Wheat Flour

Composition

Typically the type of flour describes the milling process (how the grain was ground into a flour) i.e. was the bran (outer coating) and / or the germ (oil portion) included AND any treatment applied after milling i.e. enrichment (add vitamins and minerals lost during processing) or bleaching (natural aging of flour during storage or achieved with chemicals that oxidize the yellow pigment and improve the baking quality of the flour).


Wheat Flour

Made by grinding wheat and typically does not contain the bran or germ.


Enriched Flour (wheat)

Wheat flour (no bran or germ) that has been enriched with thiamin, riboflavin and niacin and may include Vitamin D, iron and calcium that are lost during flour processing.


Enriched Flour (flour)

The same as the above except that the source of the grain is not identified. Other grains such as rye, oats, barley or soybeans can be used in the making of this flour.


Stone Ground Wheat Flour

Describes how the wheat grain was milled. Again since the word "whole" is not included, this flour does not contain the bran or germ of the wheat grain. Similar to wheat flour other than how the grain was milled.


Whole Wheat Flour

Grinding the entire wheat grain, including the bran and germ. Other ingredients may be included such as malted wheat, wheat flour and barley flour. It is also called graham flour and entire wheat flour.


Cracked Wheat

Made by cracking the wheat grain into angular pieces and is similar to whole-wheat flour in composition, but the flour has coarse flecks of brown rather than a uniform size particle.

Softness

Bread Flour (hard)

All-Purpose Flour (medium)
  • A blend of hard and soft flour (bread and pastry flour).
Pastry Flour (soft)
  • Can make pastry flour by combining all-purpose and cake flour in a two to one ratio.
Cake Flour (very soft)
  • Made from soft wheat.