Flour Improvers?
What is a flour improver?
What types are there?
Can anyone tell me more about each type flour improver that is added to flour?
For example why it is added, the benefits of adding it and what the substance is chemically.
I accept they may not all be nutritious but I am writing a lesson on them and can't find the answer on the web.
Thank you
Answer:
A number of substances improve the baking properties of the flour. They are called dough conditioners. The use of those dough conditioners makes the dough more substantial, the rise gets larger and the crumb structure gets finer. These substances normally reinforce the gluten network. The improvement of the dough properties is especially important in case of mechanical mixing and kneading. The larger volume and the finer crumb influence mainly the eating properties of the bread. It becomes softer and less crumby.
All flour improvers are oxidants i.e. they produce oxygen when mixed with water and when energy is added to the system (by the mixing). The oxygen in its turn reacts with protein in the flour. All the fine details of this chain reaction are still unknown. The action of the flour conditioners can be compared with what happens during storage of flour. It is a well-known fact that the baking properties of the flour improve when it is stored for some time after grinding. This is attributed to the oxidation of proteins by oxygen from the air. Nowadays flour is already used within one week after grinding, so it doesn’t get enough time to ripen. Moreover, the effect of natural oxidation is quite small compared to the action of dough conditioners. However, a too large dose causes a deeply advanced oxidation which makes the dough to stiff. It becomes overly unworkable...
What about “flour improver”? In the olden days, flour was stored for several weeks before bread making. During the storage period, the natural oxidation process improved the quality of the gluten (a wheat protein). This made the dough stronger and more elastic – essential qualities which allow the bread to rise properly during baking. Freshly milled flour requires the addition of an oxidising agent (“flour improver”). Flour improvers include chlorine (E925), sulphur dioxide (E220) and ascorbic acid (E300). The latter is vitamin C, an antioxidant which is turned into an oxidant via enzymatic reduction in the bread mix. If you ever bake bread at home, add a small pinch of vitamin C powder to the dough and your loaf will turn out much fluffier.
The above paragraph I found with one google search in about 20 seconds - I don't think you're trying very hard. I guess you are happy to fail your lesson!
However it's not too late so roll up your sleeves and get working. I've started you off now.
I think Vitamin C is one thing that is sometimes used. It is not clear how it helps the bread but it seems to be an extra rising agent generating a bit of carbon dioxide puff to make the bread bigger with a better texture.
Some flour is bromated, that means that it is bleached. Unbleached flour is tanner in color.
Flour can come as bread or cake flour or all purpose flour. The difference i the amount of gluten, the protein that holds baked goods together. Bread flour has more, cake flour has less. In certain areas they add a leavening agent to flour.(south) It is called self rising flour because it has baking powder in it. Another difference in flours is whole grain or not. Then there are the preservatives that might be added. Go to a large grocery and read the labels and then research the products that you found on the labels.
Another item might be whether the flour is wheat flour. There also is rice flour, potato flour, buckwheat flour, oar flour and etc.
More Questions and Answers:
Fertilizer and M90s? magnify?
In water, a substance that ionizes completely in solution is called a?
Organic chemsitry question?
Wats the role of evaporation in desert cooler(or normal coolers)?
Pls help to solve this chemistry equation 20a+15b=1.4 & 8a+6.22b=0.573?
Can we use permethrine 25% liquid with the appropriete proportion in 1 liter of water on dogs?
How do you create oxygen from carbon dioxide?
In writing the equilibrium constant expression we use square brackets. The notation [A] means ...?
What volume of 0.479 M lithium hyride is required to neutralize 0.627 g of oxalic acid, H2C2O4?
What types are there?
Can anyone tell me more about each type flour improver that is added to flour?
For example why it is added, the benefits of adding it and what the substance is chemically.
I accept they may not all be nutritious but I am writing a lesson on them and can't find the answer on the web.
Thank you
Answer:
A number of substances improve the baking properties of the flour. They are called dough conditioners. The use of those dough conditioners makes the dough more substantial, the rise gets larger and the crumb structure gets finer. These substances normally reinforce the gluten network. The improvement of the dough properties is especially important in case of mechanical mixing and kneading. The larger volume and the finer crumb influence mainly the eating properties of the bread. It becomes softer and less crumby.
All flour improvers are oxidants i.e. they produce oxygen when mixed with water and when energy is added to the system (by the mixing). The oxygen in its turn reacts with protein in the flour. All the fine details of this chain reaction are still unknown. The action of the flour conditioners can be compared with what happens during storage of flour. It is a well-known fact that the baking properties of the flour improve when it is stored for some time after grinding. This is attributed to the oxidation of proteins by oxygen from the air. Nowadays flour is already used within one week after grinding, so it doesn’t get enough time to ripen. Moreover, the effect of natural oxidation is quite small compared to the action of dough conditioners. However, a too large dose causes a deeply advanced oxidation which makes the dough to stiff. It becomes overly unworkable...
What about “flour improver”? In the olden days, flour was stored for several weeks before bread making. During the storage period, the natural oxidation process improved the quality of the gluten (a wheat protein). This made the dough stronger and more elastic – essential qualities which allow the bread to rise properly during baking. Freshly milled flour requires the addition of an oxidising agent (“flour improver”). Flour improvers include chlorine (E925), sulphur dioxide (E220) and ascorbic acid (E300). The latter is vitamin C, an antioxidant which is turned into an oxidant via enzymatic reduction in the bread mix. If you ever bake bread at home, add a small pinch of vitamin C powder to the dough and your loaf will turn out much fluffier.
The above paragraph I found with one google search in about 20 seconds - I don't think you're trying very hard. I guess you are happy to fail your lesson!
However it's not too late so roll up your sleeves and get working. I've started you off now.
I think Vitamin C is one thing that is sometimes used. It is not clear how it helps the bread but it seems to be an extra rising agent generating a bit of carbon dioxide puff to make the bread bigger with a better texture.
Some flour is bromated, that means that it is bleached. Unbleached flour is tanner in color.
Flour can come as bread or cake flour or all purpose flour. The difference i the amount of gluten, the protein that holds baked goods together. Bread flour has more, cake flour has less. In certain areas they add a leavening agent to flour.(south) It is called self rising flour because it has baking powder in it. Another difference in flours is whole grain or not. Then there are the preservatives that might be added. Go to a large grocery and read the labels and then research the products that you found on the labels.
Another item might be whether the flour is wheat flour. There also is rice flour, potato flour, buckwheat flour, oar flour and etc.
The answers post by the user, for information only, FunQA.com does not guarantee the right.
More Questions and Answers: