Irish Wholemeal Flour

Irish wholemeal flour is made from red whole wheat. Also, it is used to bake traditional Irish bread. Its purpose has extended to being used in any non-yeast bread recipe but it is common and most suitable for Irish brown loaves of bread. 

What is the difference between wholemeal flour and whole wheat flour?

Wholemeal flour is also known as Whole grain flour. However, depending on the country, the terms, wholemeal flour, whole grain flour, and whole wheat flour are used interchangeably. 

Nevertheless, it is important to understand that there is a similarity in the two flours; they are both whole grains. 

The two types of flour are famous for having healthier benefits compared to their refined contemporaries. Also, they have health-beneficial properties which makes them the choice of many bakers and delight to many households.  

So, are they different in any way?  Yes.  This is because of the type of grain used to make them. Also, both products contain all three components of caryopsis which is the grain kernel. The three constituents are;

Bran

It is an outer layer that is rich in vitamins B and other minerals. The bran is fibrous. Besides, it means you can’t have a fiber deficiency with whole grain or whole wheat flour. 

Germ

This part is known as the reproductive part of the caryopsis. Also, it is rich in nutrients like fats-the healthy one, vitamins B, vitamins E, and antioxidants. 

Endosperm

The endosperm is the largest component of the caryopsis. It mainly consists of starchy carbohydrates. It is mostly present in white flour. Endosperm takes a larger share in white flours. 

Moreover, the presence of the three components in a product gives any manufacturer the right to call such a product “whole”. 

Meanwhile, “Whole wheat” is used for products that use the entire wheat kernel in production. 

On the contrary, “Wholemeal” is used when other grains such as corn, barley, millet, rye, sorghum, wheat, quinoa, etc. the entire kernel of the listed grains are used.   

In other words, whole grain is an umbrella term for all types of grains in their whole form.

Health benefits of wholemeal flour

The healthy benefits contained in wholemeal flour have made it a choice for the majority. Here are some key benefits of wholemeal flour.

• It is high in protein and fiber. This reduces the risk of obesity.

• Wholemeal contains a substantial amount of vitamins like B, E. 

• Antioxidants prevent slow damage to cells and they are well represented in wholemeal flour. Wholemeal flour reduces the risk of diabetes and cancer. 

• Another key benefit of wholemeal flour is that it contains minerals. Minerals are important for you to stay healthy. Minerals do a lot of jobs like building the muscles, bones and keeping your heart working perfectly. See, why you need to add wholemeal flour to your diet. 

What  Irish wholemeal flour should I buy?

Odlums  Wholemeal coarse

Odlums wholemeal coarse flour is imported directly from Ireland. All Odlums wholemeal are stone ground with traditional milling stone. This gives it a coarse texture. 

However, you shouldn’t get the Odlums wholemeal flour if you don’t intend to bake soda bread as it may not work for other meals. Also, the Odlums wholemeal is not self-rising. If you are gluten intolerant, this isn’t for you as some of the ingredients are gluten-based. 

King Arthur Irish style flour

The Irish-style flour is also coarse and excellent for making fine brown bread. It is one of the few brands with gluten-free ingredients. So if you are gluten intolerant, you can make King Arthur your new flour plug. However, it is advisable to store in the refrigerator after use as the best means of preservation is yet to be known.  

Recommended Ingredients

Is there any difference between Irish Wholemeal flour and regular flour?

As the name implies, wholemeal flour still has the whole natural components intact, unlike the regular flour that has been refined.

More than 15% of the natural component of the regular flour has been refined, thus, the certainty of it having nutritional benefits as the wholemeal flour is minute. Well, does this mean regular flour should no longer be used? Not at all. Regular flour still works perfectly for some types of pastries. 

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