Types of Flour

• Gluten

  • wheat flour + liquid
  • gives strength, elasticity and structure
• Flour

  • essential in bread making
  • made from wheat
  • gives structure and thickness to dough
• Wheat Kernel


  many contributions to health
• Bran

  • from wheat kernel
  • high fibre
  • included in whole wheat flour
• Endosperm

  • 83% of wheat kernel
  • source of white flour
  • contains abundant protein (gluten) and carbohydrates
• Germ

  • embryo of a wheat kernel
  • the fat content limits its shelf life
• What are the different types of white flour?

  1. bread flour
  2. all purpose flour
  3. cake or pastry flour
• Bread flour


  contains largest amount of gluten for breads and dough
• All purpose flour


  contains moderate amount of gluten (all baked products)
• Cake or pastry flour


  contains the smallest amount of gluten
• Whole-wheat flour

  • from the WHOLE kernel of wheat
  • high in fibre and nutrient
  • mixed with all purpose or bread flour to make yeast
  • for making breads and muffins
• Rye, Barley, Spelt, Buckwheat


  often milled into flour but still contain gluten
• Rice, Corn, Quinoa, Soy, Potato

  no gluten

  to make any baked products for gluten free diets
• How is flour made?

  milled
• What is the purpose of eggs?

  • nutrition
  • color
  • air for leavening
  • flavour
  • protein
  • structure
• what is fat?

  • often referred to as shortening because it shortens gluten strands
  • provides tenderness, browning, slows staling of baked products and adds flavour
• What is the purpose of salt?

  • flavour
  • regulate action of the yeast
• What is the purpose of liquids?

  • hydration to form gluten and the dry leavening agent to start the chemical reaction
  • adds steam for leavening
  • dissolves the ingredients
  • nutrition and color
• What is the purpose of Sugar?

  • tenderizes
  • sweetness
  • food for the yeast
  • helps brown the crust
• What is a leavening agent?

  ingredients that causes baked goods to rise as to not resembe pancakes or crepes respectively
• Leavening agents with carbon Dioxide

  • Baking powder + soda = heated carbon dioxide rises, taking the batter up
  • Yeast = sugar + water + yeast produces carbon dioxide and ethyl alcohol which leads to fermentation
• Air as a leavening agent

  • beaten eggs, creaming, sifted flour, beating batters
  • when heated air expands and rises, the gluten takes the structure of the dessert at high temperature to trap the air
• Steam as a leavening agent

  • from liquids
  • liquid + heat = steam that gets trapped inside the batters and doughs