PROTEIN
PROTEIN (1)
Wheat grains contain starch and proteins. In a (flour) mill the wheat endosperm is separated from bran and germ, resulting in what most of us know as wheat flour. Wheat flour is the basic material for many bakery products. So-called soft wheat flour is suitable for biscuits, hard wheat is more suitable for leavened products, like bread. Protein content of the flour reflects what the most suitable application is for the specific flour will be.
- Biscuit flour => 7 - 9% protein
- Pastry flour => 9 - 10% protein
- All-purpose => 10-12% protein
- Bread flour => 12-14% protein
- High gluten => 14-15% protein
- Gluten/flour mix ~45% protein
Roughly wheat flour proteins consist of ~20% Albumins & Globulins, about 80% is Gluten. Gluten is the main contributor to wheat flour dough rheology (e.g. elastic properties). The strenght of wheat flour dough can be ranked on protein basis.
From weak doughs to strong doughs:
Biscuit flour =>Pastry flour =>All purpose=>Bread flour =>high gluten
As can be seen there is a parallel between protein content of the flour and the strength of the dough that can be produced from it. More precisely it is the gluten content that strongly affects wheat flour dough properties. Without the unique visco-elastic properties of gluten it would not be possible to prepare a nice leavened product like bread. In the next additions, more into the constituents of Gluten.