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Whole-wheat pie crust is healthier than white flour crusts, but heavier and better suited for savory dishes. Whole-grain flour requires more liquids and cold ingredients for a lighter crust. Whole grains have health benefits and are more nutritious than enriched white flour.
A whole-wheat pie crust is a pastry made with whole-wheat flour rather than white flour. Wholemeal flour is made from the whole grain of wheat where all parts of the grain are used: bran, germ and endosperm. In white and refined flour, only the endosperm is used. Whole wheat pie crust is much healthier than a pie crust made from white flour since whole wheat flour is more nutritious.
A whole wheat pie crust will be heavier than one made with white flour, making it better suited for savory rather than sweet dishes. Cooking with whole grains requires more than just swapping white flour for whole-grain flour since recipes that contain whole-grain flour usually call for more liquids. The main ingredients of a typical whole wheat pie crust are whole wheat flour, cold butter and cold water. The butter and water should be kept as cold as possible when mixing the ingredients to ensure a lighter, fluffier crust.
Some cooks prefer to use pastry flour when baking a whole-wheat pie crust. Whole-wheat puff pastry flour is made from whole grains, but is lower in protein and gluten and higher in starch than all-purpose flours. As a result, baked goods like pie crusts have a softer texture.
Following a whole grain diet has been shown to have many health benefits such as a reduced risk of heart disease and a reduction in both diabetes and weight. Whole grains are more than just a grain and include barley and oats, which are characterized by cholesterol-lowering effects; farro high in protein and fiber; buckwheat which is rich in B vitamins; and millet which is gluten-free and can replace rice in many recipes.
White flour is sometimes fortified and some nutrients are added, but it’s not as nutritious as whole-wheat flour. Even enriched flour does not contain the fiber and protein of whole-wheat flour, nor does it contain calcium, iron, fiber, B vitamins, folate and selenium. Standard bleached white flour has undergone a 60% extraction process, which means that 40% of the wheat grain has been removed. Within that 40% are nutrient-dense wheat bran and germ. The changed consumer attitudes have led to an increase and popularity in the sales of wholemeal products compared to the more refined and less healthy products of white flour.
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