What is strength flour
It is known as strength flour to wheat flour with the highest percentage of gluten, that is, with more protein. A higher percentage of gluten, greater strength and greater plasticity will have the mass. Strength flour is also known with other names: bakery flour, bakery flour or hard flour. Wheat flour has a high starch content, between 65-70 percent, and a protein content between 9-14 percent. The rest of the substances it contains, such as cellulose, lipids and sugar, only cover a 4 percent of its composition. For that reason, the flours are usually classified, mainly, by their protein and gluten index. This protein is essential to prepare bollerÃas, because it creates a network that endures carbon dioxide resulting from the fermentation of yeast. Thanks to this, the gases grow and give volume to the baking before, during and after prepared. In definitive, a mass with a higher gluten content will have greater support, elasticity and extensibility. Therefore, it can support better ingredients such as fats, nuts and others, without affecting the growth of preparation.
What is the strength flour for
Have you wondered what strength flour is for and what function plays in the recipes that contain it? Everything is in the power flour faculty to absorb much more water than other types of flours. Thanks to this characteristic it provides plasticity, structure, elasticity, resistance, color and flavor. On the other hand, water absorption also favors better fermentation. For this reason, strength flour is very effective when making recipes such as:- Brioche
– Roscón de Reyes
– Croissant
– Swiss buns
– Panettone
– Sweet bread
– Pizza
– Strudel
– bread
– Focaccias
Some of these preparations have in common the use of very dense ingredients such as fats, nuts, fruits configured, among others. This is because, for this type of recipes, it is necessary to obtain a lot of elasticity and resistance in the mass, since this favors growth and helps maintain the form despite the weight of the ingredients.
Difference between strength flour and normal flour
We already know what strength flour is, what it is for and the types of wheat flour that exist, however, we have an important doubt. What is the difference between the flour we commonly use and this flour? These are the characteristics of strength flour, compared to flour all use: – It has plant protein content (gluten) equal to or greater than 10 percent.
– It helps to achieve bread with a more tender crumb, which easily grow in both fermented and baking. This also depends on the temperature of the workplace, the humidity, the substrate (sugars, nitrogen and some minerals), the oxygen and the amount of yeast used.
– Favor fluid absorption, so moisture retains better. This allows a better incorporation of fatty ingredients and develops yeast more effectively.
– It offers better endurance during kneading, providing plasticity and elasticity.
– Facilitates the kneading process (compensates for poorly worked masses), as it reaches the desired texture in less time and with less effort. The result will be a less sticky dough.
– This type of flour is less effective in recipes with a small amount of water (300 ml of water per 1/2 kilo of flour), since more yeast needs to be added and, consequently, the flavor is modified.
– It works very well with bakers or dry yeast.
– Provide harder bark.
– Hold on better long fermentations.
Unlike strength flour, lazy flour, also called Flour All use, it has the following characteristics:- It contains an equal protein index or below 9-10 percent.
– Provides a compact texture to breads.
– It works better in recipes that do not contain too many liquids or fats.
– It is more effective in short -time fermentations.
– Provide more tender bark.
– Better ferment with baking powder or bicarbonate.
– Promotes are favored.
– It works effectively as a thickener or to batter food.
Can strength flour be used for cake?
The cake is a light shake and its final texture is much more spongy than a cake (heavy shake). The cake does not carry fat or carries very little, because its consistency basically depends on the air trapped in the eggs during the shake, and the application of the baking powder (or bicarbonate). To get a very spongy and light cake, they must be beaten very either the clear and the yolks separately or together, in order to achieve as much air as possible. In this part of the preparation, a good shake guarantees the incorporation of air into the mixture and thus, its subsequent growth and spongy. However, when we add the flour (even the lazy one), you should only beat the necessary, until the total integration of the ingredients is achieved, otherwise, the protein will be developed and the preparation will be caked. What does all this mean? The essence of the cake is its fluffiness and excess gluten does not favor its texture, as well as it also happens with some other creations in pastry. That is, strength flour, due to its characteristics, is incompatible with this preparation. However, as in everything, there are certain exceptions, as is the case of the Japanese Kasutera sponge cake, where the use of strength flour is indispensable, since this preparation does not use yeast and, consequently, its texture is more elastic. If so What do you want is to make a cake that is super soft and spongy, we invite you to visit our article how to make a spongy cake.
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