FLOUR AND STEPS IN BREAD MAKING

FLOUR

Flour is obtained when we mill grains and pulses. In bakery when we refer to flour ,we always mean refined flour, unless specified as wholemeal flour.

                        STRUCTURE OF WHEAT

-The BRAN is the hard outer covering of the kernel. It is present in whole wheat flour as tiny brown flakes, but it is removed in the milling of white flour. (12 PERCENT)

-The GERM is the part of the kernel that becomes the new wheat plant if the kernel is sprouted. It has a high fat content that can quickly become rancid. Therefore, whole wheat flour containing the germ has poor keeping qualities. (3 PERCENT)

-The ENDOSPERM is the starchy part of the kernel that remains when the bran and germ are removed. This is the portion of the wheat kernel that is milled into white flour. Depending on its source, the wheat endosperm contains about 63 to 73% starch and 7 to 15% protein, plus small amounts of moisture, fat, sugar, and minerals. (85 PERCENT).

MILLING OF WHEAT

—  Wheat was made into flour by grinding it between two large stones. Once the grain was ground, it could be sifted to remove some of the bran.

—  Modern milling of wheat into flour is accomplished by a fairly complex and highly refined system that uses grooved steel rollers. THE BREAK SYSTEM: The rollers are set so that the space between them is slightly smaller than the width of the kernels, and the rollers rotate at different speeds.

—  When the wheat is fed between them, the rollers flake off the bran layers and germ and crack the endosperm into coarse pieces.

AGING AND BLEACHING

—  Freshly milled flour is not good for bread making. The gluten is somewhat weak and inelastic, and the color may be yellowish.

—  When the flour is aged for several months, the oxygen in the air matures the proteins so they are stronger and more elastic, and it bleaches the color slightly.

—  Millers may add small quantities of certain chemicals to accomplish the same results quickly. Bromates, added to bread flours , mature the gluten but do not bleach the flour a great deal.

—   Chlorine is added to cake flour because not only is it a maturing agent but it also bleaches the flour to pure white.

TYPES OF WHEAT FLOUR

Whole wheat flour: - has a dark color, it consists of all parts of the grain i.e. bran, germ & endosperm. This flour has a characteristic flavor. As this flour contains the germ (oil) it will have a storage life of only 6-8 weeks.

Cake flour: - is weak or low gluten flour made from soft wheat it has a very soft, smooth texture and pure white color. Cake flour is used for cakes & other delicate baked goods that require low gluten content.

Pastry flour – is also weak or low gluten flour, but is slightly stronger than cake flour. It has a creamy white color. Pastry flour is used for pie-dough, cookies, and muffins.

All- purpose flour: - medium quality flour which can be used for any type of baked items.

Self- rising flour: - is white flour to which baking powder & salt has been added.

STEPS IN YEAST DOUGH PRODUCTION

There are 12 basic steps in the production of yeast breads. These steps are generally applied to all yeast products, with variations depending on the particular product.

1. Scaling ingredients

2. Mixing

3. Fermentation

4. Punching

5. Scaling

6. Rounding

7. Benching

8. Makeup and panning

9. Proofing

10. Baking

11. Cooling

12. Storing

1. SCALING INGREDIENTS

All ingredients must be weighed accurately. Water, milk, and eggs may be measured by volume. Special care must be taken when measuring spices and other ingredients used in very small quantities. This is particularly important with salt, which affects the rate of fermentation.

2. MIXING

Mixing yeast dough’s has three main purposes:

• To combine all ingredients into a uniform, smooth dough.

• To distribute the yeast evenly throughout the dough.

• To develop the gluten.

3.FERMENTATION

Fermentation is the process by which yeast acts on the sugars and starches in the dough to produce carbon dioxide gas (CO2) and alcohol. Gluten becomes smoother and more elastic during fermentation, so it

Stretches farther and holds more gas. An under fermented dough will not develop proper volume, and the texture of the product will be coarse. A dough that ferments too long or at too high a temperature becomes sticky, hard to work, and slightly sour. An under fermented dough is called a young dough. An over fermented dough is called an old dough.

