What Is Defatted Soy Flour? (What It Is, Uses, Substitutes + More)

Flour is one of the most versatile ingredients in the world, and most recipes will call for flour. While flour is normally associated with wheat, there are many variants of flour such as defatted soy flour.

If you have never heard of defatted soy flour before, you may be wondering what defatted soy flour is and how to use it. I looked up the facts, and here is what I learned!

What Is Defatted Soy Flour?

Defatted soy flour is flour that contains very little soybean oil, which is usually around 1% oil. Normally, defatted soy flour is used as a supplement ingredient to baking recipes, which includes cake and bread recipes. Defatted soy flour is high in protein, which allows the batter to absorb more water to enhance the texture and crumb structure.

Do you want to learn how defatted soy flour is made, if defatted soy flour is gluten-free, and what you can substitute for defatted soy flour? Keep reading!

What Does Defatted Soy Flour Mean?

Defatted soy flour refers to soy protein that has been milled from the solvent extract of non-GMO soybeans. Normally, what makes defatted soy flour unique is that defatted soy flour has less than 1% of oil.

What Is Defatted Soy Flour Made Of?

Typically, defatted soy flour is made from soybeans. However, to achieve the “defatted” aspect, the soybeans chosen are cleaned, opened, dehulled, and solvent extract soybeans.

What Is Defatted Soy Flour Used For?

Normally, the main purpose of defatted soy flour is as a “supplement” to baked goods. This is likely because defatted soy flour is high in protein. After all, defatted soy flour has around 50-75% protein, which makes defatted soy protein popular for protein bars, protein shakes, etc.

Thanks to its high protein content, defatted soy flour is excellent for enhancing how much water flours can absorb in cake and bread batters.

When used for making cakes, defatted soy flour evenly distributes air cells and improves film-forming. Therefore, the cake will have a tender crumb structure and a more even cake texture.

How Is Defatted Soy Flour Made?

How defatted soy flour is made will depend on the manufacturer. However, defatted soy flour is usually made by selecting non-GMO soybeans.

To make the soy “defatted,” a cold-press method will be used to remove almost all of the soy oil from the soybeans. Typically, the cold-press method is better to use because no solvents are involved, making defatted soy flour a naturally-made ingredient.

Moreover, most manufacturers will use a process of conditioning or steaming, dehulling, and grinding the soybeans.

Is Defatted Soy Flour Processed?

Technically, defatted soy flour can be considered processed because the soybeans go through a process that changes the soybean’s appearance and uses. Food can be considered processed whenever something is done to alter the ingredient’s natural state.

For example, defatted soy flour comes from soybeans that must be cleaned, dehulled, and ground. Soybeans must also go through a cold-press method to remove excess soybean oil, which will change the natural state of the soybeans.

Does Defatted Soy Flour Have Soy Protein?

Does Defatted Soy Flour Have Soy Protein?

Defatted soy flour does contain soy protein since the defatting process only removes the soybean oil. Depending on the manufacturer, defatted soy flour can have 50-75% protein.

How Is Defatted Soy Flour Different From Soy Flour?

Typically, the main difference between defatted soy flour and soy flour is the oil content. Defatted soy flour has 1% oil whereas regular fat soy flour contains roughly 20% oil.

Therefore, regular fat soy flour usually does not go through the same processes that defatted soy flour goes through since the soybean oil does not have to be removed.

Can I Use Defatted Soy Flour Instead Of Soy Flour?

Occasionally, you can use defatted soy flour instead of soy flour when it comes to baking. Defatted soy flour and soy flour both contain a good amount of protein and enhance texture when used for baking recipes.

However, it may not be ideal to use defatted soy flour in place of soy flour as a thickening agent for cooking.

Is Defatted Soy Flour Gluten-Free?

Generally, defatted soy flour is gluten-free because defatted soy flour is made from soybeans. Soybeans are naturally gluten-free since they do not contain any wheat.

However, it is important to check the packaging of your defatted soy flour before you use it, especially if you have wheat allergies or sensitivities. This is because your defatted soy flour could have trace amounts of gluten.

To check, look for the ingredients listed on the packaging of your defatted soy flour. If it says “may contain gluten,” this means that the manufacturer creates gluten-containing products in the same factory, which could contaminate your defatted soy flour.

What Can I Substitute For Defatted Soy Flour?

If you want to use defatted soy flour for baked goods, regular soy flour may be an acceptable replacement. Both defatted soy flour and regular fat soy flour can enhance the texture of baked recipes.

However, soy flour does not contain as much protein as defatted soy flour. While this may not greatly affect the texture, it will be a concern if you are monitoring how much protein you consume.

If you want to discover what donut flour is, what fufu flour is, and what spelt flour is, read our related articles.

Conclusion

Defatted soy flour is a unique type of flour that is similar to regular soy flour. However, defatted soy flour goes through a process that removes soybean oil from the soybeans, leaving only 1% of the oil.

Normally, defatted soy flour is used in baking recipes, such as cakes and bread. Defatted soy flour can enhance the crumb structure and overall texture of your baked goods.

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