What's The Best Whole Grain Flour For Baking?

By Michael Obrien


Flours come in many different varieties and have equally as many uses. The most prominent of them is the white product known as wheat flour. But those who fancy a little bit of a change are finding that spelt flour is perhaps the best whole grain flour for baking. As a lot of folks are not getting enough fiber, whole grains in your bread could be the answer.

If you're new to baking the best piece of advice is to keep things simple. The reason why spelt is such a good choice for the first-time baker is that it has a sweet, mild flavor and is one of the most popular around. Over the years it's been used to make pie crust as well as sandwich bread.

There's nothing new about spelt whatsoever. It has been around in Europe since the Bronze Age, when the folks in Europe would use it of make bread. For those unsure what to look out for when they go to the grocery store, it's worth pointing out that some have said the grain is a reddish color that looks a little like a cross between barley seeds and sunflower.

What really makes it stand out is its mild, sweet taste, It exhibits absolutely none of the bitter taste that some whole wheat flours are often criticized for. It's not heavy either, in fact the text is quite soft and the bread is quite tender. One drawback of spelt for some is that it has gluten, so if you're after a gluten-free product you're out of luck.

It has a variety of uses and is very versatile. When mixed with all-purpose it can be used in breads and muffins, to give you some of the fiber of whole grain and some of the flavors of wheat flours, if that's what you're after. It lends itself fairly well to experimentation too. For instance, some have tried making pie crust with a hundred per cent spelt, while others mix and match the level of crackers used to make the crust.

If you're a veteran of using the product then you could graduate from making bread and turn to other things. A yeast-less pizza is something you could try at home. The dough will probably take far less time to make and cook because of the lack of yeast. You can also make dense and moist cookies, ones which differ a little from the traditional cookie because they tend to hold a puffy shape.

Although whole grains do have gluten, they don't contain as much as white flours. This needs to be considered when using yeast or combining flours of different types. Make sure that at least half the flour you use contains gluten, that's if you use yeast. It's also worth noting that because of the lower gluten content, some bakers prefer to use spelt with other flours.

Although spelt is probably the best whole grain flour for baking, it really depends on what your tastes are and ultimately what you are baking. Soft flours usually have much less gluten, and things like barley, rye and oat actually have none so perhaps this should be considered if you're looking to mix whole grain with a low gluten product.




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