Irene Pan

Flour I & II Lab Report

I. Purpose/Objective:
There were four experiments done over the course of two weeks: making bread with
different flours, making gluten balls, making scones with different variations of leavening
agents, and making cakes with different variations of ingredients. The objective of
making bread with different flours was to determine what type of flour yields the best
bread and the effect of gluten on the bread structure. Both the uncooked dough and the
cooked bread were used to make the evaluations, and all evaluations were subjective.
Specifically, the bread dough was evaluated based on its elasticity and cohesiveness, and
the cooked bread was evaluated based on its crust color, aroma, moistness, overall texture,
and height. The different breads were all measured against the all-purpose flour control
bread, and ranked on a scale of 1 to 9 (1 being the least desirable, 5 being the control, and
9 being the most desirable).
For the gluten balls, the objective was to determine the amount of gluten formed in each
type of flour. By measuring the amount of gluten in the dough, we can quantify the
amount and compare that numerical value with the sensory evaluations to determine what
effect gluten has on the bread structure and quality.
Scones were baked with different leavening agents to determine its effects. The baked
scones were evaluated against the control based on taste, appearance, and pH levels. As
for the cakes, the leavening agents remained the same, but the amount of fat, sugar, and
milk varied. The cakes were evaluated based on taste, appearance, and height. The cakes
were also matched to the descriptions in the lab manual to understand more specifically
the role of each of the main ingredients.
II. Data:
1. Data of bread height and % gluten.
Station

Flour

Bread Height (cm)

% Gluten

Corn

8.5

0%

Rice

4.5

0%

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C

Rye

6.2

0.59%

Oat

5.0

57.23%

Gluten

27.5

63.17%

Whole Wheat

8.5

15.65%

All

All Purpose

8.8

13.84%

2. Dough and Baked Bread Sensory Score Sheets

A=Oat Flour / B=Rye Flour / C=Corn Flour
D=Rice Flour / E=Gluten Flour / F=Whole Wheat Flour
Dough:

1=Least

5=Control

9=Most

Elastic:

1 DC B

Cohesive:

1B

Bread:

1=Least desirable

5=Control

Crust Color:

1C

Aroma:

Moistness:

1CD

Overall Texture: 1CD

DA

5
F

B
F

AB

EA

F
C

9
9

9=Most Desirable
E

5BDA EC

3. Data of Cake Variations description based on appearance, texture, taste, height of the
cakes, and description of faults match.

Cake

Appearance

Texture

Taste

+50% Fat

Shiny

Doughy

Greasy

Description
of faults
E

Height (cm)

7.0

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-50% Fat

White

Spongey

Chewy

9.0

+50% Sugar

Tan Top

Hard

Really Sweet

6.5

-50% Sugar

Yellow

Dense

Eggy

8.4

+50% Milk

White

Moist

Sweet

7.4

-50% Milk

Tan Top

Dry

Sweet, Eggy

7.7

Fluffy, Moist

Sweet

n/a

8.3

Control

Tan Brown
top

4. Data of Scone Appearance, Texture, Taste, pH, and acid/base of each leavening agent.

Scone

Appearance

Texture

Taste

pH

Acid

Base

Baking Soda

Browner

Chewy

Bitter

10.1

NaHCO3

NaHCO3

Cream of Tartar

Whiter

Doughy

Sour

4.02

KHC4H4O6

No Addition

Yellowish/Tannish

Fluffy

Sweet

7.02

Yellowish

Dry

Sweet

6.93

H2C4H4O6

NaHCO3

6.25

KHC4H4O6

NaHCO3

3.20

H2C4H4O6

6.82

NaAl(SO4)2 +

Tartaric Acid
+Baking Soda
Cream of Tartar

A little burnt,

+ Baking Soda

yellowish

Tartaric Acid

Flat, White

Doughy

Control

Yellowish

Moist

Moister

A little
sweet
Very
Sour
Sweet

NaAl(SO4)2 +
Ca(H2PO4)2

NaHCO3

NaHCO3

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Ca(H2PO4)2

III. Questions:
1. The two main amino acids that appear in large amounts in gluten forming proteins are
Glutamine and Proline. Glutamine is responsible for contributing to the doughs viscosity
because its hydrophilic characteristic allows it to form hydrogen bonds with itself and the
surrounding water. Proline also has polar characteristics which allow it to bind to water.
Both Glutamines and Prolines polar characteristics help form the viscoelastic properties
of gluten.

Glutamine

Proline

2. The chemical processes that occurred during the baking of bread include the formation of
CO2 from yeast making the bread rise, protein coagulation with starch gelatinization
making the structure, water evaporation making a drier product, and Maillard browning
of the surface to form the crust. The physical changes that occurred during baking include
the trapping of gas making the bread rise, the melting of fat creating the flavor, starches
becoming more solidified, and the hard crust forming on top.
3. Baking powders have two reaction stages: one during the mixing of the ingredients and
another during the heating or baking of the bread. These two reaction stages ensure the
ingredients are leavened, making this a fool-proof chemical leaven agent for easy
application.
4. The four main ingredients in a pound cake are flour, fat, sugar, and eggs. The flour
contained proteins that were mainly important for structure. Fat was important for
providing a matrix for air cell retention, increasing the volume of the product as the

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trapped air expand when baked. Sugar not only flavored the cake, but also increased the
batter aeration, weakened the gluten formation that created a softer product, and retained
water in the product for a moist texture. Eggs helped with the product structure, acted as a
foam stabilizer, and a flavoring ingredient. All of these are essential to creating the
delicious qualities of a cake.