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FLOUR

WHEAT is the backbone of most yeast breads. A wheat berry (the

actual seed that is clustered on the stalk) is an edible power package.Within just one wheat berry is the near perfect balance of nutrientsthat so efficiently sustained our ancestors. Upto 19 percent of thegrain is protein and the rest being nutritionally valuable complexcarbohydrates.There are three main parts of the grain: the bran, the germ, and theendosperm.The bran is the thin shiny outer covering of the berry. It consistsmainly of cellulose, an indigestible fiber that is good for our digestivesystem.The wheat germ is the embryo of the berry. It is rich in protein and oil.Since this oil can turn rancid very easily it is important that the germ isrefrigerated or for that matter any flour that contains the wheat germsuch as whole-wheat flour.The endosperm nourishes the berry and makes up the bulk of thegrain. When the entire berry is ground, including the bran, the germ ,and endosperm, the result is whole-wheat flour. When the bran andthe wheat germ are removed the endosperm that remains is ground tomake white flour.While the endosperm contains mainly starch, it also contains theproteins glutenin and gliadin. When these two proteins are moistenedthey form together a superprotein called GLUTEN. Gluten providesthe muscle for a yeast dough, a highly valued baking quality. Whenthe dough is kneaded the gluten develops, forming thin flexible weblike strands in the dough. The muscular strands stretch and expand,trapping carbon dioxide as the dough rises during fermentation.Doughs with well developed webs of gluten will rise well, producinghigh expansive breads with good flavor. Wheat is the only grain whichprovides this proportion of gluten; therefore it is an essential ingredientin making traditional bread.The Wheat grain when crushed between rollers or industrially is calledas flour. There can be different types of flour and these get theirnames from the grain they come from. The usual difference between

Atta and Maida is that ATTA is whole-wheat flour in which the wholewheat grain, has been powdered and hence it is the most nutritive asit has all the bran and proteins. Maida on the other hand is a productof wheat grain where the bran and the endosperm or the wheat germ

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has been removed and hence it is more whitish in color and has moregluten then the Atta.

RYERye contains very little gluten so rye breads are often created by a

high proportion of gluten strong wheat flour to assure a well risen loaf.Breads that are completely rye will not rise much, but they will have areal hearty intriguing flavor.

BUCKWHEAT commonly eaten in India during Religious fast and istermed in Hindi as KUTTU KA ATTA. Buckwheat flour has anattractive tan colour speckled with dark brown.

OATS The grain is called Groat, and it is packed with B vitamins,vitamin E, minerals, and iron, a great deal of soluble fiber and a fairamount of fiber. One can use the familiar rolled oats which is oftencooked into oatmeal, on top of some bread for the classic countryappearance.

CORN mostly one finds the yellow cornmeal, also known as makki kaatta, though one even gets the white variety .The yellow is the mostflavourful. Cornmeal adds a rich sweet taste to the crumb and gives arugged look to the crust.

BESAN commonly known as gramflour is widely used in Indian cuisineto batter fry or to make certain Indian breads like Thepla,Missi roti.

MILLING In stone milling there are two round granite stones shapedlike truck tyres. Each weighs hundreds of kilos and is cold to thetouch. Fitted with hardware one rotates slowly while pressed heavilyagainst the other. When the miller layers whole grains between thestones, the first turn produces great cracking sounds as the berriesare broken into thousands of coarse chunks. The rough meal fallsfrom the outer edges and down the center hole and are collectedbeneath. It is then ground again and again till finally one gets thedesired texture.

Stone milling is the oldest, slowest and the best method of grindingwhole grains into dense and creamy flour. It is a gentle and coolprocess which preserves every good part of the grain- all the proteins,oils and vitamins from the germ, all the sugar and starches from the

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endosperm and tiny bits of bran are there in the final wheaty freshflour. High in nutrients and rich in proteins, it has powerful breadmaking qualities.

WHAT IS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR????

All purpose flour is named such because the miller wants to convincethe baker that this particular flour will make all baked goods equallywell. Theoretically it should make everything from breads to cookies tocakes to pies, and everything in between. Because it is a blendbetween the hard spring and soft winter wheat.

WHOLE-WHEAT FLOURS are made from 100 percent whole-wheatberries creating a heady light brown flour. The flour feels gritty whenrubbed between your fingers, and the bran is visible in flecks. Duringfermentation these bran flecks help the dough rise as they trap thecarbon dioxide.

BLEACHED AND UNBLEACHED FLOURSUnbleached flour is ground wheat flour with the bran sifted out, butwith all the germ remaining . As the sifted flour is stored and aged itnaturally starts bleaching and lightens in colour. It was found that theaged bleached flour was easier to manipulate into the doughs, socommercial bakeries began to demand the whitened flour. Toaccommodate this need without the lengthy aging period, chemicalmethods of bleaching were developed.

SEMOLINA is a granular flour made from Durum, which is a variety ofhard wheat, with the bran and germ removed. The term Semolinarefers to the texture, which is similar to finely ground cornmeal. Manybelieve that semolina flour makes the best pasta.