Grains are grass seeds. I know this might not sound appatising but this is the truth. Specifically, they are the seeds or fruit of the cereal grass. When these are ground very fine these seeds will become flour. As we all know flour is an essential ingrediant in bread. Now, there are other “flours” out there such as almond, rice etc. and many can be made into suitable breads but most often flour milled from part or all of the wheat berry. Mostly, these seeds can be compared by their three parts: the Bran, Germ and Endosperm.
Bran
Bran in the shell of the seed that contains several layers of cellulose. Even when ground it is considered a fiber and not a flour. This means for breadmaking that it is 1. indigestible and 2. non-reactive to yeast. Even with that we all agree that fiber can be a desired by-product of the bread we are making. Bran has a mild earthy taste and adds a flaky, course texture to your bake.
Germ
Looking at the grain itself near the base and stem, you will find the germ or embryo of the future plant. This contains 3 essential elements:
- oil
- protein
- nutrients (iron, Vitamin B & E)
The germ easily turns rancid and is often left out of mass-produced grocery store flour. One way to guarantee these nutrients and nutty flavor in your flour is to mill your own flour right before use.
Endosperm
The bulk of the grain is the endosperm which is the source of nutrients for the germ. This is also where the gluten-producing proteins and minerals such as phosphorous, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper and manganese are found. When buying commercial white flour, you are buying milled endosperm.
Gluten.. What is it?
While any type of flour can produce a “bread”, in order to produce a bread that rises, one will need the essential protein Gluten. Gluten is one of two main proteins found in bread, the other is Gliadin. While flour is dry these two proteins are distinct and seperate from one another. Once water is introduced their molecules link together and form a sheath of little bubbles that will then trap the carbon dioxide produced by our yeast. Because of the strength of the linked proteins, as the bread grows, more room is created for more carbon dioxide. If the gluten network was not created within the dough, the carbon dioxide would just escape, leaving the bread very sad. Gluten is primarily found in wheat berries which are used to produce white and whole-wheat flour. Rye and triticale (wheat hybrid) flours have gluten but not enough to raise loaves very high. Flours milled from nuts, vegetables or beans have none at all.
Let me know what other questions you have about flour and grains!
