Recipes
Suggested By Us
Homemade recipes, be it bread or pasta, is one of the world's best culinary glories. Here is a selection of recipes showcasing the versatile use of Italian flours and can be easily made in your kitchen.
Suggested By Chefs
A collection of recipes created by Italy's renowned chefs which are perfect for any gathering or occasion. Following these recipes you can also cook like a top chef in your own kitchen!
Suggested For HoReCa
Here are a few recipes which are at its best when made with Italian flours. They are suitable for both professional pizzeria chefs and food enthusiasts who want to try the recipes at home.
The W-value: Indicator of the Strength of Flour
In baking, the gluten level in flour is referred to as its “strength.” Flours with more gluten are considered “stronger,” while flours with less gluten are considered “weaker.
The protein component in flour is also known as gluten. Knowing the gluten content of your flour is crucial when baking.
It is these proteins that bind to create sticky, gooey elastic webs that can trap air inside; this is what allows/encourages the dough to rise. The more gluten in the flour, the more water it absorbs, the more gluten proteins bind; this in turn means increasing the air-trapping quality of the dough, which then stretches and rises.
In baking, the gluten level in flour is referred to as its “strength.” Flours with more gluten are considered “stronger,” while flours with less gluten are considered “weaker.”
Flour strength is measured by a W-value.
A weak flour usually has only 8–9% protein, which corresponds to a W-value between 90 and 180.
Super strong flour can have up to 15–16% protein, which corresponds to a W-value between W 350–380.
For fresh pasta, for example, you would want a weak flour, so the dough stays flat and retains its moisture (not absorb all the water and dry out).
Two flours might have the same level of refinement but not the same strength and vice versa.
Type “00” flour is the soft wheat flour used in kitchens across Europe: perfect for pasta (especially pasta that is meant to be filled, such as ravioli), or cut into flat strands, such as tagliatelle and for baking cakes, tender tarts, pastries.
Since it is low in gluten, it is a light, powder-like flour that makes a soft, supple and easy to work with dough.
Type 0 is whole wheat, less finely refined than the ultra-refined “00”.
Type 1: Wheat flour more coarsely ground than “00” and “0”.
Type 2: whole grain flour: Type 2 is 100% whole wheat. Unrefined flour, on the other hand, has the entire grain in the flour: the germ, the bran, and the endosperm. Because the fibrous bran and fatty germ are more difficult to grind finely, unrefined flour tends to be coarser. And since the bran is brown or red, this flour tends to be brown or red. Type 2 also works for anyone seeking the healthiest option, as the vitamins, proteins, fibre and fats are stored primarily in the germ and the bran. Type 2 flour creates a more rustic result.
“Integrale” is the same as Type 2 (i.e. whole wheat) except slightly coarser in texture
Gluten free flour: flour made of a combination of gluten-free grains and vegetables such as rice, sorghum, potato starch, tapioca, and more. It will have different characteristics from wheat flour, but is the perfect flour to use for all of the baking and pasta that would otherwise be forbidden to those suffering digestive problems or diagnosed with Celiac’s disease.
Semola comes from the same crop as durum wheat, but is milled differently from durum flour. Semola is made from endosperm which is separated from the durum grains during milling.
Durum flour is made using the finely ground powder that is left over from semola; it is more pliable than semola, and well suited for pasta shapes such as spaghetti or sheets of lasagne.
Manitoba flour, made from a wheat which originated in Canada, is characterised by its strength and elasticity.
Bio: The name Bio refers to organic: a bio flour will be certified by various stringent regulations to adhere to the specifications of an organically -produced product.
