Vox Humana wrote:

>"Eric Jorgensen" > wrote in message
.. .
> =20
>
>>On Wed, 22 Oct 2003 13:10:29 GMT
>>"barry" > wrote:
>>
>>>'ve heard that flour sold in the southern part of the US is blended
>>>to a softer standard and milled finer than flours in other regions[...=
]
>>> =20
>>>
>>I've heard that wheat grown in the southern part of the US is lower
>>protein because the soil and weather conditions produce a lower protein=

>>flour.
>>
>I think it is more like that kind of wheat that grows in the southern
>climate is lower in gluten producing proteins.
>
It's what is grown by the farmer, hard winter wheat needs freezing, hot=20
summers.
Won't grow well in modrate climates.
Of course, with biotech they changed all that, unfortunately or not.
Of course, the miller adjusts the protein/gluten in flour sold in a=20
region to what is baked in a region.
Traditionally the South has baked more shortbread types than=20
hearthbreads, preferring a softer flour.

What is unfortunate, they are now breeding strains with no flavor.
So, it is not only the protein content that is different, but also the=20
ash content and taste differ from european flour.
So much so, that some bakers import flour from Europe. Crazy.
Unfortunately, the wheat growers and millers will favor the wonderbread=20
crowd, that is their main business. Not the artisan bakers.
The farmer does not give a hoot if Guidos little sourdough bakery likes=20
his wheat, but that Interstate Bakeries accepts it.

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D REZKONV-Rezept - RezkonvSuite v0.96f

Titel: About Flour 2
Kategorien: Info, Flour, Baking
Menge: 1 Jede menge

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General Mills
FRIT=A9BANDIT=AE
-Erfasst *RK* 07.10.02 von
-H.W. Hans Kuntze, CMC

When we talk flour we are talking wheat flour. Because wheat is the
most commonly distributed cereal grain in the world, a reference to
flour is generally a reference to wheat flour. And just as flour is
not "just flour", wheat is not "just wheat". So to better understand
flour, we first need to understand wheat.

Wheat Categories

Wheat can be classified by three major categories: growing season,
brand color and kernel hardness.

Growing Season-Winter vs. Spring

There are two distinct growing seasons for wheat. Winter wheat is
planted in the fall, lies dormant during the winter months and is
harvested during late spring to early summer. Winter wheat is grown
in regions where the winters are mild. Winter wheat flours range
between 10 and 12% protein and have medium gluten strength.

Spring wheat is planted in the spring and harvested during late
summer. The production of spring wheat is concentrated in the
northern Great Plain states where the winters are too cold for
winter wheat to survive. Spring wheat flours range between 12 and
14% protein and have high gluten strength.

Bran Color-Red vs. White

The next category is bran color. The bran is the outer protective
coating of the wheat kernel. Wheat can be classified as either red
or white.

Kernel Hardness-Hard vs. Soft

The final classification is kernel hardness. This wheat
characteristic has the greatest impact of all three on baking
qualities of the flour produced. Hard wheat flours have a medium to
high protein content and stronger gluten-forming proteins than sift
wheat. hard wheat flours are used in yeast-raised goods such as
breads, bagels, and pizza crusts. Soft wheat flours are low in
protein and therefore low in gluten strength. Soft wheat flours are
used for chemically leavened goods, such as cakes, cookies and
biscuits.

Wheat Classes and Their Uses

These three categories are used to distinguish between the major
wheat classifications. In the United States, their are six main
classes of wheat. The quality characteristics vary between the wheat
classes and determine the end-product usage. The six wheat classes
and their uses are as follows:

Hard Red Winter, Hard Red Spring, Hard White are the first three and
they are used for Breads and other yeast raised products. Soft Red
Winter, Soft White are used for Cakes, crackers, cookies and
pastries. Durum is used for Macaroni, noodles and other pastas.

Flour Analysis - Ash, an index of flour extraction

Ash is a measure of the mineral content of flour. The mineral
content of the wheat kernel is concentrated in the bran layer. The
objective of the miller is to separate the endosperm from the bran
as completely as possible. Ash is a measure of the degree of
endosperm separation from the bran during milling. The closer the
miller gets to the bran layer, the higher the ash level becomes.
Higher extraction will result in higher ash levels.

Protein - the framework of bread

Wheat flour is unique because it in the only cereal grain that
possesses gluten-forming proteins. Gluten and protein are closely
related, but not synonymous. When combined with water under mixing
stress, the proteins in the flour will form what is called gluten.
This gluten structure is responsible for providing extensibility,
elasticity and gas-retaining properties to yeast-leavened baked
goods. The quantity of the gluten is proportionate to the amount of
protein in the flour. The amount of gluten will increase as the
protein content increases.

Protein quality vs. quantity

To buy flour purely by a protein quantity will not necessarily
guarantee baking performance. Protein quality is a key component and
can be affected by many agronomic factors such as the amount of
rainfall, fertilizer usage, temperature stress, etc. A quality
miller is going to balance protein quantity with the appropriate
quality testing to prepare the best flours available for specific
baking needs.

Measuring Quality

Quality of flour is defined by its ability to consistently perform
in the production of a finished baked good. The ultimate quality
test is completed when the baker uses the flour. Bake test are
completed based on the application that best suits the particular
flour. Protein quality can be measured indirectly with the dough-
testing devices such as the Farinograph. The Farinograph measures
the resistance of a flour and water dough to mechanical mixing. This
resistance is recorded as a curve on a graph. The Farinograph curve
provides the miller with the useful information regarding the dough
strength, mixing tolerance, and absorption (water holding)
characteristics of a flour.
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--=20
Sincerly,

C=3D=A6-)=A7 H. W. Hans Kuntze, CMC, S.g.K. (_o_)
http://www.cmcchef.com ,
"Don't cry because it's over, Smile because it Happened"
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