FLOUR IS not JUST FLOUR When we talk flour we are talking wheat flour. Because wheat is the most commonly distributed cereal grain in the world, a reference to flour is generally a reference to wheat flour. And just as flour is not “just flour”, wheat is not “just wheat”. So to better understand flour, we first need to understand wheat.

WHEAT Spring wheat is planted in the spring and harvested during late summer. The production CATEGORIES of spring wheat is concentrated in the northern Wheat can be classified by three major Great Plain states where the winters are too categories: growing season, bran color and cold for winter wheat to survive. Spring wheat kernel hardness. flours range between 12 and 14% protein and have high gluten strength. Growing Season - Winter vs. Spring Bran Color - Red vs. White There are two distinct growing seasons for The next category is bran color. The bran is the wheat. Winter Wheat is planted in the fall, lies outer protective coating of the wheat kernel. dormant during the winter months and is Wheat can be classified as either red or white. harvested during late spring to early summer. Winter wheat is grown in regions where the Kernel Hardness - Hard vs. Soft winters are mild. Winter Wheat flours range The final classification is kernel hardness. This between 10 and 12% protein and have medium wheat characteristic has the greatest impact of gluten strength. all three on the baking qualities of the flour produced. Hard wheat flours have a medium to high protein content and stronger gluten forming proteins than soft wheat. Hard wheat flours are used in yeast raised goods such as JUST FLbreads,OUR bagels and pizza crusts. Soft wheat flours are low in protein and therefore low in gluten strength. Soft wheat flours are used for chemically leavened goods, such as cakes, Spring Wheat Soft Wheat cookies and biscuits. Winter Wheat Durum Wheat 2 produced. General Mills currently owns 5 wheat WHEAT CLASSES flour mills: Bualo, NY; Kansas City, MO; Avon, AND IA; Great Falls, MT; and Vernon, CA. THEIR USES These three categories are used to distinguish The Goal of the Miller between the major wheat classifications. In the The goal of the milling process is to separate as United States, there are six main classes of fully as possible the endosperm from the bran wheat. The quality characteristics vary between and the germ portion of the wheat kernel. The the wheat classes and determine the endosperm is then further reduced into a fine end-product usage. Below is a chart listing the powder that we call flour. The amount of flour six wheat classes and their basic uses: obtained from the wheat is known as the extraction. The actual proportion of endosperm WHEAT CLASSES USES to the total wheat kernel is about 83%, but true Hard Red Winter Breads and other extraction rates run between 73 and 76%. The yeast Hard Red Spring balance of the material from the wheat kernel, raised products called mill feed, is sold o to the feed industry. Hard White Soft Red Winter Cakes, crackers, cookies and pastries Soft White Durum Macaroni, noodles and other pastas The Milling Process Before the milling process begins the wheat is Flour Milling cleaned and then tempered. Weed seeds, dirt, and other foreign materials are removed by the Now that we have an grain cleaning equipment. In the tempering understanding for the process, the moisture content of the wheat is Bran dierent types of wheat increased to toughen the bran coat assisting in Endosperm available, we’ll start our the separation of the endosperm. The increased discussion on flour. The Germ moisture also mellows the endosperm allowing place to begin is at the mill for more efficient reduction into flour. where the flour is produced. In the mill the wheat is sent through a system of Protein - the “framework” of Bread corrugated steel grinding rolls and sifters. This Wheat flour is unique because it is the only process of grinding and sifting is repeated until cereal grain that possesses a significant amount all of the endosperm is removed and only the of gluten-forming proteins. Gluten and protein bran remains. The particles of endosperm are are closely related but not synonymous. When graded through the sifting process, according combined with water under mixing stress, the to size, and are sent to the appropriate part of proteins in the flour will form what is called the system for further reduction. The reduction gluten. This gluten structure is responsible for system consists of smooth steel rollers and providing extensibility, elasticity and sifters that reduce the endosperm particles into gas-retaining properties to yeast leavened finished flour. Throughout this process the baked goods. The quantity of the gluten is miller has the ability to collect or divert specific proportionate to the amount of protein in the flour streams, which dier analytically, in order flour. The amount of gluten will increase as the to produce specific finished flour. protein content increases. FLOUR ANALYSIS Protein Quality vs. Quantity To buy flour purely by a protein quantity will Ash- an index of flour extraction.Ash is a not necessarily guarantee baking performance. measure of the mineral content of flour. Protein quality is a key component and can be The mineral content of the wheat kernel is aected by many agronomic factors such as concentrated in the bran layer. Ash is a the amount of rainfall, fertilizer usage, measure of the degree of endosperm temperature stressed, etc. A quality miller is separation from the bran during milling. going to balance protein quantity with the The objective of the miller is to separate the appropriate quality testing to prepare the best endosperm from the bran as completely as flours available for specific baking needs. possible. The closer the miller gets to the bran level, the higher the ash level becomes. Higher extraction will result in higher ash levels.

