Class 101 in the Fresh Flour Basics series
Flour is one of the most basic ingredients in the kitchen – but most of us don’t stop to ask what it’s actually made of.
At its simplest, flour is just grain ground into a powder. But inside each grain is a structure that determines how flour behaves in baking. To understand that, it helps to look at what flour is actually made from.
What Is Flour Made From?
Flour is made from grains, most commonly wheat. In wheat flour, it consists of three main parts: bran, germ, and endosperm.
Flour can be made from many different grains, including:
- wheat
- rice
- corn
- oats
But most flour used in baking is made from wheat. That’s why it helps to look at the structure of a wheat kernel.
What Is a Wheat Kernel (or Wheat Berry)?
A wheat berry is the whole, unprocessed kernel of wheat before it is ground into flour.
No matter how flour is made, everything starts with this one grain.
When wheat is milled, the entire kernel can be used – or parts of it can be separated (see → How Flour Is Processed).
What Is Flour from Wheat Made Of?
Flour made from wheat contains three main parts of the wheat kernel:
- bran (outer layer)
- germ (nutrient-rich center)
- endosperm (starch and protein)
Each part plays a specific role in how flour functions in baking.
The 3 Parts of a Wheat Kernel
Each part contributes something different to how flour behaves. Some provide structure, some provide energy, and some carry most of the nutrients.
The bran and germ contain most of the nutrients, while the endosperm provides most of the energy and structure (see → Fresh-Milled Flour Benefits: Nutrients Explained).
When flour is made from the whole grain, all three parts are present. When parts are removed, the final flour behaves differently (see → How Flour Is Processed).
Why This Matters
Flour is made of these three parts, and understanding that structure explains how it behaves in baking (see → How to Bake with Fresh Milled Flour).
Different types of flour vary based on how much of the bran, germ, and endosperm are included. That’s why some flours are lighter, some are denser, and some absorb liquid differently.
This is what drives everything else – from hydration and structure to how your dough rises.
Where to Go Next
If you want to understand how flour behaves in baking, start here:
- How Flour Is Processed (From Wheat to Store-Bought Flour)
- What Is Fresh-Milled Flour? (And How It’s Different)
- Fresh-Milled vs Store-Bought Flour
If you want to follow the full series, start here → Fresh Flour Basics (Start Here)