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Re: Canadian Flour

From: Gerard

Comments

American regulations on all food products are below most other countries. US regs for hi-gluten are 17% gluten (the protein, not actual gluten). Same or similar flour in France is 21%. Ditto for chocolate,butter,creams,milk,eggs are a complete basketcase in the US right now, etc etc.

You can get around the problem by developing the gluten more with US flour, instead of waiting the full alloted time for the 1st rise, knock it back earlier. For example if you let it rise 1 hr ...just let it go 1/2 hr then knock it back but don't count the knock back as one rise. Its just half of the first rise so you're going to knock it down again in another 30 minutes to complete the first rise. You'll see the dough is much more developed by the time you get to the second rise.(after 1 hr) Proceed as normal....or just use Canadien (milled) flour. Another option is buy gluten (essential gluten) from a health food store and perk the flour up a bit. There are other flours available such as First clear in the US, this refers to the first extraction from the wheat after the bran is removed, the outer part of the wheat (nib?) is known to contain stronger gluten. Patent flour might be higher in gluten too (can't remember all these different flours) but most of these options are only sold to bakeries.

Kansas Hard winter wheat IS good wheat, its what they do with it that ruins it.

Regards, Gerard