240 CHAPTER XIT 



Obviously quality signifies suitability for the purpose 

 intended; thus, wheats of low strength are required for pastry- 

 making, while those exhibiting strength to a considerable 

 degree are necessary for the making of light bread. 



The miller, of course, is chiefly interested in the milling 

 yield, which, in the case of Minnesota wheat, was found to 

 vary in flour production from 60"4 to 7G'l per cent/ " The 

 percentage of flour which can be produced from any sample 

 of wheat depends largely upon the relative plumpness of the 

 kernels, the texture of the kernels, and the percentage of water 

 they contain. If the texture of the kernel is soft, or represents 

 what is termed the ' Yellow Berry ' condition, the percentage 

 of flour will be reduced, since it is mechanically impossible to 

 free the bran from the floury portions so nearly as when the 

 endosperm is hard and vitreous." 



The baker, on the other hand, is chiefly concerned with 

 three factors : 



(1) The " strength " of the flour, or its ability to produce 

 a large loaf of uniformly porous texture. 



('2) Absorption, or the relative quantity of water which 

 can be added to the flour in making dough. 



(3) The colour of the flour and of the crumb of bread 

 made therefrom. 



Although it might be stated that in general the higher 

 the protein content the stronger the wheat, this statement 

 needs to be considerably qualified, as the nature of the proteins 

 found is of vital importance. The most reliable method of 

 determining this is by actual baking tests. Gluten is found 

 in all wheats and its presence in wheat enables the flour 

 from wheat to be made into bread. As it is absent in cereals, 

 like maize, oats and rye, bread cannot be made from these. 

 Gluten contains the proteins, gliadin and glutenin, and it has 

 been propounded, and since discredited, that the ratio of these 

 two proteins to one another may be responsible for the quality 

 of gluten. The accepted position seems to be that the size 

 of the loaf is dependent on the activity of the enzymes found 

 in the wheat, which convert starch into sugar. This sugar, of 

 course, is fermented by the action of the yeast cells; conse- 

 quently, the more active the enzymes found in the wheat, the 

 more sugar provided for the yeast cells, and, therefore, the 

 greater production of gas. " As a nile it is not practicable 

 to get the dough moulded into loaves and put into the oven 

 before it has been fermenting for about 6 to 8 hours. If the 

 flour possesses an active ferment it will still be rapidly forming 



