Did You Know – Bleached & Unbleached Flour
Have you ever wondered why they sell BLEACHED and UNBLEACHED FLOUR and what the difference is?
UNBLEACHED FLOUR naturally ages after milling and it slowly oxidizes from the oxygen in the air. It takes about one to two months to age.
BLEACHED FLOUR uses chemical treatments which manually speeds up the aging process and whitens the flour almost instantly. As soon as the flour comes off the milling line, it is bleached and oxidizing chemicals are added to quicken or entirely replace the aging process.
DIFFERENCES IN THE TWO KINDS:
- Chemicals: Bleached flour has chemicals added to it; unbleached flour is chemical-free.
2. Production time: Bleached flour is faster to produce than unbleached flour.
3. Aging Process: Bleached flour is chemically aged; unbleached flour is aged naturally, by exposure to the air.
4. Grain size: Bleached flour has a very tiny grain; unbleached flour’s grain is slightly larger.
5. Volume and Texture: Bleached flour has a fluffier volume and a lighter, finer texture; unbleached flour has less volume and is more dense.
6. Color: Bleached flour is whiter and brighter in color; unbleached flour is more of an off-white or even very pale yellow color.
7. Price: Bleached flour is less expensive than unbleached flour, because it takes less time to produce.
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Source: http://www.KingArthurBaking.com
Source: http://www.Foodnetwork.com
http://www.InDianesKitchen.com
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Categories: Did You Know, Flour
Nice 👍
Thank you!
Thank you!
I did not realize all those differences!
There are a lot more negative facts with the bleached flour. The things we put in our bodies. 🤦🏽♀️
Good information. We always buy unbleached and I like to have in hand whole wheat brown flour. 👍🏼🍻
Smart man!
Thanks – I always hope I am 😂😂
Thanks Diane for the info
You’re welcome Sheree
Very interesting, Diane! Is there a big difference in what’s cooked itself between using the two?
Yes but it’s really more about the chemicals used to bleach the flour and we eat that plus since the nutrition and minerals are stripped from the bleaching then have to enrich it and add powdered back into it.
Interesting! I did not know this. I will have to notice which one a recipe calls for as it’ll make a difference in the result. It sounds like the unbleached will yield a denser result. Also, I like the chemical free approach, but I don’t know if that means unbleached is any healthier. Depends on the chemicals used, I would think.
I would think the unbleached would be healthier because the bleached removes the natural minerals and vitamins then they have to enrich it by adding powdered minerals and vitamins back into the flour, also they use chemicals to bleach it which we then eat, personal choice Betty.
Good information Diane! I always buy unbleached to avoid yet another chemical in my food!
Amen! Thank you Dorothy. 🥰
oh, I never knew – thanks!
You’re welcome Beth!
Thanks for explaining what’s been a mystery for me, Diane💜
You’re very welcome!
I did not know this but think I will switch to unbleached flour. We get enough chemicals in our food ! thanks for the info Diane !
You’re welcome Susan. Also someone reminded me that when the flour is bleached it strips the vitamins and minerals so the bleached flour is enriched by adding a powdered form of them back into the flour.
Nice post! More people need to appreciate this.
I learned this years ago working at a historic flouring mill. Amazing how the milling process was done back then (1879ish).
Bleached flour came to popularity in the early 20th century. While partially a quality control measure, it also played into the consumer notion that bleached, white flour was somehow more pure. The opposite of that public notion is more factual though.
Bleached flour typically has the word “Enriched” on the packaging. This is due to the bleaching process striping the flour of essential vitamins and minerals. The manufacturer has to then go back and put those nutrients back in through powdered vitamin and mineral mixes.
Thanks for sharing!
What a wonderful explanation TC! Thank you so much! Do you know if the powdered vitamin and mineral mixes are as good as the what the unbleached flour has in it naturally? I’m guessing not.
Good information here. I like unbleached because it just bothers me to use clorox infested flour.
Not to mention the bleached flour is enriched.
Interesting information, Diane.
So … they both have gluten, right? I have recently given up gluten and I can feel a positive difference. I know someone who couldn’t eat wheat bread in the U. S., but when she ate bread in Ireland, she was fine. Just wondering what’s being done to wheat in the U.S. that isn’t being done in some other countries. Any ideas?
Yes they both have gluten, the only difference is the whitening process. Normal all purpose flour contains wheat flour so it is impossible to be gluten free. I believe you can buy gluten free flour by King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill but you would need to verify that. The difference may be that in the USA they use glyphosate when growing and in place like Italy they don’t use it. I’m no expert this is just what I have read.
Like Diane, I am no expert on why some flours cause problems and others don’t. My daughter thought she had a problem with gluten but it was actually flours that have folic acid added to them that caused the problem. If you have the MTHFR gene mutation, folic acid messes with you. It is added to a lot of items because most people need it.
We need to go back to the caveman food!
Thanks! 👍
You’re welcome!
Thank you!
It is amazing the things I don’t know at my age! Thanks for the information on flour, I had no idea, so I’m favoring the unbleached, but I’m a fickle women and might change my mind if I need more fluff! Hugs, C
I’m not an expert but I read that some of the chemicals used to bleach the flour are benzoyl peroxide, chlorine gas, chlorine dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and calcium. 😳
So much I didn’t know about the flours!
There is so much more information such as which flour is best for baking, which one for a whiter cake or just because you don’t want the chemicals used in they bleached flour.
I appreciate that you post this simple info that people need to pay attention too. I remember someone asking me the difference in the grocery store. I asked her, ‘What do you use bleach for? It made her think. I told her, ‘ just for common sense sake I’ve always bought the unbleached’. She looked at me and responded, ‘I didn’t even think of that on a more simple term’. She grabbed the unbleached.
Thank you! I try not to be opinionated and just state the facts. That way people can make their own choices.
Thanks for enlightening us, even though I do not bake/cook and use flour but I wondered about the different types.
You’re welcome Linda!
This is very interesting Diane! I have noticed before that the unbleached flour is more expensive and now I understand why. A personal question if I may: What do you usually bake with?
I have always used bleached but after researching the difference I will be buying unbleached from now on.
And after reading your research … me too!
Indeed, intersting!
Thank you!
Indeed, interesting!
Thank you Mary!
I did not know this- interesting and helpful!
It changed my mind about buying bleached flour. I guess I feel they put enough chemicals in our food, at least this one we have a choice.