Re: Conflicting aspects of high gluten flour ??

I'm an amatuer baker/cook with a question about the way that high

> protein/bread flower is classified by cooks and writters. Basically > they say high protein = more gluten/more chew and lower protein = less > chew/more tender result. The conflict is when high protien flour seems > to be neccesary to acheive a light and airy product as in pate a choux > (Shirley O Corriher) and raised doughnuts (Gayle Gand). >

Yes because in these products suchs as choux paste the aeration is more physical and less chemical.Many choux pastry recipe do not add baking powder or ammonium bicarbonate but some do.The steam that is generated during baking creates the airy structure of such product. But in yeast raised donuts it is not absolutely true.Indeed in European type Berliner they emphazise such use of flour for a more open crumb texture.But it has some drawback as the product eating quality can become chewy and tough to others.It is then compensated by adding more fat to make it more tender to bite.But its still chewy to me . Meanwhile in american type yeast raised donuts it is preferred that the gluten is not too strong and they even blend a small percent of cake flour in their bread flour to attain the desired eating quality.Therefore the american type of yeast raise donuts uses a flour that approximates the all purpose flour in gluten quantity and quality.

Comparing the eating quality of the ordinary Berliner and the American donuts is a learning experience for ameteur bakers and will help your understanding about how the difference in flour can affect eating quality.

I think I understand, basically as long as there is an extended rise > or a powerfull puff effect, the gluten traps the gases that cause the > rise and allow it to rise higher and seem lighter than it would with > AP or cake flour. Is that about right?

Well you are right ,that higher gluten will encourage better product volume and more open crumb than with APF .This protein is responsible for the structure of the baked product you mentioned. Roy

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Roy Basan
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