indicated with "W"
A high W value indicates a high gluten content; the higher the W value, the more gluten it contains, the more the flour will absorb water and the more resistant and tenacious the dough will be and it will rise slowly, because the meshes of the gluten network will be denser and more resistant. Conversely, a low level of W indicates a flour that needs little water and rises quickly, but which will give a light dough (and bread) that is light and not very consistent.
Here is an index of W:
Flours in retail trade have a variable bread-making factor:
The "Manitoba" flours, take their name from a specific region of Canada, but are grown all over the world, have a high protein content and therefore a greater capacity to absorb liquids, greater elasticity and resistance but do not identify the value of the factor bread-making (Strength), so they are not necessarily stronger than other varieties.
Packages for domestic use in general contain the W value of the flour, but also the composition of the product. If the W value is not present, some indication is given by the protein value expressed in grams:
whole wheat flour
Durum wheat flour is called semolina, Italian law provides that it has a limited presence of fine parts below 180 microns.
It is distinguished from soft wheat flour for its amber yellow color and a more pronounced grain size.
It is mainly used for the production of pasta.
By further grinding the durum wheat semolina, the “re-milled” or “re-milled” semolina is obtained. This product has an amber yellow color, typical of durum wheat semolina, but has a less pronounced grain size. The regrind, pure or mixed with soft wheat flours, is used for bread making, the product obtained is a very tasty and long-lasting yellow-paste bread (eg Apulian bread).
The durum wheat semolina, depending on the fiber content compared to refined semolina, can be:
Artisan flour and industrial flour
Artisan flour
The huge demand for flour means that most of the flour on the market is of the industrial type. There are very few old mills with stone grinders and they process small quantities of grain. However, modern versions of old mills are also spreading, consisting of two discs of stainless steel covered with natural stone (the most popular is the French flint of la Fierté sous Jouarre).
The advantage of stone mills is that the flour is truly wholemeal, because whole grains are ground, in this way the germ and the external coating (bran) amalgamate with the flour, obtaining a superior flavor, aroma and nutritional properties compared to grinding. traditional with cylinders. This flour is rich in fiber, minerals, B vitamins, tocopherols (vitamin E), proteins and fats - polyunsaturated and monounsaturated - present in the bran and in the germ. In the face of better nutritional characteristics, however, there is a lower shelf life.
The stone mill produces not only 100% wholemeal flour but also type "2", "1", "0", but it is not possible to produce type "00" flour, consisting mainly of starch. This is because it is not possible to completely separate the starch from the germ and bran. Stone milling is therefore not suitable for all needs.
In summary, stone grinding has the advantage of producing richer flour from a nutritional point of view, while hulling generates a cleaner flour, eliminating the external portion of the bran which, being in contact with atmospheric agents, can accumulate in greater extent chemical contaminants and microtoxins.
Industrial flour
Conventional grinding, starting from bare grains or peeled from the external part (bran), takes place by means of cylinders alternating with sieves that crush the grain and transform it into increasingly fine and impalpable flour. For this reason, wholemeal flour obtained from traditional cylinder systems can only be obtained by mixing the bran and the germ with the white flour afterwards. Another element to consider is that cylinder mills turn at a higher speed than natural stone ones and overheat the flour, reducing its nutritional properties.
MS article
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