What is wheat flour?
Flour and semolina (or semolina) are flours obtained by processing seeds obtained through the wheat production cycle.
... signs of etymology ...
Wheat - in Latin frumentum, from the verb fruor, which means to enjoy or enjoy;
Triticum - always from the Latin, from the verb tero, which means threshing - crushing - chopping.
While durum wheat semolina or semolina are mainly used in the production of pasta, soft wheat flour (especially type 00) is mainly used in bread making.
Durum wheat and soft wheat are cereals of the genus Triticum, belonging to the Gramineae family ; the term Triticum embraces a multitude of varieties of wheat but, due to the mix of the pasta produced at industrial level, it is NECESSARY to use those belonging to the branch of dicoccoides, while for the dough of bread and pizza (leavened), it is advisable to use those belonging to the branch of spelled .
Types of wheat or wheat or Triticum - differentiate durum wheat from soft wheat
First classification, for botanical characteristics of the plant and of the ear :
- Triticum or wheat or wheat - HARD: is a set of species ( dicoccum, turgidum, durum, polonicum ) characterized by dense spikes, culm (called stem) provided with marrow and genetic makeup of 28 chromosomes.
- Triticum or wheat or wheat - TENERO: is a group of species belonging to the spelta or gran farro family ( compactum, vulgare, aestivum and capitatum ) more suitable for bread-making and characterized by loose ear, empty stem (without marrow) and kit genetic DIPLOID of 42 chromosomes.
Second classification, by structural characteristics of the seed :
- Clothes wheats: they are dressed in caryopsis and fragile rachis; includes the 3 farri: Triticum monococcum, dicoccum and spelled .
- Undressed wheats: they are bare-grained caries and a consistent spine; includes: Triticum vulgare or aestivum, durum, turgidum, polonicum . Except for the vulgare or aestivum (which is the most widespread, especially in the cultivations of temperate regions rather than hot and arid), CURRENTLY the undressed wheats HAVE A DECENTLY MORE LIMITED AGRO-FOOD USE compared to those dressed.
In short: wheat production cycle
Wheat is a cereal that can be cultivated in all latitudes and altitudes (up to 1, 200-1, 400m); always in central-northern Italy there is a prevalence of soft wheat crops, while in the south the durum wheat ones are preferred.
The ideal soil for the cultivation of wheat is deep, permeable, medium clayey and of average fertility, even if the wheat adapts excellently to almost all types of soil (except for those that are too nitrogenous or compact). NB : The Triticum greatly impoverishes the soil, therefore, its production cycle requires periodic rotation with other crops to be renewed.
The agricultural production of wheat involves 9 essential steps: tillage of the earth (extraordinary processing of uncultivated land), plowing (reduces the compactness of the soil), sowing (seed diffusion), weeding (cutting and surface mixing of the soil), anti-parasitic (chemical products useful for the fight against pests such as molds), weeding (weeding), harvesting (cutting the ripe grass), threshing (it is a first separation of the seeds from the spikes and stems), conservation (takes place in silos and / or warehouses with 13% of humidity and average and constant temperature). NB . The distinction between a good and a poor production of seeds is estimated from the integrity of the harvest and the final yield of the crop; to be profitable, grain production should reach at least 30 times the weight of seeds used for sowing.
Preparation of the flour
As far as the production of pasta is concerned, we specify that the product obtained from grinding and sifting the durum wheat is simply called SEMOLATE or SEMOLATE of durum wheat, while for flour we mean the fruit of the milling and of the sifting of the soft wheat.
The flour for pasta is obtained by grinding the seeds and sifting the pseudo-wheat flour - wheat - Triticum .
The grinding is the crumbling of the seeds until a homogeneous compound with well-defined physical and granulometric characteristics is obtained, which is carried out by means of stone grinders, rollers or mills.
The sieve, on the other hand, differs in various degrees of sieve: the first sieve divides the bran, the second sieve separates the stream and the remainder of the process takes on the name of fine flour .
Classification of flour
Depending on the degree of refining, flour and semolina can be classified into:
- Integral: the seed is ground preserving the covering membranes; it is rich in bran and contains more protein, fiber, vitamins and mineral salts - used for the production of whole grain pasta or bread
- Type 1 and type 2: it is of fine grain, with less bran, therefore with less protein, fiber, vitamins and mineral salts - used for the production of bread and pizza
- Type 0: it is of fine grain, with very little bran, therefore with even less protein, fiber, vitamins and mineral salts - used for the production of bread and pizza
- Type 00: it is impalpable, without bran and totally white, it is richer in starch but definitely poor in proteins, fiber, vitamins and mineral salts (it is the most used for the production of pasta) - as well as for pasta, it is used for the production of bread, pizza and used as a thickener.
