What are the differences between using whole wheat flour vs. all purpose flour in batter for frying?

There have been many questions related to whole wheat flower on this site before, but nearly all of them focus on baking. I'd like to know what is the effect of frying with whole wheat flour in terms of flavor, texture, and the complexity of executing the frying properly. I have heard anecdotally that whole wheat flour leads to a crispier batter, but can't find any reliable sources that back this statement up.

Best Answer

Just as with kneading, stirring develops the gluten in the flour. over-mixing batter is a culinary no-no (fr. non-non). Batters are frequently rested in the refrigerator so the gluten can relax. Foods fried in batter that has been overworked and deprived of adequate rest is like a chef exposed to the same conditions–tough and tired.

Whole wheat flour has considerable difficulty developing its gluten potential because when the outer coat (bran) is ground up and combined with the starchy endosperm, sharp particles of bran chop up the strands of gluten as they attempt to form. So the very quality that makes whole wheat flour such a 'pain' in the ass for bread making makes it highly useful for batters.

Whole wheat has practically become my default flour. It's fine for dusting food articles on their way to the sauté pan, and for making roux. But bear in mind that you may need to use a little more roux than before to achieve a given degree of thickening. That's because the bran coat displaces a small portion of the starchy endosperm.

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Can I use wheat flour instead of all-purpose for frying?

When making batters for frying, the type of starch and the amount used will greatly impact the quality of the batter. In terms of wheat flour, the higher the protein content, the tougher the crust will be because more gluten will be present in the batter.

Can you use whole wheat flour for batter?

So the very quality that makes whole wheat flour such a 'pain' in the ass for bread making makes it highly useful for batters. Whole wheat has practically become my default flour. It's fine for dusting food articles on their way to the saut\xe9 pan, and for making roux.

What is the best type of flour to add to a batter for frying?

The 5 Best Flours for Fried ChickenRankFlourReview1.All-Purpose FlourBest choice overall, neutral flavor and golden-brown coating2.Semolina FlourThe best choice for extra crunchy chicken3.Rice FlourLighter, tempura-like coating, gluten-free4.Barley FlourTastes best with dark chicken meat1 more row

Can we use wheat flour for frying?

Yes, you can use whole-wheat flour for frying. Whole-wheat flour is right for your health when compared to chickpea flour. It also helps in making your food taste incredible. You can use it to make any vegetarian non-vegetarian food.

What's the Difference Between Whole Wheat Flour \u0026 White Flour?

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Bruno Thethe, Polina Tankilevitch, Klaus Nielsen, Klaus Nielsen