Going Deep with Flour Testing

by David Kaisel from Capay Mills - Read more Newsletters.

Spot the differences: whole grain | high extraction | sifted | heirloom wheat | modern wheats 

Thanks to a generous invitation from the California Wheat Commission, I spent two days this week learning by doing flour quality testing at their nationally-recognized lab.

Though I think the ultimate test of a grain's quality is in the baking, testing in the lab offers a level of detail, specificity and subtlety of knowledge about specific grains and flours that I'd never achieve without a lifetime of baking experience.  

Day 1, Wheat Quality Lab manager Teng Vang introduced me to the mysteries of the Mixograph, an elegant and exquisitely built mechanical confection to delight a product designer as myself. As Teng patiently instructed me how to prepare each sample and set up each test, I regretted not having been introduced to chemistry and physics this way when I was a student. Better late than never!

The Mixograph analyzes the physical qualities of a dough, and therefore, the flour that made it. The graph (and digital analysis) produced by the machine provides great insight into the qualities and baking potential of a flour, and by extension, the grain it was milled from. The result is a carmine trace looking for anything like an EEG or EKG, truly the "heartbeat" of the flour. Mixograms communicate a wealth of information, not just the strength of the gluten in the dough, but its elasticity, its durability, how much hydration it can tolerate, enzymatic activity in the grain or damaged starch. An experienced flour analyst like Teng can look at a farinogram and instantly know what kind of bread (or noodle, or cake) the flour will produce.  

Wholegrain Summit 515 with NaCl added: 68% hydration on left; dough strength improved by lowering hydration to 64% (on right)  

(Sadly, last November National Manufacturing of Lincoln, NE announced it was ceasing production of Mixographs and their range of jewel-like dough testing equipment that they've built since 1939) 

Day 2 at the Quality Lab was spent under the patient instruction Alejandra into the nuances of baking test loaves ("pup loaves") of bread. After years seeking wholegrain sourdough nirvana, it was super fun learning to bake Wonder Bread. Actually, these test loaves were somewhat less toxic, containing flour, yeast, sugar, ascorbic acid (as a dough conditioner) and shortening (Crisco... yeah, I know). 

The mixing and folding were timed down to the minute, and each loaf was baked in duplicate- one made by Alejandra's experienced hands, the other by my clumsy paws. The differences in handling were clear: notice the differences in loaf volumes between the paired loaves in the photo up top: mine were invariably the smaller of the two. 

The sensory scoring for each loaf was impressively specific and repeatable, referencing flavor, texture, crumb density, aroma, color as well as volume. Measuring loaf volume was another great exercise in life before the advent of electronic gadgets: using another of National Manufacturing Co.'s elegant gadgets, the volume of each loaf of bread was measured by immersing it in a container of rapeseed, and measuring the displacement. So simple. No moving parts. No electricity involved. Sadly, my photos and videos of the measurement were lost when my iPhone died. There's some sort of lesson there...

Learn more about the California Wheat Commission and the Quality Lab at www.californiawheat.org

David Kaisel.

From the CWC: Thank you David for allowing us to share your Article. We love to share our knowledge with you!