4 would age flour for several weeks to achieve MEASURING white flour. This natural oxidation, however, QUALITY was an irregular process requiring considerable Quality of flour is defined by its ability to time and space. Today, the bleaching process is consistently perform in the production of a accomplished by the use of chemical bleaching finished baked-good. The ultimate quality test agents. Flours treated with these bleaching is completed when the baker uses the flour. agents must be labeled as bleached flour. Bake tests are completed based on the application that best suits the particular flour. Maturing - strengthening of Protein quality can be measured indirectly with the flour dough-testing devices such as the Farinograph. For hard wheat flour, the term maturing implies The farinograph measures the resistance of a the strengthening of dough forming properties, flour and water dough to mechanical mixing. thus improving gas retention of the gluten. This resistance is recorded as a curve on a Common maturing agents include potassium graph. The farinograph curve provides the bromate (used mainly in the mid-west and the miller with useful information regarding the east) and ascorbic acid (used mainly in the dough strength, mixing tolerance, and west). Breads treated with these agents will absorption (water holding) characteristics of a generally exhibit increased loaf volume, finer flour. grain and improved external characteristics.

FLOUR Malting - addition of malted TREATMENTS barley flour Bleaching - makes the flour whiter Malted barley flour is added to hard wheat flours to assist yeast fermentation. During the The term “bleaching” is a traditional baking industry term that describes the process of dough forming stage, malted barley flour whitening. Technically speaking, the provides specific enzyme activity that converts carotenoid (yellow) pigments in the flour are the starches in the wheat flour into simple oxidized to produce whiter flour. Oxidization sugars. These sugars are then available as a will occur naturally, over time, with the food source for the yeast to maintain proper exposure of flour to air. Historically, millers would age flour for several weeks to achieve fermentation activity. Malted barley flour also white flour. This natural oxidation, however, aids in proper crust browning. was an irregular process requiring considerable time and space. Today, the 5 Enrichment - addition of and sheet cakes. The flour is available either nutrients to the the flour bleached or unbleached. East: Helmet®, Golden Shield®, Cameo® Enriching replaces the vitamins and minerals West: Sperry® Cake & Pastry, Sureflake®, Cameo® loss during the milling process. The standard flour enrichment includes iron and the All Purpose flour B vitamins, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folic All-purpose flour milled from selected blends of acid. The enrichment of flour has no eect on hard and/or soft wheat for the production of a the baking performance or caloric value of flour. wide variety of baked goods. The flour is WHAT FLOUR TO available either bleached or unbleached. Used in a variety of baked goods including cookies, USE? soft rolls, sweet goods, biscuits, pizza, breading. Gold Medal® H&R All Purpose Flour Noted below are some of the general flour categories known to the baking industry. The Winter Patent flour terms used are not regulated by any Federal Flour milled from a select blend of hard winter standard, therefore may vary from miller to wheat. Used to produce artisan and pan style miller. The brands listed are some of the most breads, buns, soft rolls, sweet goods, popular General Mills Bakery Flours. Neapolitan and thick crust pizza, and specialty Cake flour baked goods. Finest milled, lowest extraction flour from soft East: King Wheat® red winter or soft white winter wheat. This West: Sperry® Blossoms, Big Loaf™ enriched and bleached flour is used in National: Harvest King®, Gold Medal® producing fine high-ratio, chion, and angel Neapolitan Flour food cakes as well as assorted cookies Purasnow® Spring Patent flour Pastry flour Flour milled from a select blend of primarily Fine milled, low extraction flour from soft red hard spring wheat. Used to produce variety winter or soft white winter wheat for use in breads, pizza crusts, sweet goods, hard and biscuitspie crusts, cookies and brownies, pound soft rolls. and sheet cakes. The flour is available either Gold Medal Superlative® bleached or unbleached. Gold Medal Full Strength® East: Cameo® 6 West: Cameo® High Gluten flour Gold Medal® Semolina No. 1 Sperry® Extra Fancy Durum Patent Flour High protein flour milled from select blends of hard spring wheat. Performs well in bagels, thin and is generally used in short goods pasta such crust pizza, hard rolls, hearth breads. as elbow macaroni and shells. National: All Trumps®, Remarkable Gold Medal® Semolina No. 1 West: King Kaiser®, Supreme Hygluten Sperry® Extra Fancy Durum Patent Flour

