Wheat flour is a powder made from ground wheat kernels, primarily used as a staple ingredient for making various foods like bread, pasta, and baked goods. It is categorized by its gluten content, with "hard" or "strong" flours having more gluten for elastic dough and "soft" flours having less for a more tender or crumbly texture. Different types of wheat flour include white flour (from the starchy endosperm), whole wheat flour (from the entire grain), and specialty flours like bread flour, cake flour, and pastry flour, all utilized for different culinary purposes.