an important influence.
Extraction Rates
The degree to which a flour has been
refined is designated by the “extraction
rate,” or the percentage of the whole grain
remaining in the finished flour. Whole
wheat flour has an extraction rate of 90%.
Most commercial white flours contain
between 70 and 72% of the whole grain;
French bread flour ranges from 72 to 78%,
and so carries more flavor of the whole
grain. Home bakers can make their own
higher-extraction refined flours by
supplementing commercial white flour
with a portion of whole wheat flour that
they have sifted to remove coarse bran and
germ particles.Fats and Related Molecules Although white
flour is only about 1% fats, fat fragments, and
phospholipids by weight, these substances are