Cereals processing technology

such as unwanted holes or dense patches, visible in a cross section of the
product. Each bread type has its own special cell structure requirements and
therefore there is no single standard which can be applied to all products.
• Texture, eating quality and flavour. In assessing texture we are concerned
with its mechanical properties such as firmness and resiliency.
10.7 What determines bread quality?
Breadmaking 213
Bread quality is determined by the complex interactions of the raw materials,
their qualities and quantities used in the recipe and the dough processing
method.
10.7.1 Flour
Since the formation of gluten is an essential component of breadmaking
processes and wheat is the contributor of the proteins necessary for its formation
it follows that a significant factor which determines final bread quality comes
from the wheat via the flour from the mill. The ability to form gluten is almost
unique to wheat. The level and quality of the gluten-forming proteins depends
heavily on the wheat variety, agricultural practices and environmental effects.
The wheat grain is broadly made up of three components:
• The inner endosperm, comprising mainly starch and protein.
• The outer bran, comprising mainly protein and fibre.
• The germ, comprising protein, fibre, minerals and vitamins.
Wholemeal flour consists of 100% of the wheat grain converted to flour while in
the production of white flour the miller will seek to separate the endosperm from
the bran and germ (Catterall, 1998).
The protein content of wheat flour varies according to the wheats that are
used by the millers and any adjustments they may make in the mill. In general
the higher the protein content in the wheat the higher the protein content of the
flours produced from it. The higher the protein content of a flour the better is its
ability to trap carbon dioxide gas and the larger can be the bread volume. Many
north American and Australian wheats have higher protein contents than most
European wheats and this has led to the common view that you will get better
bread from such wheats. However, with the changes which have occurred in
dough making processes this view is out of date. For example, flours from
European wheats are well suited to modern breadmaking and large quantities of
north American wheats are only required in European milling grists where the
product or breadmaking process demands their special qualities. It is possible to
supplement the protein content of flours with the addition of extra protein using
a dried vital gluten source (Chamberlain, 1984). This technique is especially
important when making wholemeal bread where the strength of the dough
system is weakened by the presence of bran and germ.