20 Biscuit, cookie and cracker manufacturing manuals 4.2.2 Uses and functions of wheat flours for biscuits Fermented doughs for cream crackers and soda crackers use medium to strong flour to produce a dough capable of producing a good open texture during baking Puff doughs also use medium to strong flour for the same reason Savoury crackers require a medium strength flour for their texture Semi-sweet types require only a medium or weak strength flour referably with an extensible and not very elastic gluten quality lowever, the gluten quality can be modified, to a certain extent, chemically during mixing(see Sections 10 and 12.7). Flour high in protein will tend to give harder eating biscuits and cause difficulties hort doughs are not as specific in their flour requirements There is little water in the dough so only a little gluten development occurs. The mixing technique is designed to ensure that minimum gluten forms as the protein in the flour hydrates Wafers require medium to low protein flours. If the protein is too high or too strong there will be a tendency to bake hard wafers and if too low the wafers may be very fragile. Several types of biscuit require brown flours. The basic strength of the flour is as stated above but there are significant levels of bran in the flour. Biscuits made with brown flours do not develop to the same thickness during baking as do similar recipes with white flour. This is because the bran particles interrupt the structure and impair the formation of fine gas bubbles that are the basis of the structural Brown flours are less satisfactory to handle in bulk, so it is common practice to add an appropriate quantity of bran to white flour as a separate ingredient In this way the majority of the flour can be bulk handled and the bran that is added can be of the desired particle size. 4.2.3 Common dough and baking problems related to flour uality Changes in flour quality will probably first be noticed in the dough consistency. The dough will be tighter or softer than expected due to change in water absorption properties. The main reasons for changes in water absorption are changes in flour moisture or protein content.20 Biscuit, cookie and cracker manufacturing manuals 4.2.2 Fermented doughs for cream crackers and soda crackers use medium to strong flour to produce a dough capable of producing a good open texture during baking. Puff doughs also use medium to strong flour for the same reason. Savoury crackers require a medium strength flour for their texture. Semi-sweet types require only a medium or weak strength flour preferably with an extensible and not very elastic gluten quality. However, the gluten quality can be modified, to a certain extent, chemically during mixing (see Sections 10 and 12.7). Flour high in protein will tend to give harder eating biscuits and cause difficulties in maintaining good biscuit shape. Short doughs are not as specific in their flour requirements. There is little water in the dough so only a little gluten development occurs. The mixing technique is designed to ensure that minimum gluten forms as the protein in the flour hydrates. Wafers require medium to low protein flours. If the protein is too high or too strong there will be a tendency to bake hard wafers and if too low the wafers may be very fragile. Several types of biscuit require brown flours. The basic strength of the flour is as stated above but there are significant levels of bran in the flour. Biscuits made with brown flours do not develop to the same thickness during baking as do similar recipes with white flour. This is because the bran particles interrupt the structure and impair the formation of fine gas bubbles that are the basis of the structural development. Brown flours are less satisfactory to handle in bulk, so it is common practice to add an appropriate quantity of bran to white flour as a separate ingredient. In this way the majority of the flour can be bulk handled and the bran that is added can be of the desired particle size. Uses and functions of wheat flours for biscuits 4.2.3 quality Changes in flour quality will probably first be noticed in the dough consistency. The dough will be tighter or softer than expected due to a change in water absorption properties. The main reasons for changes in water absorption are changes in flour moisture or protein content. Common dough and baking problems related to flour