Flours! Can we clarify this once for ever?
Good morning
I have spent already over hundreds of hours reading books, reading forums, watching videos in at least 4 languages about flours. I am still lost. What about all experts hereby help to clarify this once for ever for International users!
Among countries, flours have all the most fanciest classifications. Not easy to follow an excellent Chilean recipe in Indonesia for instance. And it could be so simple if all over the world we would agree to classify flours according an ISO scale!:-)) Like in photography for instance.
In the mean time please help me all here.
In France they use the T++. The number correspond to the % of ashes left after a laboratory process. BUT it doesn't tell me the % of proteins to form gluten in my breads. T45 has low ashes percent, very fine, very white. How is it called in UK, USA and other countries?
Here in Indonesia they use the protein content in %. Very clever way!
But what is the relation between let us say a T55 and a T65? Which one has more proteins? How much in average? What about a US bread flour or strong bread flour? What is the average content in proteins? In Indonesia we can find easily flours with 8-9/ 10-11/ 12-13/ 14 % of proteins. Which is the one I need to use for baguettes in order to avoid crust like dried lasagnas :-) Same goes for a sandwich bread or a pizza.
I would like to see here suggestions from all over the world and perhaps the owner of this Excellent Forum could come up with a proposal for an ISO system for flours??
Thank you for your kind attention and take very well care of yourself.
Jean Paul Reuland
Unfortunately, Jean Paul I don’t think this can be settled. It would be nice if all countries got on the same page, but that’s not likely. I wished all flour was specified with the Italian method of flour spec sheets. Even if two flours from different countries had similar specs, the characteristics of the grain would be different. I live in the USA and bought imported French flour for baguettes. The breads were like nothing I've ever tasted. The grain was grown and milled in France and there is a distinct difference. Even if the ash, protein, and glutenin and gliadin in the American flours were identical...
Unless you can purchase the specific flour online or locally, or you can find someone that is familiar with the specified flour and can recommend a local flour that is perfect compatible or near perfect matches are not likely.
You may also be able to find an experienced baker that is from your country and is baking your type of bread for their recommendation.
Kristen of Full Proof Baking has conducted Flour Stress Test. See a little about it HERE. I think she has a video on this. I’ll ask her about it and get back to you is she does.
Suppose there was a fine German car that is never exported abroad. You live in another country and have read all of the specs, seen all of the images, and talked with many of the car owners on the Internet. With all of that information, you will never know what driving that car is like without actually climbing inside and taking that baby out for a drive :-)
I wished I could paint a prettier picture.
Danny
BTW - for baguettes, if you can get some T65 French Flour!
I can recommend this flour if you can find it in your country.
https://www.lepicerie.com/pastry-ingredients/ingredients/french-flours-traditional-and-organic/le-moulin-dauguste-traditional-wheat-flour-t65/
I agree with you! Interesting video although above 65% hydration it is not my cup of tea. The scale I am talking about doesn't have to me proteins. It could be ashes. 100 gr flour from anywhere in the world at 900C° for several hours gives a certain result. The process goes for french farmers from various areas so soils and weather conditions are not taken in consideration. But let us think about it. I saw many people struggling also on this forum:-)
Jean Paul
Thank you for the link. It seems that this flour is rather low in proteins as about 10%. Richard Bertinet in the UK uses Strong Bread Flour! I guess around 12-13%!
Bienvenu a TFL!
Here is a web page where I learned a lot about flour...
http://www.theartisan.net/Flours_One.htm
I had to read it several times.
Besides ash%, and protein %, the important specifications are "W" and "P/L".
Bon appétit!
Thank you for the link and your attention. I read and printed this article several months ago. :-)
Regards
I have the link mentioned in my first post. It may help you to evaluate your flours.
Check out THE FLOUR STRESS TEST.
Thank you!