bake Special Report - January 2022 - 35

Understanding the basics
of flour definitions
Bleaching: makes the flour whiter
The term " bleaching " is a traditional baking industry term that
describes the process of whitening. Technically speaking, the carotenoid
(yellow) pigments in the flour are oxidized to produce whiter
flour. Oxidization will occur naturally, over time, with the exposure
of flour to air. Historically, millers would age flour for several weeks
to achieve white flour. This natural oxidation, however, was an
irregular process requiring considerable time and space. Today,
the bleaching process is accomplished using chemical bleaching
agents. Flours treated with these bleaching agents must be labeled
as bleached flour.
different varieties of flour I bought
for my bakery, I think I would skip
this one. I think an all-purpose can
fill in and do the job. "
His general advice is to ask for
the specification or product information
sheet to be sure the flour
suits your needs. There is only so
much to a name.
" If you are buying a brand you
trust, that is consistent, then it's
reasonable to expect that flour to
perform the same from batch to
batch, " Yankellow explains. " Baking
is an art and making some adjustments
to minor changes should
not be surprising, but I am confident
in saying that flour is rarely an
issue that can't be overcome when
something goes wrong. Don't make
knee-jerk adjustments or changes
after one mishap. Dial in on the
process and variables, and really
think through what may have gone
wrong. " Specs are important, he
adds. A certificate of analysis can
tell you more about the flour.
" Most importantly when troubleshooting,
and you want to rule
out the flour, " he says, " look at two
or three COA's from consecutive
batches to see if anything has
changed. "
Malting: addition of malted barley flour
Malted barley flour is added to hard wheat flours to assist yeast
fermentation. During the dough forming stage, malted barley flour
provides specific enzyme activity that converts the starches in the
wheat flour into simple sugars. These sugars are very important as
they provide a food source for the yeast to maintain proper fermentation
activity and aids in proper crust browning.
Enrichment: addition of nutrients to the flour
Enriching replaces the vitamins and minerals loss during the milling
process. The standard flour enrichment includes iron and the B vitamins,
thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folic acid. The enrichment of flour
has no effect on the baking performance or caloric value of flour.
Should I use " treated " or " untreated " flour?
Unbleached: An unbleached flour will have no different functional
effect on your dough or crust for handling, taste or texture-it is
purely an aesthetic difference. Unbleached flour will cause your
dough to be a little less " white " . Both your dough and crust will
have a slightly creamier color.
Unbromated: An unbromated flour will function a little differently
in the dough forming stage and will produce a little " weaker " dough.
While the difference is minimal for a dough it is still a difference.
Some operators will increase mix time 1 to 2 minutes and reduce
water 1 - 2% to achieve the same dough strength.
Should I consider " untreated " flour?
Moving to an unbleached and unbromated flour is a relatively easy
move to meet this expressed need-the effects on your dough and
crust are minimal compared to potential value for your patrons.
General Mills offers untreated versions of most popular flours.
BY DEFINITION - Q&A FROM THE EXPERTS
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35
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bake Special Report - January 2022

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