{"id":3507,"date":"2025-10-20T12:08:24","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T10:08:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dimarco.it\/?p=3507"},"modified":"2026-05-06T12:29:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T10:29:56","slug":"wheat-flour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dimarco.it\/en\/notizie\/farina-di-frumento","title":{"rendered":"Wheat flour, what you need to know: what it is, types, characteristics, and how to use it"},"content":{"rendered":"

Behind every successful dough there is a carefully selected flour<\/a>, Why It is she who gives soul and structure to bread, <\/strong>pizza<\/strong><\/a> and Roman pinsa<\/strong>In cooking and baking, wheat flour It is undoubtedly the most used, but also one of the most varied<\/strong>: changes appearance, cooking behaviour and yield based on numerous factors such as type of grain used, degree of refinement, strength and protein content<\/strong>This is why knowing it thoroughly is essential, especially for those who work in the world of food<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article we will find out Everything you need to know about wheat flour<\/strong>: from how it is obtained to professional uses, including technical characteristics, types, alternatives, and gluten content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is wheat flour?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Wheat flour is the product of the milling of wheat grains, one of the most widespread and important crops in the world<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visually, wheat flour appears as a more or less white powder (or beige, in the case of less refined versions), with a light aroma and a more or less fine consistency, depending on the type of grain and how it is processed. It is the basis of an infinite number of preparations, including bread, desserts, pasta, pizza and pinsa<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is soft wheat flour?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Soft wheat flour is obtained from grinding of the <\/strong>Triticum aestivum<\/em><\/strong> <\/strong>and is the most common of all. There are several types\u2014as we'll see in more detail later\u2014it has a very fine consistency and good water absorption capacity, ideal for soft, well-leavened dough. When we commonly talk about flour, we're referring to soft wheat flour.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is durum wheat flour (or semolina)?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Durum wheat flour it is obtained by re-milling the semolina<\/strong>, in turn derived from the Triticum durum<\/em>It has an amber yellow color, a grainier consistency than soft wheat flour, but finer than classic semolina. It is particularly appreciated for the production of dry pasta, but it is also used in regional bread making<\/strong> thanks to the high protein content and good cooking resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How wheat flour is obtained<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Wheat flour is obtained by grinding wheat grains, preceded by a careful cleaning phase.<\/strong> After harvesting, the wheat is selected and cleaned of impurities, dust, seeds of other plants and foreign bodies. Once ready, it is ground using stone or roller mills<\/strong>, based on the technology adopted and the desired result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the processing it is defined the degree of <\/strong>sifting<\/em><\/strong>, or the percentage of extracted flour compared to the weight of the whole grain. The lower the value (e.g. 50%), the more refined and low in fiber the flour will be; the higher it is (e.g. 80-90%), the more the flour will retain parts of the grain such as the bran and germ. approaching a complete composition.<\/strong>
<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depending on the level of sifting and subsequent sieving, flours with different characteristics are obtained<\/strong>: from the finest and lightest (like 00 flour) to the coarsest and richest in fiber, like wholemeal flour. In some cases, the product is also reground to obtain a finer grain size<\/strong>, useful in specific preparations such as bread making with durum wheat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Types of wheat flour: from 00 to wholemeal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When we talk about wheat flour, we are not referring to a single product<\/strong>In fact, there are several types, which differ mainly in the degree of refinement of the grain. Each country has its own classification: in Italy, for example, this is based on the amount of bran and germ still present after milling<\/strong>The main typologies are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n