Gentil Rosso wheat flour is an excellent choice for those who are looking for a low-gluten option without sacrificing the versatility of traditional flour!
Use it for pasta, bread, pies…Gentil Rosso wheat flour will become your favorite ingredient in the kitchen (check out our photos, not bad huh?).
Available in 1kg and 5kg bags
Rediscovering Gentil Rosso
During the early 1900s, Gentil Rosso was the most extensively cultivated wheat variety in the Tuscany region and enjoyed a widespread popularity for over three decades. However, with the onset of Mussolini’s “Battle of the Grain” initiative in 1925, which aimed to increase wheat production, the agronomist and geneticist Nazareno Strampelli introduced more productive and higher-yielding wheat varieties, leading to the gradual abandonment of Gentil Rosso.
In recent decades, the cultivation of some ancient wheat varieties, including Gentil Rosso, has made a comeback thanks to the passion of small-scale farmers and to the rediscovery of the valuable nutritional properties of these grains.
When it comes to taste, ancient wheat varieties such as Gentil Rosso possess a distinctive range of scents and flavors that sets them apart from modern wheat varieties.
After speaking with the elders of this area, we received confirmation that once there was an extensive cultivation of Gentil Rosso around the Torre di Oriolo dei Fichi. This discovery encourages us to allocate some of our land for the cultivation of this ancient wheat variety, contributing to its revival and preservation.
Gentil Rosso is sown on the Terbato farm, near San Biagio Vecchio.
We decided to best preserve the quality of Gentil Rosso by choosing natural stone milling at Ilario Conficoni’s organic mill in Predappio.
Not only does this type of milling ensure incredibly intense aroma and flavor, but it also preserves wheat germ and aromatic substances, enzymes and vitamins that would be lost with modern cylinder milling.
Here is our Tutorial for making bread with sourdough and Gentil flour red
Features of the Gentil Rosso Wheat and Flour
Gentil Rosso was the wheat of yesteryear in Romagna. This particular quality of soft wheat was widespread when our great-grandparents were still kids.
The elders of this area told us that the fields of Gentil Rosso wheat were the perfect hiding place to escape the scolding of mothers. This is because when fully mature, Gentil Rosso reaches a height of more than 160cm, making it the perfect place for children to play and hide. Don Antonio, the parish priest of San Biagio in Cosina, still remembers that when the baker baked bread made from Gentil Rosso, the scent wafting around was something incredibly good and intense.
The distinctive reddish ear of Gentil Rosso wheat is what gives this ancient variety its name.
Moreover, Gentil Rosso produces very little wheat, with only around 20q per hectare and it has a very low gluten content.
The doughs made from this flour must be processed very gently and they are very digestible even by people with gluten intolerances and sensitivities.
Gentil Rosso flour is very versatile and it is suitable for a variety of preparations, from cakes and cookies to savory leavened products.
Check out our cookbook and order Gentil Rosso flour in our shop to experience its special aroma and flavor.
Ancient and Modern Varieties
Focus: Ancient and Modern Varieties
The proteins contained in cereals are:
- gluten (80%), which in turn is composed of glutenins and gliadins
(some of which have been identified as major contributors to
celiac disease). - albumins (12%)
- globulins (8%)
Research conducted on soft wheat varieties in Europe revealed that, when compared to ancient varieties, modern varieties have a higher concentration of gliadins, which are known to cause celiac disease.
The University of Florence conducted experiments on old wheat varieties grown using organic cultivation. No nitrogen fertilizers were used during cultivation. The ancient wheat varieties outperformed the modern ones in terms of both yield and protein content.
New varieties, selected for intensive farming, require high inputs of chemical fertilizers in order to increase the protein content, which as a result is less digestible and nutritionally balanced.
The difference between modern and old varieties in protein content is therefore not in the quantity but in the quality of the protein. Ancient grains contain a wider variety of easily digestible and nutritious proteins.
The scientific information presented here is taken from a handout edited by the agronomist Francesca Castioni that we received at a course on old wheat varieties organized by the Rete dei Semi Rurali in Rosignano Marittimo (LI) in 2012.
Our Tips
For baking and traditional products such as piadina or pie, we recommend using pure Gentil Rosso flour. For pizza, you can choose to mix it with small percentages of other flour varieties according to your preference.
The flour we offer is classified as type 1.
It is a lightly sifted flour, thus richer in nutrients.
Our entire production cycle, from sowing and harvesting to seed storage and grinding, is completely natural. We do not use any chemical or synthetic products.
or grinding the grains we have chosen Ilario Conficconi’s very small stone mill on the Apennines between Dovadola and Predappio.
Ilario owns an ancient millstone made of natural flint from the highly prized La Fertè quarry near Paris.
At his mill, we grind the wheat in small batches and frequently to ensure that the flour is always fresh and highly fragrant. This allows us to guarantee the best quality for our customers.”
Stone milling preserves the wheat germ, which makes our flour a living product. For this reason, we recommend consuming it within six months of the milling date to ensure the best quality and freshness (see lot number).