You will surely ask him the question: do some bakers cheat on the flour in wholemeal breads?

For several years now, we have constantly heard health professionals extolling the merits of wholemeal bread in comparison to white bread. It would be richer in fiber, but also in prebiotics. It is also recommended because it considerably reduces the glycemic peak and has a strong satiating power in comparison of the wand. However, according to a recent subject in Le Parisien, the flour used would not always be of the same quality depending on the bakery.

By interviewing a miller, the daily revealed that there are two methods for obtaining wholemeal flour. On the one hand, the flour is obtained using a traditional method, grinding several cereals between stone millstones. On the other hand, the flour is obtained using an industrial process, the seeds are ground mechanically. The flour is sifted several times until you obtain the desired refinement, that of the T65 which is more commonly used for cakes and pastries. The bran of the wheat (its skin) is separated and stored separately. It is generally intended for animal feed but it can also be mixed with white flour to obtain “completed flour”.

Upon arrival, the quality of the two flours is very different. Yet, bakers are not obliged to specify the nature of the design of the flour used in their preparations. In many, there is real vagueness on the subject, even to the point that certain sellers themselves sometimes do not know how their raw material is produced, as the Parisian investigation reveals.

And what about the taste? Does this difference in manufacturing cause differences in the texture of the crumb? This is what Bérangère Fagart, the chef of the Sélune restaurant in the 11th arrondissement in Paris, seems to think. For the newspaper, she blind tasted 3 samples. For bread made from flour made from roller grinding, the observation is clear: its taste reminds it of sandwich bread Complete Harrys. An industrial flavor that she is not particularly fond of. Concerning the second loaf, the nature of the flour grinding is unknown, same reaction: the bread does not really have any taste and reminds it of large-scale sandwich bread. Concerning the third, it is more conclusive. Bread whose flour is ground by stone millstones has more flavor and its crumb is less dry.

If you are attached to eating wholemeal bread made from real flour, don’t hesitate to ask your baker. It costs nothing and will allow you to choose higher quality!