Flour: How to Buy It

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Although it may seem easy to choose flour, in reality, it is not. Sometimes we think that spending a few extra cents or opting for more prestigious brands guarantees a quality product. But this is not always the case. So how do we choose the best and healthiest flour for our recipes? Here is a small guide on the subject.

To Avoid

There are three types of flours that should be avoided or consumed occasionally:

1. 00 flour. This type of flour may have been bleached during the production process and made from modern grains, which have a high gluten content. It appears very white.
2. Manitoba flour purchased in supermarkets also has very similar characteristics to 00. These flours are often imported and are milled using rollers.
3. Reconstituted Whole Wheat Flour, which is often used for making sandwich bread. This is also very similar to 00, to which a mix of bran is added.

How to Choose Flour

There are four small rules we should follow if we want to buy a quality product:

1. Organic certification: especially when purchasing whole products, it is a good rule that they are organically produced. In fact, pesticide residues are the main culprits of food intolerances. Furthermore, by buying organic products, we respect the environment.
2. Prefer whole or semi-whole flours, 0, 1, or 2. To expand our range of choices, we can also buy other varieties of flours, such as spelt, oat, corn, rye, and so on.
3. Prefer flours that have not been produced using industrial methods. It should be noted that if the flour comes from a 30-roller mill, it will be poorer in nutrients. If the mill is a natural stone mill powered by hydraulic traction, then we have found our ideal product.
4. Wheat variety: the last tip to consider if we want to buy an excellent product is the variety of wheat from which the flour is made. The most popular, which are also the oldest, include Verna, Francia, Solina, Gentilrosso, etc.

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