1 Definitions and Standards for Food. Food and
Drug Administration. Federal Security Agency,
No. 2, July, 1944.
Flour Strength. "Strength” is the term
used to describe the breadmaking power of
the flour. Strong flours are desirable for
yeast breads made in loaves and for popovers.
For tender breads, cakes, and cookies less
strong flours are more satisfactory. While
many factors in the flour contribute to its
strength, the most important is the amount
and the kind of proteins present.
When flour is mixed with water to form a
dough and kneaded, gluten is developed
from the gliadin and glutenin present. This
makes the flour form a dough and gives that
dough elasticity. The starch can be washed
out from a small portion of such a dough,
leaving the gluten. If this ball of gluten is
baked while still moist, steam is formed and
the ball expands to many times its original
size. As the baking continues, the gluten co¬
agulates, or hardens, so that it retains its
shape when cold. The amount and quality of
the gluten formed are important to flour
strength.
Flour strength is determined by standard
baking tests, and measurements of the shape
and volume of the resulting loaves. These
tests show that other factors in the flour in¬
fluence the quality and behavior of the
gluten and so are important in flour strength.
The shape of the loaf depends upon the
amount and especially the quality of the
gluten. Gluten quality, that is, its cohesive¬
ness, elasticity, and water-holding capacity,
depends upon amounts and kinds of acids
and minerals present in the flour, rather
than upon any inherent differences in the
gluten-forming constituents themselves.
The volume of the loaf is dependent upon
gas formation and gas retention. Gas for¬
mation requires a sufficient supply of soluble
carbohydrates and starch-splitting and sugar¬
splitting enzymes. These are generally
present in all flours.- The retention of the
gas, which is apparently the more important
factor in loaf volume, depends upon the
[285]
elasticity of the gluten. The softer glutens
allow the gas to escape, and the volume of
the loaf is correspondingly smaller.
Water Absorption. The water absorption
of a flour varies with both the amount and
the quality of the gluten. It is of interest to
the baker, as an indication of the probable
breadmaking quality and the amount of
bread that will be obtained from a given
weight of flour. Aging, up to a point, in¬
creases the water absorption of flour. Varia¬
tions in water absorption account for the dif¬
ferences in the amounts, of liquid to flour
required to obtain mixtures of standard
consistencies in home baking. Slight adjust¬
ments in amounts of liquid to flour may be
required when changing from one flour to
another of a different source, class, or grade,
or when using flour from new wheat.
In changing recipes from hard-wheat to
soft-wheat flour, one must remember that
hard-wheat flour absorbs a larger proportion
of liquid than soft-wheat flour. The basis
for substitution cannot be given definitely,
since the amounts will vary with the amounts
of gluten present. A general rule is that
1 cup of hard-wheat flour minus 2 table¬
spoons is equivalent to a full cup of soft-
wheat flour.
Page 259
Presented as published in 1935. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
1 Definitions and Standards for Food. Food and Drug Administration. Federal Security Agency, No. 2, July, 1944.
Flour Strength. "Strength” is the term used to describe the breadmaking power of the flour. Strong flours are desirable for yeast breads made in loaves and for popovers. For tender breads, cakes, and cookies less strong flours are more satisfactory. While many factors in the flour contribute to its strength, the most important is the amount and the kind of proteins present.
When flour is mixed with water to form a dough and kneaded, gluten is developed from the gliadin and glutenin present. This makes the flour form a dough and gives that dough elasticity. The starch can be washed out from a small portion of such a dough, leaving the gluten. If this ball of gluten is baked while still moist, steam is formed and the ball expands to many times its original size. As the baking continues, the gluten co¬ agulates, or hardens, so that it retains its shape when cold. The amount and quality of the gluten formed are important to flour strength.
Flour strength is determined by standard baking tests, and measurements of the shape and volume of the resulting loaves. These tests show that other factors in the flour in¬ fluence the quality and behavior of the gluten and so are important in flour strength.
The shape of the loaf depends upon the amount and especially the quality of the gluten. Gluten quality, that is, its cohesive¬ ness, elasticity, and water-holding capacity, depends upon amounts and kinds of acids and minerals present in the flour, rather than upon any inherent differences in the gluten-forming constituents themselves.
The volume of the loaf is dependent upon gas formation and gas retention. Gas for¬ mation requires a sufficient supply of soluble carbohydrates and starch-splitting and sugar¬ splitting enzymes. These are generally present in all flours.- The retention of the gas, which is apparently the more important factor in loaf volume, depends upon the
[285]
elasticity of the gluten. The softer glutens allow the gas to escape, and the volume of the loaf is correspondingly smaller.
Water Absorption. The water absorption of a flour varies with both the amount and the quality of the gluten. It is of interest to the baker, as an indication of the probable breadmaking quality and the amount of bread that will be obtained from a given weight of flour. Aging, up to a point, in¬ creases the water absorption of flour. Varia¬ tions in water absorption account for the dif¬ ferences in the amounts, of liquid to flour required to obtain mixtures of standard consistencies in home baking. Slight adjust¬ ments in amounts of liquid to flour may be required when changing from one flour to another of a different source, class, or grade, or when using flour from new wheat.
In changing recipes from hard-wheat to soft-wheat flour, one must remember that hard-wheat flour absorbs a larger proportion of liquid than soft-wheat flour. The basis for substitution cannot be given definitely, since the amounts will vary with the amounts of gluten present. A general rule is that 1 cup of hard-wheat flour minus 2 table¬ spoons is equivalent to a full cup of softwheat flour.