Flour Numbering and Naming Systems

Across the world different naming and numbering systems exist, sometimes as a legal requirement, so that bakers can identify the different grades of flour and identify the one they want to use.

Countries that have adopted numbering systems base these on flour purity and particle size based laboratory testing, which could include sieving, protein or ash content. As a rule of thumb, the larger the number the darker the flour, the lower the number the finer and whiter the flour. Meanwhile, in other countries names, sometimes also legally defined, are preferred over numbers. This chart will help with comparison or numbering and naming systems.

	Milled from 100% of the whole grain	Some of the bran removed leaving about 85% of the grain	White Bread Flour	White Bread Flour	White Flour	Very fine flour from the early stages of roller milling
UK	Wholemeal Flour	Brown flour	Strong bread flour	-	Plain flour	Patent flour
GERMANY	Volkorn 1600	1050	812	-	550	405
FRANCE	Farine Intègral 150	110	80	65	55	45
ITALY	Integrale	Tipo 2	Tipo 1	-	0	00
SPAIN & PORTUGAL	Harina Integrale 150	110	80	70	55	45
USA	Wholewheat flour	First clear flour	High gluten bread flour	-	All-purpose flour	Pastry flour
ARGENTINA	½	0	00	-	000	0000
POLAND	Razowa	Sitkowa	Chlebowa	-	Luksusowa	Tortowa
CZECH REPUBLIC & SLOVAKIA	Celozrnná mouka	Hrubá mouka	Polohrubá mouka	-	Hladká mouka	Hladká mouka výběrová 00
HOLLAND	Volkorenmeel	Gebuilde bloem	Tarwebloem	-	Patentbloem	Zeeuwse bloem
INDIA	Wholemeal Atta	Atta	-	-	Maida flour	-
CHINA	小麦面粉	-	-	-	中筋麵粉	-

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Flour Numbering and Naming Systems

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