April 30, 2022 - 8:26am
European whole wheat pastry flour?
I have a friend in Europe (the Netherlands) who is looking for a whole grain pastry flour similar to Bob's Red Mill. Ideally it would be 100% extraction from soft wheat. Does anyone know what would be available in Europe with that flour profile? Thanks.
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Finding weak wheat flour in Europe shouldn't be a problem... Maybe I don't know some details, but most wheat is weak compared to US.
https://www.buywholefoodsonline.co.uk/organic-fine-wholemeal-pastry-flour.html
German whole wheat flour type 1600 is equivalent to Bob's Red Mill whole wheat pastry flour.
Is this someone who has moved to NL and is looking for a flour to recreate American recipes they are familiar with?
Or someone already familiar with NL flour but wanting to follow an American recipe, using appropriate flour?
If it is the first one, then to echo Ilya and Mariana, in general wheat flours in Europe, and certainly in the Netherlands, are markedly softer/weaker than standard American flours. The Netherlands has quite a few small local millers, depending on where your friend lives they can probably find a nearby source of high-quality wholegrain flour ("volkoren tarwemeel"), or can order from a webshop (De Zuidmolen for example). If they want a really finely-milled wholegrain flour for pastry purposes, a German flour as Mariana suggests may also be a good choice. There is also very good locally grown Dutch spelt which I imagine might also serve nicely.