Cereals

-Cereals-

Endosperm – starch/protein

Germ - where new plant begins

Bran – outside layer

Strong wheats have high protein content. Weak wheats have less protein

Wheat is milled to make flour.

Wheat flour

Classified according to how much and which parts of grain are used and type of wheat

- % of grain used in flour = extraction (White – 72%, Wholemeal – 80/90%)

- Hard wheat – higher protein content

- Soft wheat produces soft flour – less protein

- All flour contain – 70-80% starch, 2% sugar (maltose)

Quality

- Plain white flours – medium strength. Contain 10% protein (e.g. cakes, biscuits, shortcrust pastry)

- Strong flours - high protein content. (elastic, stretchy dough) (e.g. bread, pasta)

- Granary flour – mix of white and rye flour, whole grains and malt extract added

- Self raising flours – medium soft flours – chemical raising agents added

- Soft/cake flour – low protein content – produces melt in the mouth texture. (e.g biscuits and cakes)

Nutritional Value

- Flour/bread – good source of energy. Supply protein

- NSP/dietary fibre, higher in flour with high extraction rate

Functional Properties

Gluten

- Gluten produced when water added to flour

- Stretches easily

- Fat and sugar reduce strength of gluten

- When heated, gluten stretched by bubbles of gas (produced by e.g. yeast), makes product rise

- Gluten proteins coagulate – produce stable, risen product

Starch

Gelatinization

- 60°C, starch granules between to absorb water

- 85°C, granules absorbed 5X their volume of water

- Granules swell, make a paste – gel

Browning

- As temp. rises, starch turns brown.

Rice

Nutritional Value

- High energy value

- High carbohydrate content

Types

- White rice – bran/germ removed

- Brown rice – outer husk removed

- Easy cook rice – starch partly gelatinized

- Short grain rice – clump together

- Long grain rice – fluffy, firm, separate

Maize

Nutritional Value

- Made up entirely of starch

Used as vegetable, flour and cereals

Cereal

- Milled/processed to produce e.g muesli

- Ground oatmeal – cakes, digestive biscuits etc