Whole wheat flour is obtained by pulverizing whole grain of wheat containing germ (the sprouting part) and the bran (the outer coating). It is used as a main ingredient to make a variety of baking items, such as breads and buns, muffins, cookies and biscuits, pitas, and scones and rolls. Other use of wheat flour is to make pancakes and flat breads like roti and parathas (popular in South Asian counties). Wheat flour is also a main ingredient in making pasta.
Whole wheat flour is a good source of carbohydrates that helps fuel our body. The health benefit reduces when whole wheat flour is processed by removing 40% original wheat flour and replacing it with bleached white flour to commercially produce baked goods, such as breads, pastas, donuts, noodles, cakes, and cookies. Whole wheat flour mixed with other grains, such as oats, grams, and barley (called multigrain flour) is a very good source of proteins, dietary fiber and micronutrients, such as copper, manganese, and magnesium. Indian flat breads such as rotis, parathas, and puris are made at home with whole wheat flour or multigrain flour, which makes the breads really nutritious.
Whole wheat flour is also a good source of proteins. There are 30 different types of proteins in whole wheat flour; however, glutenin and gliadin are the ones responsible for forming an elastic protein called gluten. When the flour is mixed with water and knead to make a dough for baking (or cooking with different methods), glutenin and gliadin absorbs water and comes into contact with each other to form gluten. Gluten protein loses water and becomes hard as it loses moisture during cooking, which gives structure to several baked food and donuts and breads cooked using different methods such as deep frying or cooking on griddle.
Packaged wheat flour has an expiry date on it, so purchase the flour by making sure that it has not expired. After opening the package, wheat flour is best stored in a sealed container in a dry and dark place at room temperature for about 3 months. If kept in refrigerator, it can be used up to 6 months after opening. For longer shelf life of about a year, wheat flour needs to be stored in a freezer.
Whole wheat flour is available in supermarkets and Indian or South Asian grocery stores. It is available at online grocery stores such as
amazon.com.