Flour Mixtures

Question 1

What type of ingredients can be added into a flour mixture?

Answer 1

Dry, liquid, and fats

Question 2

What are the components of wheat flour?

Answer 2

Fat (only in unrefined flour), protein (15%), and CHO (84%)

Question 3

What percentage of the protein in wheat flour is gluten?

Answer 3

85%

Question 4

What are two functions of starch?

Answer 4

Gives it strength and contributes to crumb. Crumbs come from degree of starch gelatinization, number of size and air cells, and amount of protein coagulation. Can also add sweetness as it breaks down into dextrin, maltose, and glucose.

Question 5

What does protein contribute to baked goods?

Answer 5

Helps baked products rise.

Question 6

What kind of flour has the highest concentration of gluten?

Answer 6

Wheat flour which yields products that are light, airy, and with increased volume.

Question 7

What are the two proteins that make up gluten?

Answer 7

Glutenin and gliadin

Question 8

What are the two characteristics of gluten?

Answer 8

It is elastic as it stretches and holds in gas. It also plastic, it is able to expand and increase in volume to accommodate gas.

Question 9

How does gluten affect baked goods?

Answer 9

The more gluten formation, the stronger the texture.

Question 10

What is necessary for gluten to form?

Answer 10

Hydration. The more protein, the more water will be absorbed.

Question 11

What does gluten-free mean by FDA regulations?

Answer 11

A product contains less than 20 ppm gluten. The product also does not contain wheat, rye, barely, or mixture of the three.

Question 12

What is whole wheat flour made from? White flour?

Answer 12

Whole wheat = entire wheat kernel white = endosperm

Question 13

What flour has the lowest protein content? The highest?

Answer 13

Cake and pastry have he lowest and high gluten and bread have the highest.

Question 14

What is flour bleached for?

Answer 14

Bleaching oxidizes xanthophyll pigments (yellow) into a white color and improves the flour’s functionality. Most commonly bleached through gases and benzoyl peroxide.

Question 15

What is the optimum temperature for yeast to ferment?

Answer 15

81-100F

Question 16

What is baking soda activated by?

Answer 16

It is activated by acid and heat is not necessary. With baking soda goods must be placed in the oven as soon as possible once it is combined with an acid.

Question 17

What are the components baking powder?

Answer 17

Baking soda, acids (cream of tartar), and inert filler to absorb any excess moisture form the air. No acidic ingredient is necessary.

Question 18

Why do some recipes call for both?

Answer 18

Baking soda leavens and neutralizes flavor while baking powder is the main leavening agent and helps with texture.

Question 19

What does too little sugar lead too?

Answer 19

Dryness, reduced browning, lower volume, and less tenderness.

Question 20

What does too much sugar lead too?

Answer 20

Baked products can fall, have lower volume, a gummy texture, and excessively browned crust.

Question 21

What is the water retaining ability of sugar referred to as?

Answer 21

Hygroscopic. Contributes to tenderness by competing with gluten for water.

Question 22

What does fat do in a baked good?

Answer 22

Fat is a tenderizer as it physically interferes with gluten strands from forming. Increases flavor and color.

Question 23

What does too much fat do?

Answer 23

Weakens structure and decreases volume.

Question 24

What does too little fat do?

Answer 24

Tougher crumb

Question 25

What does too much egg do? too little?

Answer 25

Too much makes a tough and rubbery texture while too little causes insufficient volume and inferior structural integrity.