Low-gluten flour is referred to as low-gluten flour, also called cake flour. It is called thin flour in Japanese. Low-gluten flour refers to flour with a moisture content of 13.8% and a crude protein of less than 9.5%. It is usually used to make cakes, biscuits, Small cakes, puff pastry, etc. When making sponge cakes, low-gluten flour is used. Because low-gluten flour has no gluten, the cake made is particularly soft, enlarged in volume, and has a smooth surface. Low-gluten flour is similar to cake flour and pastry flour in daily life, but in addition to low-gluten flour, cake flour also contains wheat starch and emulsifiers. Low-gluten flour refers to flour with a moisture content of 13.8% and a crude protein of less than 9.5%. It has the functions of nourishing the heart, nourishing the kidneys, removing heat, and quenching thirst.
When choosing flour, the information we want to get is the classification of different products such as high-gluten flour, medium-gluten flour, and low-gluten flour, or the level of flour purity, as well as the expression of minerals, crude protein, etc. . Many people mistakenly think that "high-gluten flour = high-precision flour" when buying flour. In fact, "high-precision" simply means advanced refining. It only indicates the processing technology of wheat and does not indicate the gluten of the flour. Therefore, "Advanced refined" may be high-gluten flour, low-gluten flour, special-grade flour, or second-grade flour. From this point of view, the term "high-precision" is actually unscientific, at least not an industry standard term. Therefore, it is recommended that when purchasing flour, you should pay attention to its protein content, that is, gluten, rather than "high-grade refinement" .
High-gluten flour: darker in color, more active and smooth in nature, and not easy to form into balls when grasped by hand; it is more suitable for making bread and some puff pastry snacks, such as Danish puff pastry. In Western cakes, it is mostly used in waffles (thousand-feuille) and cream puffs (puffs). In terms of cakes, it is limited to high-component fruit cakes.
Medium-gluten flour: milky white in color, between high and low flour, semi-loose in texture; generally used in Chinese snacks, such as steamed buns, steamed buns, noodles, etc. (Note: All commercially available flour without special instructions can be regarded as all-purpose flour. This type of flour is usually marked on the packaging and is suitable for making steamed buns, dumplings, steamed buns, and noodles)
Low-gluten flour: White in color, it is easy to form balls when grasped by hand. The average protein content of low-gluten flour is about 8.5%. It has low protein content and less gluten, so it has weak gluten and is more suitable for making cakes. Pastries that require a fluffy and crispy texture, such as sponge cakes, biscuits, and tart crusts.