Imagine this: you are tasked with baking something for your child’s school bake sale. You want to ensure the treat is yummy, but is also nutrient dense. There is so much noise telling you what is “right” versus “wrong” when it comes to what we put into our bodies, but when it comes to flour, we’re here to tell you the facts.. With this article, we hope to make you more confident in what type of flour you are choosing to bake with.
Whole wheat flour and wheat flour, better known as all-purpose flour, come from the same beginning, wheat kernels, but each of their specific milling processes change their outcome. For example, whole wheat flour is milled using the entire wheat grain, with nothing being removed and it retains more of the grain’s natural nutrients and fiber. Whereas wheat flour is milled using only a part of the grain, with the bran and germ being removed during processing. This leads to less nutrients that are later added back in, which is where you get enriched wheat flour.
With whole wheat flour retaining the entire grain during milling, it results in a flour that is darker in color, is more coarse, absorbs more water when baking and produces much denser dough. In contrast, wheat flour has a lighter color and finer texture. This color and texture comes from removing part of the wheat kernel, which is where the name “refined flour” comes from, wheat flour is lower in fiber but has a longer shelf life compared to whole wheat flour.
Now that you have some background on the difference between whole wheat flour and wheat flour, let’s dig into how each flour type is typically used and the overall outcomes of each.
Traditionally, whole wheat flour is used in different types of flatbread, but there are many types of baked goods that use whole wheat flour. Some examples include scones, muffins and quick breads. These types of baked goods work well with whole wheat flour since they are denser than traditional cakes. Whole wheat flour has a hearty, nutty taste that complements these baked goods, especially those with a spice or fruit component. With this being said, if you are looking for a baked good that gives you a much more filling result, where fiber and whole-grain content matter, it is best to use whole wheat flour.
Wheat flour is what most think of when they prepare to bake. Use wheat flour when your recipe calls for a smooth, soft, fine dough. This dough results in light, airy textures you find with cakes, biscuits and pastries. So, if you’re wanting to stick with baked goods that have a lighter texture and color, keep using wheat flour. If you’re looking for that same result, but wanting more nutrients like B-vitamins and iron, grab the enriched wheat flour! You can learn more about enriched flour in a different EatWheat article.
With all the information you now have on the difference between whole wheat flour and wheat flour as well as what each is used for and their outcomes, now let’s talk about how to incorporate both into your baking or substitute one for the other when you’re in a bind.
The short answer to this is: yes, but results may vary. The long answer is a little more complicated than yes or no. It is possible, but there are extra steps involved to create the correct substitute for certain baked goods. If you’re wanting to replace wheat flour with whole wheat flour, you will need more water, specifically 1-2 tablespoons extra per cup of flour, for things like yeast breads. For cookies, scones, pancakes, muffins and quick breads, you can easily swap these but this switch will change the color and flavor with a denser result.
To get the soft textures of wheat flour and the hearty nutrition of whole wheat flour, try blending the two flours together for balance This specific blend works well for bread, pizza dough and denser baked goods like scones and muffins.
Now that you have read all about the difference between whole wheat flour and wheat flour, what each flour is typically used for, the outcomes of each and how to substitute or combine the two, we hope you are feeling confident in your decision of what flour to use when baking.
Looking for more educational content about wheat? Check out this article on different types of wheat based flour and this article about the different classes of wheat grown in the US.