What is flour ?

Flour is the product you get when you grind cereals (wheat, oats, spelled, corn, rice, rye), some vegetables or some vegetables (chestnuts, beans, lentils, chickpeas, buckwheat , soy). It is the main ingredient of many foods: bread , cakes , pies and quiches ... We also use flour to make sauces (bechamel sauce for example) or soups . And it is also with flour that is made of gnocchi , knepfles , quenelles or flouts . There are therefore several types of flour that are not intended for the same uses.

How are the flours classified?

Whether from cereals or plants, flours are classified according to their mineral content . These elements extracted from the grain envelope are also called "ashes". To determine the type of flour, the miller must make strict calculations that will determine the percentage of residual mineral matter. The less flour contains minerals, the more it is white and pure. Conversely, the more flour contains minerals, the more the flour is complete, containing all the parts of the ground grain. Of which vitamins and minerals.

T45, T150: what flour for which dish?

The "T" indicates the mineral content of common wheat flour (also known as wheat): the smaller the number, the finer the flour is, so pale and so poor in nutrients contained in the husk.

There are 6 categories of wheat flour:

• Flour T45 (ash content 0.50%): white flour used for pastries . It swells more and contains less moisture.
• T55 flour (ash content of 0.50% -0.60%): The most common white flour, all-purpose and less expensive, it is used for making white bread, pastry and dough pizza . The gluten present in this flour at the level of 10 to 12%, offers elastic and extensible properties.
• Flour T65 (ash rate 0.62% -0.75%): white flour used for the production of bread "tradition" , it gives a rustic appearance.
• Flour T80 (ash content 0.75% -0.90%): semi-complete flour used for the manufacture of special breads .
• T110 flour (ash content of 1.00% -1.20%): flour used for breads and breads bis.
• T150 Flour (Ash Level 1.40%): Complete (or integral) flour that contains 95% of the grain, used for whole loaves or breads.

Wheat flour, buckwheat flour etc .. are they interchangeable?

Gluten-free flours (rice, maize, buckwheat, amaranth, etc.) are a good choice for our biscuits and cakes. But for the leavened pasta (bread, brioche ...), it is necessary to preserve a part of bread-making cereal (that is to say with gluten: wheat, spelled, rye) otherwise the dough will not be able to rise.