Flour Substitutes

Substituting white flour for whole wheat flour can really make a difference in several dishes, notably in baked goods, because the flours are really so different in texture, taste, and moisture content.

White flour is the bottom internal kernel or endosperm of two kinds of wheat: high gluten hard wheat and lowgluten soft wheat. It contains neither the bran or the bacteria of whole wheat flours.

Whole-wheat flours are available in two basic types: The sort labeled "whole-wheat" is normally ground hard wheat which is high in gluten and greatest for baking breads. whole-wheat; pastry flour is generated from a soft wheat low in gluten and is perfect for cakes, muffins, cookies, scones, pastries, and snacks.

Although breads flour and pastry flour -- either white or whole wheat -- should not be substituted for each other, most resources say you are able to effectively swap up-to half the whole wheat flour called for in a recipe with all-purpose white flour. You might need to experiment with the quantity of the liquids in the recipe as a result.

Remember, however, that white-flour doesn't contain the nutrients and fibre of whole wheat flour. Whole-wheat flour has less calories and carbohydrates than white flour, also it features five times the fibre, twice the calcium, and 25-percent more protein than white-flour.

A "fortified" foods is one that has had one or more nutrients included with it that it generally doesn't have. For instance, dairy is fortified with vitamin D. Lemon juice can be fortified with calcium, which benefits bone health.

Additional foods, including flour, may lose crucial nutrients during processing. By "enriching" the food, the food processor provides back lost minerals and vitamins, or so the food can nevertheless offer many of the nutrients.

Nevertheless, enriching does not mean extra vitamins or minerals are added. Rather, a food including breakfast cereal may use "enriched" flour and be "fortified" with added minerals and vitamins.