Flour classification

Different countries have their own systems for classifying flour, and types from one country are not always directly comparable with those from another. For example, taking two flours classified by extraction rate (i.e. the percentage of the whole grain it contains after sifting) or ash content (the residue left after controlled incineration), one might have been made from soft wheats, whose lower gluten content is good for cakes and pastries, and the other from hard wheats with higher gluten content more suitable for bread making or even pasta.