Flour Pedia

By : Novozymes and Buhler
Dampening and Tempering Wheat
Dampening and tempering of wheat helps :
•Make the bran tough and elastic
•Mellow the endosperm 
•Achieve the correct flour moisture content
•Maintain constant grinding conditions
During dampening or tempering , the grain enters the dampener through the front-end inlet. Together with the separately added  water, the grain undergoes an intensive intermixing and water penetration by the bi-rotor whirling system. 
The thoroughly dampened grain is discharged from the machine through the tangential outlet to the  dampening or tempering bins.

Selection of the moisture content of wheat at the first break depends on various factors. If we have to produce flour with low ash content, it would be better to run with higher moistures. This is especially the case with the hard wheat varieties. 
Here, we have a rather brittle bran layer and a harder endosperm and it is rather difficult to avoid too much bran breakage. By increasing the moisture content…

Flourpedia.com - Equipment below is to measure the resistance and extensibility of dough mixing. The glutomatic test measures the amount of gluten protein in wheat or flour. The farinograph test measures the resistance of a dough against the mixing action of paddles (blades). The extensograph test measures the resistance of dough to stretching. The alveograph test measures the resistance of a bubble of dough to expansion.
Glutomatic
Wet gluten content is determined by washing the flour or ground wheat sample with a salt solution to remove the starch and other solubles from the sample. The residue remaining after washing is the wet gluten. 
During centrifugation, the gluten is forced through a sieve. The percentage of gluten remaining on the sieve is defined as the Gluten Index, which is an indication of gluten strength. A high gluten index indicates strong gluten. 
Wet gluten content results are expressed as a percentage on a 14% moisture basis; for example, 35% for high protein, strong …

flourpedia.com - There are thousands of wheat varieties around the world. Of commercial significance are two species : soft or common (Triticum aestivum), and durum (Triticum durum). 
The major exporting countries have developed various classification systems to ensure uniformity in milling, processing and baking properties. According USDA the overall wheat production is estimated at 655 million tons for the 2012-2013 crop. 
Out of that 138 million tons are traded. The picture below demonstrates the share of each major exporting country.


Population growth in various parts of the developing world combined with strong economic growth have increased demand for food and feed wheat. 
This demand is driven mainly by countries with low incomes and expanding populations in the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Yemen, and Oman) and North Africa (Egypt, Algeria, and Morocco), Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam) and Latin America (Brazil and Mexico).
U.S. Wheat Classes
U.S. has six wh…

Picture above give an idea of the structure of a wheat kernel and its various constituents, as well as its % mineral matter (ash content on dry matter basis). The amount of each constituent in the whole kernel is also given in percent.
The flour cells (endosperm) are mainly filled with starch and protein, and represent a dry reserve for the germ. The sprouting germ derives its first nourishment from this part. The thickness of the whole bran varies with the varying thickness (0.048 – 0.066 mm) of the longitudinal cells (pericarp). The colorless aleurone cells do not cover the germ. The ash content of these cells is more than 20 times higher than that of the white flour (endosperm). This layer is approx. 0.05 mm. thick and contains up to 30% protein (but no gluten protein), lipids (another 30%), vitamins and enzymes. A toxic substance has been found in the aleurone fat of the rye kernel which is of importance in animal feeding.
The nuccelar epidermis is situated between the aleurone c…

By : Novozymes and Buhler
Gristing Wheat
The key step in the quality process is the blending of wheat known to the miller as the “wheat grist”. Based on the type of flour and characteristics, the miller decides which wheat and in what proportions should be used in the grist.
The grist for a flour is chosen by a variety of methods. But it is generally based on the miller’s experience, wheat quality characteristics and knowledge of the customer’s process and needs.
Blending wheat prior to milling is a very popular way of producing flours but it does have some disadvantages. Each wheat grain in a grist has its own irregular characteristics, depending on its variety or source, such as grain size, shape, hardness, moisture content, protein quality, and quantity.
These characteristics may affect the way the grain performs through the mill. So if the grains are blended before milling, the mill settings have to be a compromise between the various milling characteristics. 
In case the wheat vari…

Flourpedia.com - The wheat and flour basic tests described in this section are standardized testing procedures commonly used for quality control purposes. Results from these basic tests have a direct relationship to finished product quality.
Wheat and flour specifications are communications between buyers and sellers. These specifications are requirements for particular wheat and flour characteristics. To meet these specifications, wheat and flour quality testing is necessary. 
Specifications for moisture content, ash content, protein content, and falling number are determined with basic tests. Physical tests included in this blog are conducted to determine flour color and wheat kernel characteristics specified by wheat processors. 
The laboratory milling basic test is used to evaluate the milling performance of wheat and to produce flour for other laboratory tests. Wheat and flour specifications often require specialized basic testing to determine how flour will perform during processi…

Flourpedia.com - The simplest of breads are made with just water and flour. Add a little yeast and maybe some salt or fat and you can make a wide range of breads from a wide range of cultures and countries. Since bread can be so simple, a lot of it comes down to its major ingredient: flour. If that flour doesn’t behave as it’s to, your bread can fail quite miserably.It is something most of us might not even think of, since it’s so normal to just buy a bag of flour in the store. However, did you know that most wheat varieties aren’t even suitable for baking! Some don’t contain the right amount of protein (gluten), others don’t grow well, yet again others don’t taste good.It’s why wheat breeders extensively test their (new) wheat varieties before deciding which ones to use. So how do they and farmers, decide which varieties are most suitable for use in our breads and other flour-based products? we have a few techniques and recipes baking to know the quality of them.
Pan Bread

Formula :

Pr…