Gluten plays an important role in bakery applications. Produced from wheat flour proteins, it provides strength and structure to doughs. "The more gluten-producing proteins there are in a wheat flour, the more water it can absorb," says Gail Sokol, author of About Baking: The Essentials. According to Robert Sombke, Quality Assurance Manager at North Dakota Mill, high gluten flour, like North Dakota Mill’s State High Gluten Flour, is generally 14.0 protein. This offers strong dough characteristics, allowing a heartier finished product. Milled from Spring Wheat, Sombke explains that the wheat used by North Dakota Mill must be a good variety and be grade well according to FGIS standards.

"The strength, water absorption, and mixing tolerance are very desirable for hearth-type applications. This dough can withstand a lot of punishment and, in the end, make a very good product," explains Sombke. Sokol describes the process of gluten development in About Baking: "Gluten develops when water is mixed with flour. As gluten develops within a yeast dough, a web-like structure forms, which has nooks and crannies where carbon dioxide gas bubbles become entrapped." As yeast feeds on sugars during the mixing process, the fermentation process occurs. "Fermentation continues, and gases are produced which cause the gluten fibers to stretch out and hold even more gases," says Sokol. During baking, moisture turns to steam, which rises along with these gases. The gluten web-structures push against the dough, making the dough swell and thus increasing volume. High gluten flours, which have a higher level of protein, produce more gluten than conventional flours. This allows for a tougher dough.

Though doughs made with high gluten flour demonstrate good mixing tolerance, the friction generated through this mixing can increase the temperature of the dough. "Dough temperatures may be a factor because this product generally requires longer mix times than lower protein flour, so the friction in the mixer may cause dough temperatures to rise," says Sombke.

North Dakota Mill’s State High Gluten Flour is best used in hearth bread applications. "It can also carry other ingredients, such as whole wheat and rye," says Sombke. Hearth type applications like Italian bread and Kaiser rolls do best with high gluten flours. "State High Gluten Flour also makes very good Cuban varieties of bread, and many pizza crusts are made with it as well," Sombke explains. Naturally, because of the higher levels of protein in high gluten flour, it offers a higher nutritional quotient of protein. But will consumers enjoy its taste? According to Sombke, yes. "The taste will include a great mouth-feel, desirable texture, and a good clean bite," he explains. For critical applications, North Dakota Mill’s State High Gluten Flour offers stronger doughs, higher bake absorption, and better mixing tolerance.