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Flour varieties are as varied as the grains from which it is made. The best known types of flour include:
Wheat
Rye
Spelt
These varieties are also available as wholemeal flour. In addition, however, there is also flour made from:
corn, rice or potatoes
other types of grain such as oats, barley or millet
Nuts such as almonds or coconut
pulses such as chickpeas, soya or beans

The numbers on the flour (as in wheat flour type 405 or 1050) indicate the mineral content per 100 grams. For example, 100 grams of 550 flour contains about 550 milligrams of minerals. Flour with a higher type number contains more shell components, which carry vitamins, minerals and fibre, and is therefore coarser.

The "handle" of the flour describes how finely the powder is ground. This gives you an indication of what properties the dough you use that particular flour for will have: Smooth flour is soft and clumps together with high binding power, resulting in a smooth dough. Handle flour takes longer to swell and makes for a more elastic dough. Double-grain flour is particularly malleable, resulting in very stable and fluffy baked goods.

When choosing a flour, consider its properties, such as texture and nutrient content. Here you can find examples of which flours are suitable for what.
Baked goods / food
Flour
Bread
White bread: wheat flour type 405 or 550
Mixed bread: rye or spelt flour as well as wheat flour type 1050
Wholemeal bread: wholemeal flours or groats of all kinds
Pizza dough & pasta
Wheat flour type 405 or Italian flour Tipo 00
Spaetzle
Spätzle flour, a mixture of flour and semolina or wheat flour type 550
Cakes, pastries and sweets
Wheat flour type 405
Yeast dough
Wheat flours from type 550, spelt flours from type 630 - the heartier, the higher the type number may be
Sourdough
Rye or wheat flour, but also spelt flour is possible - succeeds less often with wholemeal flour
However, these are often only recommendations and your recipes can also succeed with other types of flour. Try out what tastes best to you.

The healthiest flours are those with high nutrient content. These include flours with high type numbers (often over 1000) and wholemeal flours. These are particularly suitable for diabetics due to the slow breakdown of carbohydrates. Also healthy are many alternative flours such as coconut flour, almond flour, buckwheat flour or chickpea flour. It's best to find out in advance which types of flour contain a lot of fibre or protein, so that you can integrate a suitable variant into your diet.

Yes, because some flours naturally do not contain the elastic protein that people with gluten intolerance cannot tolerate. These include flours like:
Oat flour and millet flour and teff flour.
Corn flour and rice flour
Chia and flaxseed flours
buckwheat, quinoa and amaranth flour
Almond, coconut and hemp flour
You can also get gluten-free flour blends specifically for baking. Since gluten-free flour is not sticky, you need to supplement these flours with gluten-free starch.

Due to its dryness, flour can in principle be kept almost indefinitely. However, because wholemeal flour contains some natural fat, it can become rancid after some time. Also, if not stored properly, bugs can infest your flour.

You can recognise bad flour by a musty or inedible smell. It also tastes bitter. Lumps, moist spots or small animals in the flour are also a sure sign that you should dispose of the flour. So it's best to check the appearance, consistency, smell and taste of the flour before using it.

It is best to store flour in a cool, dry, airtight place and protected from pests. You can reseal opened flour bags with clips, for example, or store them in storage containers so that the flour stays with you for as long as possible.

To grind flour, you need a grain mill and the desired grains.
When it comes to grain mills, you have the choice between hand-operated and electric mills. Hand-operated mills are generally cheaper, but the grinding process requires more physical effort. Find out beforehand which grinder (natural stone, ceramic or metal) is suitable for your purposes.
The grain should be dry, otherwise you should store it for a while. Then grind the grain with the help of the grain mill, first coarser and then at a finer grinding stage, in several passes until you achieve your desired result.