Benefits of Whole Grains-Gluten

Kernel = Berries. How whole grain flours act in baking depends mostly on their gluten content.

GLUTEN-FREE
brown rice
corn
millet
amaranth
quinoa
sorghum

LOW GLUTEN
barley
oats
rye
buckwehat
triticale
teff
soft wheat

HIGH GLUTEN
hard wheat
Kamut
Spelt

High gluten grains are best for yeast bread. The gluten, a protein part of the grain, should be developed as it is kneaded. It will look like stretch marks–elasticity must be developed for a good loaf of bread. The elastic fibers trap the gas formed by the yeast and gives the bread its rise and lightness of texture. A mix may be used of 1/4 other flour with high gluten flour. (Of 6 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups may be other.) Add the other flours at the end of kneading. It will effect the loaf.

For quick breads without yeast, such as muffins, pancakes, waffles, biscuits, etc. low-gluten grains and lower-gluten whole wheat pastry flour generally work well. In recipes where baking soda, baking powder, and air from egg whites are used for leavening, the gluten elasticity if developed will actually toughen the texture of the baked goods. Kamut and Spelt don’t seem to have this problem.

With a sturdy blender, one that excels at crushing ice, you can “grind” rolled oats, tiny grains, and crack whole grains for hot cereal.

Wheat–At least 30,000 varieties of wheat have been developed. Genus Triticum. For baking purposes we will concern ourselves with four kinds.

Hard–Hard winter red wheat, known also as Bronze Chief, was developed in Canada, and is one of the finest wheat because of its high protein/gluten content for yeast bread baking. This is what I use for my sandwich bread and sometimes french bread. It gives the red-brown color associated with wheat bread. Many store bought breads are colored to fool the consumer.

Gold, commonly called Prairie Gold, Golden 86, is a hard wheat that gives a much lighter color. I use it in buns, rolls, french bread, and for pizza. It will work in quick breads, muffins, and desserts that do not use yeast. It will not give as light of a texture as Pastry wheat.

Pastry–comes from soft wheat. It is both lower in protein and gluten than the hard bread flours. This makes a lighter textured quick bread and dessert flour. The banana bread, muffins were made with this. The Chocolate Beet Cake I brought to the pot-luck at church last Sunday I used 1/2 pastry wheat with a little barley and 1/2 unbleached flour.