The Fresh Loaf

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whole wheat percentage

ericb's picture
ericb

whole wheat percentage

I was thinking about how we often describe mixtures of flour in ratios, such as 50/50 whole wheat/white, 20/80, etc. This is referring to the ratio of a measure of whole wheat flour to a measure of white.

In reality, though, whole wheat flour is white flour -- 100%, in fact -- plus a little extra. Or, perhaps more accurately, white flour is 70% of the whole wheat grain.

So, I'm curious as the most accurate way to describe a "50/50" mix. What about a 20/80 mix (white/ww)? 80/20? Does anyone have the math power to figure these out? 

This is purely an academic exercise, and probably not helpful for most home bakers. However, I have learned that when my left brain cries out for sustenance, it is best to feed him before he gets out of hand and does things like making lists and organizing.

Eric