Flour Power

Tod BrambleKing Arthur Flour

US Wheat Production(1866-2008)

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1866 = 170 mil bu

2008: 2.4 billion bu

Acres of Wheat Planted

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1866: 15.4 mil acres2008: 56.6 mill acres

Yield per Acre

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1866: 11 bu/acre

2008: 43.5 bu/acre

1945: 16.4 bu/acre

History

• First Cultivation: 12000 years ago.

• Iraq, Iran, Jordan.• Free threshing, kernels

remain attached.• Spreads to Ethiopia,

Great Britain, Spain: 5000 years ago.

• Winter wheat is brought to the US by Russian Menonites in 1874.

US Wheat By Class

Wheat Classes

Description:

• Hard/Soft• Color

– Red or White

• Growth Habit:– Winter or Spring

Classes:• Hard Red Winter

(HRW) - blue

• Hard Red Spring (HRS) - yellow

• Soft Red Winter (SRW) - red

• Hard White Winter (HWW) - green

• Endosperm:– 85% – Energy source– Starch -> Flour

• Bran– 12.5%– protection– Fiber

• Germ– 2.5%– Future wheat plant– Oils

Milling Process

• Cleaning• Tempering

– Accentuates the differences between the 3 parts of the kernel.

• Milling - “Gradual Reduction”– Grind – Sift – Separate– Repeat– Blend

• Flour

Flour Attributes

• Protein– An estimate of the amount of gluten forming protein

content.• Ash

– An estimate of the amount of bran in the flour.• Falling Number

– A measure of a flour’s enzymatic activity– 350 seconds + : low enzymatic activity– 250 sec +/- 30: suitable of yeast leavened bread

• Farinograph– A description of the type of dough the flour will make

upon being mixed with water.

Flour Types• All Purpose

– 10.5% – 11.5% protein, .50 ash– Suitable for a wide range of products including cookies, scones, muffins, and

some breads.• Bread

– 11.7 – 12.7% protein, .50 ash– Suitable for breads, too strong for muffins, scones, etc.

• Hi-Gluten– 14% protein, .52 ash– A very strong flour used for hard rolls, bagels, pizza.

• Whole Wheat– 13% protein, 1.5 ash– Contains all parts of the kernel good for bread.

• Pastry– 9% protein, .45 ash

• Cake– 8% protein, .35 ash, bleached