Transitioning your diet into a healthier version does not mean you have to give up baking. A few changes can make your baked goods more nutritious. Using whole-wheat flour instead of white or baking flour is a great place to start. This alteration can change the consistency, however, and if you have made other modifications, they can have an effect as well. Whole-wheat flour reduces rising capabilities as compared to regular baking flour.
Baking Flours
Baking flour comes in many varieties such as cake flour, bread flour and, most commonly, all-purpose flour. Generally, using all-purpose flour in the majority of baking recipes is perfectly fine, and it comes either bleached or unbleached. Bread flour yields the highest rise, followed by cake flour and all-purpose flour, which are all higher rising than the whole-wheat variety.
Whole-Wheat Flour
Your breads and goodies may not rise as well with whole-wheat flour but they will have more nutritional value. Dough will be thicker and hold the same brown color as the flour when made from whole wheat. Often, recipes can split the flour half baking flour and half whole wheat to aid in rising. Even when substituting only half of the flour called for with whole wheat, you will bake something healthier than if you went with all white flour.
Nutrition and Baking Flour
Baking flour is not made from whole grains; parts of the grain have been removed, the germ and bran specifically. This takes away from the nutritional value greatly, lowering the fiber and nutrient content. Often you will see the term "enriched" on the label, which means that after processing, some vitamins and minerals are replaced in the flour.
Nutritional Value of Whole-Wheat Flour
Whole-wheat flour is a whole-grain product. The grain remains whole during the process of making the flour, so it retains all the benefits of the germ and bran, which are missing from white flour. One major advantage of whole-wheat flour is the additional fiber it provides, an area where most people's diet falls short. Fiber can help lower cholesterol, aid digestion and extends the satisfied feeling after meals.
Member Comments