Yeast action continues until the yeast cells are killed when the temperature of the dough reaches 140°F (60°C) in the oven. It is important to be aware that fermentation continues during the next steps in yeast dough production—punching, scaling, rounding, benching, and makeup or molding.

Failure to allow for this time may result in over fermented dough’s

4. PUNCHING

Punching is not hitting the dough with your fist. It is a method of deflating the dough

·        that expels carbon dioxide

• redistributes the yeast for further growth

• relaxes the gluten

• equalizes the temperature throughout the dough

5.SCALING

Using a baker’s scale, divide the dough into pieces of the same weight, according to the product being made. Scaling should be done rapidly and efficiently to avoid over fermenting the dough.

6.ROUNDING

After scaling, the pieces of dough are shaped into smooth, round balls. This procedure forms a kind of skin by stretching the gluten on the outside of the dough into a smooth layer. Rounding simplifies the later shaping of the dough and also helps retain gases produced by the yeast.

7. BENCHING, BENCH PROOFING OR INTERMEDIATE PROOFING

Rounded portions of dough are allowed to rest for 10 to 20 minutes. This relaxes the gluten to make shaping the dough easier. Also, fermentation continues during this time. In large operations, the rounded dough is placed in special proofers for this rest. Smaller operations place the dough in boxes that are stacked on one another to keep the dough covered. Or the dough may simply be placed on the workbench and covered—hence the term benching.

8.MAKEUP AND PANNING

The dough is shaped into loaves or rolls and then placed in pans or on baking sheets. Hearth breads—breads baked directly on the bottom of the oven—may be placed in floured baskets or other molds after makeup.

Proper makeup or molding is of critical importance to the finished baked product. All gas bubbles should be expelled during molding. Bubbles left in the dough will result in large air holes in the baked product.

For both pan breads and hearth breads, the seam must be centered on the bottom to avoid splitting during baking.

9.PROOFING

 Proofing is a continuation of the process of yeast fermentation that increases the volume of the shaped dough. Bakers use two different terms so they can distinguish between fermentation of the mixed dough and proofing of the made-up product before baking. Proofing temperatures are generally higher than fermentation temperatures.

Under proofing results in poor volume and dense texture. Over proofing results in coarse texture and some loss of flavor. Rich dough’s are slightly under proofed because their weaker gluten structure does not withstand too much stretching.

10.BAKING

1. Oven spring, which is the rapid rising in the oven due to production and expansion of trapped gases as a result of the oven heat. The yeast is very active at first but is killed when the temperature inside the dough reaches 140°F (60°C).

2. Coagulation of proteins and gelatinization of starches. In other words, the product becomes firm and holds its shape.

3.Formation and browning of the crust

Oven Temperature and Baking Time

Temperatures must be adjusted for the product being baked. At the proper temperature, the inside of the unit becomes completely baked at the same time that the crust achieves the desired color. Therefore:

1.    Large units are baked at a lower temperature and for a longer time than small rolls spaced apart.

2.   A golden-brown crust color is the normal indication of doneness. Loaves that are done sound hollow when thumped.

Egg wash is used to give a shiny brown crust to soft breads and rolls and to rich dough’s and Danish. It is made by mixing beaten eggs with water or, sometimes, with milk. Proportions may vary greatly depending on how strong a wash is desired.

11.COOLING

After baking, bread must be removed from pans and cooled on racks to allow the escape of the excess moisture and alcohol created during fermentation. Small rolls spaced on baking sheets are often cooled on the pans when air circulation is adequate .On the other hand, if condensation is likely to make the bottoms of the rolls soggy, it is better to cool them on racks.

If soft crusts are desired, breads may be brushed with melted shortening before cooling.

12.STORING

Breads to be served within 8 hours may be left on racks. For longer storage, wrap cooled breads in moisture-proof bags to retard staling. Bread must be thoroughly cool before wrapping or moisture will collect inside the bags.

Wrapping and freezing maintains quality for longer periods. Refrigeration, on the other hand, increases staling.

Hard-crusted breads should not be wrapped (unless frozen) because the crusts will soften and become leathery.