It’s All About The Flour!
By ilovebutter from Flickr.com
Flours are created for different purposes.Those differences are determined by such things as the type of wheat used,how it is ground and even where it comes from.As an example wheat from the northwest U.S. and western Canada is a harder wheat,whereas the wheat that comes from the southern U.S. tends to be softer.
There are two basic types of wheat.They are either hard shell or soft shell.Hard shell wheat is typically higher in protein than soft shell.The shell or “wheat berry” is made of three components.They are the bran,the germ and the endosperm.
Bran is the hard outer shell of the wheat and the main reason that wheat is ground.It is an excellent source of fiber and what you find in bran muffins,bran flakes and laxatives.This is also where most of the minerals can be found in wheat.But because the sharp edges produced during milling interfere with gluten development it is removed.To get the benefits of bran you will have to add it separately.
I’m sure that you have heard of wheat germ.In simple terms it is the part of the grain that would normally have become the plant if it had been planted.Despite being high in protein and B vitamins the germ is removed when the wheat is milled.The high fat content will cause the flour to spoil more quickly.It is best to store wheat germ in the refrigerator.
The endosperm is what the seed would have used as food if it had been planted and allowed to grow.Unless you are using “whole wheat” flour,this is what we use for baking since the bran and germ have been removed during milling.It is made mostly of protein and starch.
The Types of Flours
Bread Flour:It is exactly what you think it is,flour designed just for bread making.It has a higher protein content which is what you need for bread making to get a good rise.This rise comes from gluten which is formed from two of the proteins found in wheat.Because wheat is the only grain that has that magical combination of proteins to make gluten it is a component of other breads such as rye,oat or cornbread.Otherwise these breads wouldn’t rise.
All purpose flour:This is what most people are familiar with(think Pillsbury Doughboy).As the name implies,this flour is designed as a good compromise for most baking needs.You can use it for a wide variety of tasty treats like cookies,biscuits,cakes,muffins and even pies.This is the flour that you might want to start your baking experiences with before branching out and trying specialty flours.
Pastry Flour:This flour takes a middle of the road approach to protein and is great for making pie crusts.You want a medium protein flour because too much will make your crust too tough.Too little protein and the crust will be too brittle and crumble.
Cake Flour:Cake flour is at the the other end from bread flour in that it has less protein. This lower protein is why cake dough has a much lighter feel and texture to it than bread.Chlorine has been used on the flour to alter the starches and fats in the flour to make it more acidic.
Whole Wheat Flour:This flour in it’s most raw form as it contains all the goodness that nature intended.Whole wheat flour makes your breads and other baked items more dense and hearty.
Self Rising Flour:This Flour has Baking Soda in it and is used for bakery items like biscuits,pancakes,muffins and quick breads.This type of flour uses chemicals to leaven it quickly unlike flour that contains yeast.The chemicals such as baking soda or sodium bicarbonate provide a relatively uniform and reliable product.Yeast on the hand can be affected by things such as temperature and altitude.
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Filed under: Bread Making Tips
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