Bread will have a taste and texture depending on which flour you use. Wheat flour generally gives lighter and more airy bread, while rye and coarse flour with wholegrain produce more moderate and compact bread.
Many people believe that whole-grain bread is always dark, but all grain has a light colour and you can make white bread using whole-grain flour. The dark colour usually comes from malt, wort or dark syrup. Spices and other ingredients such as pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, fennel and cardamom, give bread added flavour and character.
Wheat
Wheat flour is available in many varieties and is the flour most used in Sweden. It has a high protein and gluten content, providing fluffier bread.
There are several thousand different kinds of wheat and they are divided into spring and autumn wheat depending on when they are sown. Some of the most common wheat varieties are:
Dinkel is an ancient type of wheat, also called spelt. Many people think dinkel tastes stronger than regular wheat. Some believe it is gentler for people with IBS (irritable bowl syndrome). There’s no scientific evidence for this, but dinkel has better nutritional values than common wheat flour.
Durum is also a type of wheat, often slightly yellow in colour. It contains a high content of gluten proteins and is suitable for pasta as well as bread.
These wheat varieties are not yet fully adapted to the Swedish climate. But we have been developing Swedish durum and dinkel and baked with these new cereals since 2017.
Read more about how we take part in developing Swedish agriculture>
Rye
Rye is the grain that grows best in northern Europe, which is why we often bake with rye flour here. Rye is often used in slightly coarser bread and crispbread. Rye flour is a bit sharper and breaks gluten threads easier. It doesn’t give the same airy bread as wheat flour, so people often mix the two.
Whole-grains
The choice of flour affects the nutrient content of finished bread. For example, whole grain flour provides bread that is richer in fibre. Whole-grain flour uses all of grain: the core, shell and sprout, which retains more minerals and vitamins. You can buy finely ground flour, but you only find whole-grains in cereal products such as rye and wheat. Whole grain bread can be light or dark, rough or smooth.
More about bread, health and nutrition
Other types of flour
There are many grain products of different grinding sizes and mixtures available. Here are the most common:
Sifted flour: the outer parts of the grain are sifted away, so this flour is not whole-grain.
Graham flour: a whole grain wheat product not milled to flour but to fine grains.
Semolina: is made from the protein-rich core, which is free from whole grains. It is milled to fine grains not flour.
Bran: the shells of either wheat or oat. Buy it separately and add to your dough if you want more whole grains.
Sprouts: the inner parts of the grain without their shells. Mix these in dough or sprinkle them on top of the bread to add flavour or texture.
Our skilled millers make all the varieties of flour we use for our different breads at our own mill, Lilla Harrie Valskvarn.
