Different Gluten Contents Make Different Breads

Gluten Content of Flours

Written by Fred Decker

It's possible for skilled bakers to get good results even with inferior or substituted ingredients, but life is a lot easier when you have the right materials at hand. That's especially true of flours, which vary widely in their gluten content. Both high-gluten and low-gluten flours excel at specific tasks, and all-purpose flour -- while it's a useful compromise for most purposes -- sometimes isn't up to the job. Knowing the gluten content of your flours can help you make the right choice.

About Gluten in Wheat Flour

Gluten is formed by two proteins that are found in wheat flour, called glutenin and gliadin. When they're moistened, the two proteins form long, stretchy chainlike molecules that give the dough a ropey and elastic texture. Hard winter wheat, sown in the autumn and then harvested the following fall, tends to have high levels of gluten-forming proteins. They're grown in areas with harsh winters and short summers. Softer spring wheat, sown -- as the name suggests -- in the spring, are more tolerant of warm climates and are grown in the South and Pacific Northwest. They have fewer gluten-forming proteins. Millers blend these flours in varying combinations to achieve a desired level of gluten.

Low-Gluten Flours

Cake flour is the softest or lowest gluten of wheat flour. It's made from soft wheat, then subjected to a harsh chemical bleaching process that weakens its gluten further and makes it especially porous and easy to blend. It's ideal for the lightest and daintiest of cakes, with only 7 to 8 percent gluten. Pastry flour has slightly higher levels of gluten, at 8 to 9 percent. It's usable for cakes and makes excellent cookies or pie crust. The slight increase in gluten lends strength to your cookie and pastry doughs.

All-Purpose Flours

All-purpose flour is a deliberate compromise between high- and low-gluten, a middle-of-the-road option for those who want to keep just one flour on hand. The all-purpose flours sold in most of the U.S. average 11 to 12 percent gluten, high enough to make good bread but low enough that bakers with a light hand can still use it for cakes and pastry. In the South and Pacific Northwest, regional brands range from 7.5 to 9.5 percent gluten, more akin to pastry flour. Self-rising flour is the same, but with salt and baking powder added. They're superlative for biscuits and cookies, but bread bakers should look for a higher-gluten alternative.

High-Gluten Flours

Bread flour is intended for serious bread bakers, with a gluten content ranging up to 13 percent. This extra gluten creates a strong and elastic dough, which traps more gas from the recipe's yeast and yields a lighter, higher loaf. A more space-efficient option for casual bread bakers is gluten flour, a special highly concentrated product at 70 to 85 percent gluten. It's added in small quantities to improve the bread-making characteristics of ordinary all-purpose flour.

Brown Flours

Health-conscious bakers often favor whole-grain flours over refined white flours, and their gluten levels vary similarly. Most whole-wheat flour is all-purpose, though whole-wheat bread flour and pastry flour are sold by some mills. The protein level in these flours is similar to that of their white counterparts, but they make denser bread because their tiny flakes of bran tend to cut the gluten strands. Rye flour has a different type of gluten, made from gliadin and a protein called glutelin, which is weaker than wheat gluten. All-rye loaves are correspondingly dense, so rye flour is mixed with wheat flour to make light loaves.

Gluten-Free Flours

If you're baking gluten-free, you have other options as well. Try using flour made from alternative grains that are naturally gluten-free, like oat, quinoa, or chickpea flour. Try coconut flour for an alternative that's also extremely low in carbohydrates, or almond flour if you want to increase your fat intake. Most health food stores sell gluten-free alternative flour blends, so you can make all your fave meals without all the gluten.

Originally posted at https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/gluten-content-flours-11162.html