The alveograph is a pretty unique tool. It blows a piece of dough into a balloon, and then records its properties before it bursts and deflates. This helps assess the baking performance of flour in the production of bread, noodles, and tortillas, among other things. Bakers use this data to gain understanding of fluctuations in [...]
What's the difference? It’s all in the milling! It depends on the amount of bran left in the rye flour after processing. The more bran, the darker the flour. However, more than the color changes. Darker rye will have more nutrients from the bran. It will also have a slightly harder time with gluten formation. [...]
I think we've finally reached a point where everyone realizes the benefits of whole wheat bread over white bread. Wheat grain can reduce the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Whole wheat flour also has higher antioxidant activities than white flour. But what about baking with whole wheat? The problem is whole wheat [...]
Masa Madre Ferment What is Masa Madre Ferment? Masa Madre ferment is a traditional and ancient breadmaking method. It is the equivalent of sourdough starter in many Spanish speaking and Latin American countries. This starter uses wheat or rye flour, and water.1 The mixture is allowed to ferment naturally, making various refreshments [...]
Take a close look at flour, and you’ll find a lot of valuable information there. Understanding the makeup of flour gives insight into baking factors such as protein, starch, and moisture. Another key aspect of flour science is analyzing it because types and even batches of flour can differ in composition. In this episode [...]
Flour Tortillas What are Flour Tortillas? Flour tortillas are flat and circular breads used as the base for traditional Mexican foods such as tacos, burritos, quesadillas and enchiladas. They are usually eaten warm with a topping that may include cheese, meat, and a variety of spicy sauces. Flour tortillas are different from [...]
Extraction Rate What is the Extraction Rate? Extraction rate (ER) is the amount of white flour that is extracted from a given weight of clean and conditioned wheat. It’s expressed as a percentage of the wheat entering the first break rolls in a roller milling system. Aside from size reduction and standardization, [...]
If there’s anything we’ve learned over the last few years, it’s that baking with the usual wheat flour isn’t the only option. With the popularity of clean label, functional food and ancient grains, we’re getting better at expanding our horizons when it comes to grains and flours. One to try: barley A few highlights of this [...]
Moisture in Flour What is moisture in flour? Moisture in flour means the water content of a given flour. In the quality control laboratory of mills and bakeries, routine determination of moisture is a key parameter to satisfy process needs and guarantee the consistency of flour being processed and transformed.1 Moisture content [...]
Tortillas Tortillas are flat, thin, light-colored, round breads, made from corn or wheat. Depending on the region, they may vary in size from 6-30 cm. Along with tacos, burritos and enchiladas, they are considered a staple food for most people in Mexico and Central America. In the U.S., wheat flour tortillas [...]
