Rye Flour: Uses, Types and Its Benefits

Rye flour is a popular type of flour in homes and restaurants. It is made from ground rye berries, which are cereal grains. As such, it offers a delicious taste and a perfect texture to your meal. You can use it to make rye bread, sourdough bread, crackers, scones and more. But before that, you’ll need to know its benefits, types and uses.

Types of Rye Flour

1. White rye flour

Rye flour is also produced by some of the flour mills in the UK. Rye is a type of grain that is closely related to wheat and is commonly used to make bread in some parts of Europe. Rye flour has a distinct flavor and texture that sets it apart from wheat flour, and it is often used in combination with wheat flour to make various types of bread, such as rye bread and sourdough bread. Some flour mills in the UK specialize in producing rye flour or offer it as part of their product line.

2. Medium rye flour

Medium rye flour contains more bran, making it have a darker color and more rye flavor.  Due to its lighter texture and versatility, you can use it to make delicate dough or tender tarts.

3. Dark rye flour

Dark rye flour contains all the bran, germ and endosperm, making it a whole-grain rye flour.

Uses of Rye flour

Rye flour has numerous uses, including;

• Bread: You can use rye flour to bake bread. It gives your bread a softer texture as it absorbs more water than wheat.
• Rye crepes: It is an excellent practice to make crepes using rye flour, thanks to its delicious flavor.
• Noodles: You can use rye flour to make noodle dough, as it freezes well in winter months, and you can use it in numerous winter broth recipes.
• Pie: Rye flour is ideal in making the crust of pies as it has the right amount of savory and flaky.
• To spend up sourdough fermentation: Rye flour has a higher activity level in sourdough bread than other flour. It attracts more yeasts, making it more active when introduced to sourdough and ferments faster.

Benefits of rye flour

• Lowers weight and cholesterol

Rye flour positively suppresses body weight gain and lowers obesity. It improves insulin sensitivity and lowers total plasma cholesterol. Therefore, it is a cholesterol-lowering food and an effective weight management flour.

• Minimizes Inflammation

Rye flour helps in reducing inflammation in your body. It is rich in nutrients that benefit your health by reducing the inflammation effect. Also, the reduction in inflammation can be beneficial in reducing the chances of diabetes.

• Prevent gallstones

Rye flour has essential elements that help to lessen the severity of gallstones. Its fiber impacts the digestive process and helps to reduce the number of bile acids formed, which is the leading cause of gallstone development.

Other benefits include;

• It helps to control appetite during a meal and provides a natural sensation for an hour after eating.
• Rye flour helps to fight cancer. It contains phytonutrients that help in fighting and prevent cancer. Also, it helps to reduce the risk of heart disease and the symptoms of menopause.

Conclusion

As you buy a bag of flour, you must know what you’re getting. Be familiar will the flour to ascertain whether it is ideal for your recipe and its health effects. The above information will help you understand rye flour, its type, benefits and uses.