Specialty flours Instantized flour is quick mixing flour produced using a special agglomeration Besides the basic flour types listed above, process. This flour mixes very quickly into millers will oer a variety of specialty flours too. liquids and produces lump-free batters and Specialty flours often refer to the whole wheat, gravies. the ryes, semolina and durum, and instantized Gold Medal® Wondra® flours.

Whole Wheat Flour is simply the entire wheat kernel milled to a specific granulation and packed. Gold Medal® Stone Ground Whole Wheat, Stone Ground Wheatalaxa®

Rye Flour is milled from 100% whole rye. The products are also available in various granulation specifications. Gold Medal® Cream of Rye, Gold Medal® OOO Rye To learn more about General Mills Semolina and Durum Flour are both products of durum wheat. Semolina is the Flour, talk with your coarsely ground durum endosperm and is sales rep or visit primarily used for long goods pasta such as GeneralMillsCF.com linguine and spaghetti. Durum flour is the fine, reduced flour milled from durum wheat and is generally used in short goods pasta such 7 as elbow macaroni and shells. Hard Spring Soft Winter Hard Winter WHEAT TYPES Winter Patent Strong Spring High-Gluten All-Purpose FLOUR TYPES Patent Patent Spring Pastry Cake CONTENT PROTEIN 11 - 12 8 - 9 13.4 - 14.4 12.4 - 12.8 10 - 11 7 - 8 12.8 - 13.2 7 - 9% 10 - 12% 12 - 14% FORMING GLUTEN Low Med High STRENGTH DOUGH Low Med High ABSORPTION 50 - 60% 60 - 65% WATER High Low Med 11 - 14 min 8 - 12 min SHORT TIME Long Med MIX Regions: Breads, Thin Crust Thick Crusts Pizza Thick Crust Pizza High Ratio Cakes, Artisan Breads, Sweet Doughs Bagels, Hearth Hearth Breads Quick Breads, Pizza Crusts, Breads, Rolls Pizza Crusts, Sheet Cakes Angel Food, Pan Breads, Brownies, Cookies, Cookies FLOUR Chion USES Pizza National Harvest King Wheat Full Strength Superlative Sperry Cake and Pastry All Trumps GENERAL MILLS Supreme / Sperry Blossoms Golden Shield BRANDS Gold Medal Gold Medal Neapolitan Purasnow Hi-Power Big Loaf East Helmet Cameo H&R Remarkable King Kaiser West

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