FLOUR PROTEIN PERCENTAGE, CLASSIFICATION AND HISTORY

 

History

Flour is with us along time ago, there is archaeological evidence that shows that flour was made some 30,000 years ago in the time of the Upper Paleolothic in Europe. Oldest technique for flour making was a combination of a stone mortar and pestle. The Romans made flour by grinding seeds on cone mills, combination of two stones of which one, upper is convex and other bottom concave. Upper was was turned by an animal while the bottom stood still. In time, different mechanics of grinding flour were invented . Ancient Greeks had water mills before 71 BC . Grain was fed between millstone , which was turned by mechanism powered by water, bedstone and grinded into powder, with the beginning of industrial age mills was powered by steam and grinded flour with roller and porcelain. Before Industrialization “white flour” was expensive and affordable by rich. Roller mills made removing the germ much easier so white flour became more affordable, the problem is that germ contains B vitamin and bread became staple food and it cause a lack of B vitamins such as pellagra and beriberi start appearing in large number. When the vitamins were discovered and their connection with diseases found during the 1930, flour was enriched with iron, niacin, thiamine and riboflavin. Folic acid was added in the 1990.

 

Classifications of Flour

UNBLEACHED FLOUR  Is simply flour that has not undergone bleaching, therefore does not have the color of “white” flour

REFINED FLOUR Has the germ and bran removed and also called white flour.

BLEACHED FLOUR  Type of refined flour that had added  a whitening agent. Commonly used agent: potassium bromate, benzoyl peroxide, ascorbic acid and chlorine gas.

ENRICHED FLOUR  A flour replaced with nutrients that lost during process.

DURUM FLOUR Finely ground semolina. Usually use to make noodles

SEMONILA Coarsely ground endosperm of durum, a hard spring wheat with a high gluten content and golden color. Usually used to make couscous and pasta.

ALL PURPOSE FLOUR Most commonly use flour. Use for pastries and cakes.

BREAD FLOUR  Made entirely with hard wheat  that generate a large amount of gluten and give structure. Basically good for breads.

CAKE FLOUR  Very finely milled soft wheat

PASTRY FLOUR  Made from soft wheat, place in between all purpose flour and cake flour.

WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR. Made from grinding the entire kernels of red wheat.

SELF RISING FLOUR Flour combination of  baking powder, all purpose and salt.

GLUTEN FREE FLOUR Made from garbanzo wheat flour, potato starch, whole grain, sorghum flour, tapioca flour and fava bean flour.

PROTEIN IN FLOUR

Protein content and quality of baking flours are vital functional, nutritional and economical parameters for miller and bakers.  The protein content of wheat flour varies widely from 6-18% depending on type or class of wheat milled, growing conditions and fertilizer inputs.

High protein flour are best for breads and baked goods that rely on yeast and leavening. Yeast slowly produces carbon dioxide gas that makes bread rise, but breads need a structural support gluten provides.

Low protein flour simply didn’t produce enough gluten, to allow the cookies to keep their shape during baking.

BREAD FLOUR 12-15%

ALL PURPOSE FLOUR  10-12%

PASTRY FLOUR 8-9%

CAKE FLOUR 6-8%

SEMONILA FLOUR 13%

 

-more proteins means more gluten for structure. More protein ideal for bead sand yeast baked goods.

- use low protein flour for more tender crumbs, best for cookies, muffins and short breads

- use cake flour for cookies, pie crust and cakes.

Reason why Flour is so important!

Flour is so vital in baking world is because of the stingy protein that forms when wheat and water mix otherwise know as gluten. Gluten play a very important role in baking for many reasons. First it acts as a binding ingredients for the dough and holds it together. It is also traps the gases release by the yeast during fermentation, which prevent the bread to become dense, Furthermore gluten is ultimately responsible for the shape and texture of baked goods. 

Gluten is made of two particles, Glutenin and Gliadin and when mixed with water these two proteins combine to create strong elastic, gluten strands in the dough. These gluten strands become stronger and more develop the more you mix the dough, which ultimately affects the texture and type of dough is formed. Gluten is tough and stuff though can overwhelmed the carbon dioxide produce by the chemical leaveners. These gases are released quickly and cant stretch the gluten . that is why quick breads , cookies muffins need a lower protein. Protein flour also affects the tenderness of the finished product . The lower the protein the more tender the finished product. That is why cake flour is often use in cake pies and biscuit. Choosing the right flour with the appropriate amount of gluten can actually make or break you in the kitchen. Different types of dough requires different level of gluten content

sources: https://analyticalanswersinc.com/food-science-flour/