The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-14
Hard and soft-wheat FIours.

From kansas Wheat-Growing."
Hard wheat, of which Kansas hard
Turkey (Russian) winter wheat is an
excellent type, now stands for the worlds
white-loaf bread, or light bread" while
soft wheat as definitely represents tn total
of crackers English "biscuits'D cake. pas
try, and the hot soda biscuits so COM
mon in the Southern United States. To
bakers, millers and wholesale dealers the
distinction between the two fours is clear.
and their RESPECTIVE uses well defined. To
the housewife, who buys of retail grocers,
and localities remote from bakeries. Gus
tom largely dictates as to methods of
cookery. and home products are not read
lily supplanted. For this reason, there is
still a demand, small and decreasing, wher-
ever soft wheat is grown, for the native
flour, even for bread making. Also era
ham flour (which should consist OF the
whole grain, ground to a moderate fine
ness) is consumed in small quantities in
the Northern States, and is better made
from soft wheat. Since hard wheat has
become much more abundant 1t has forced
it's way into competition with the soft
wheat hours, even for domestic bread max
ing, and thus, by means of a blend, the
tematicaIIy increased. The result is that
h~ard-wheat flour is everywhere, or soon
will be. the standard material for bread.
anu SUI 10 nun III NHC VI III
oven products.
From the bakers point Of view, hard
wheat -four, not too finely reduced. is bet
ter for bread, because ii contains a larger
percentage of gluten. This is the COM
pound that makes the grain dark. hard
and Utmost translucent under its bran, as
compared with the plump, lighter-colOred
berry of the soft wheat, which is richer in
starch. When crushed, the finty gluten
is reduced 10 angular particles, which make
the finest hard-wheat flour more harsh and
UrlfTV IN the fnnRh than the VplVafV Enfr-
wheat product, in which the smooth starch
grains predominate. Gluten absorbs water
readily and in considerable quantity, in
creaSlng Its weight and at the same time
swelling TO several times its dry bulk;
when wet, it becomes elastic and tenacious.
capable OF holding air that is kneaded into
and OF being thereby made porous or
light TO an almost Indefinite degree
Thus, the weight Of the dough land bakers
bread is sold according TO its weight in
depend upon the quantity and quality or
the gluten. A barrel of good ard-w
nour VIII make several pouno IoaNes more
than an equal weight or soIt-Wneat nouri
hence the advantage 10 the baker when
the market values OF the two are equal
For the consumer there is a difference
even more important. Gluten Is the nitro
genous or t"issue-building part of the grain.
supplying to the body the same important
elements that are contained In lean meat
and the casein Of milk. Since starchy foods
cheaper than heterogeneous, and since wheat
Is cheaper than lean meat, bread that con-
talns much gluten or good quality Is eco
nomical food. at the same time that II is
more nutritious and more easily digestible.
Bread depends for its flavor upon the
gluten and oil of the -four. and TO these two
compounds owes the desirable "nutty'
character which is always more prominent
In harG-whea bread. Soft-wheat -four Is
whittier and in a certain popular estimation
makes a more attractive loaf. but In foods.
nutritive value, flavor and digestibility de
serve first consideration On the other hand,
the %tenacity OF gluten, so desirable for the
loaf bread. becomes unattractive tough
ness in pastry and cake; porosity in the
former being rendered unnecessary by
shortening. and in the latter secured
with greater delicacy by the beaten albu-
men OF eggs.
Pie and cake. in one form or another, so
common in the daily diet OF America, as
are their equivalents in tina OF Europe. are
so usually product of the soft-wheat flour
that the latter is quite generally designated