Durum Wheat For Making Pasta

Pasta products like spaghetti and maccheroni usually are processed from coarse semolina milled from durum wheat by extrusion. Durum wheat variety differs from the other wheats in term of having endosperm that does not break into fine flour when milled but into coarse semolina, ideal for pasta making.

Other products that using durum wheat include: couscous, burghul, and several other traditional foods.

High protein semolina from durum wheats will generally yield semolina of uniform particle size with a minimum number of starchy semolina particles, eventually will hydrate evenly during mixing to produce pasta that is strong and elastic.

One of the characteristics of pasta made of durum wheat is when cooked, the pasta will swell and leaving minimal residue in the cooking water, while remaining firm to the point of serving.

Glutenins and gliadin are the most influence type of proteins on the strength and elastic properties of dough. In production of pasta, gluten must be tenacious enough to retain the gelatinized starch granules during pasta cooking.
Durum Wheat For Making Pasta

Wheat protein

Noodles are long thin piece of food made from a mixture of flour, water and eggs usually cooked in soup or boiling water. Noodles are rich in nutrition, easy to cook, and delicious traditional foods in Asian countries besides their increasing demand in many Western countries. Tra ditionally, wheat flour has been mainly used for noodles preparation.

Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) produces one-seeded fruits, which are called grains or kernels. The pleasant flavor, long shelf-life and unique gluten forming characteristics of wheat products like pasta, noodles, bread, chapatti etc. make them very attractive among other cereals.

Quantity, composition (quality), type and viscoelastic properties of wheat gluten proteins are important for bread-making. Gluten comprises some 75% protein on a dry weight basis, with most of the remainder being starch and lipids. Their biological function is to provide carbon, nitrogen and energy sources for seed germination and seedling growth.

The two distinct groups of the gluten polymer that were classified reflected their solubility in 70% ethanol, namely glutenins and gliadins. The gliadins are single polypeptide chains and the glutenins are comprising polymers with subunits linked by disulphide bonds, is particularly important.

The wheat gluten proteins correspond to the major storage proteins that are deposited in the starchy endosperm cells of the developing grain. These form a continuous proteinaceous matrix in the cells of the mature dry grain and are brought together to form a continuous viscoelastic network when flour is mixed with water to form dough. Dough mixing requirement, rheological properties of optimally mixed dough and gas retention property of fermenting dough are determined by gluten proteins.

Wheat prolamins are the major storage proteins present in the starchy endosperm cells of the grain, where they are synthesized and deposited via the secretory system. Prolamins are high content of the amino acids, proline and glutamine.

The non-prolamin proteins; albumins and globulins of wheat, comprises 15-20% of total wheat flour proteins. Albumins are soluble in water and globulins are soluble in salts.
Wheat protein

Texture of pasta

Perfectly cooked pasta should feel firm to the bite. This texture is described in Italian as al dente, or “to the tooth”. At this stage, the pasta will have no raw flour taste, but will reveal a tiny chalky-white center.

Protein content has long been recognized as the primary factor associated with superior pasta texture. Durum wheat gluten strength and physical dough properties are highly heritable but environmental strongly influences pasta texture.

Several factors have been found to impact on the final texture of pasta. The most important factors to be considered are cooking time, water to pasta ration, hardness and pH of cooking water and time elapsed between draining of cooked pasta and testing.

Time elapsed after draining has been shown to affect pasta firmness and stickiness, whereas water hardness has been found to impact in surface stickiness. Cooking time and water to pasta ration influence all textural parameters.

Final judgment of pasta quality is based on evaluation of cooked texture. This evaluation is best done by subjective texture panels.
Texture of pasta

The best flour for making noodles

Classification of wheat flour is based on grain properties such as softness/hardness, winter, spring growth habit, red/white bran and protein content.

Starch and protein, two major components of wheat flour, largely determine the processing and product quality of many wheat-based foods, not only because of their proportions in wheat four, but also due to their wide variations in functional properties.

Middle-wheat flour is best suited for noodles, hard and semi hard wheat flours are best for bread and soft-wheat flour is used when making a cake.

In Asian noodles, physicochemical and characteristics of starch and protein may play a much bigger role in processing and product quality than in any baked products including bread, cookies, cakes and pastries.

Wheat flour with ~ 10% protein content is considered suitable for white salted noodle-making. A positive relationship has been reported between protein content and textural properties of noodles.

Water absorption for making noodles, dough mixing, and sheeting, frying and cooking, as well as texture of cooked noodles are all largely governed by the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of starch and protein.

Flour from medium-hard wheat genotypes with low ash content, high flour whiteness, medium protein content, medium to strong gluten type and good starch viscosity is considered suitable for making Chinese noodles.
The best flour for making noodles

Gluten in wheat flour

All the pastas are held together by the gluten proteins of wheat flour.  Starch and rice noodles contain no gluten.

Protein content was unchanged from wheat flour to cooked noodles, but gluten protein components changed significantly after mixing and cooking.

Wheat four contains as many as thirty proteins, and two of those – glutenin and gliadin – form gluten when stirred with moisture. These two proteins grab water and connect to form elastic strands of gluten. If flour has a lot of these proteins, it grabs up water faster, making the strong and springy gluten.

Gluten is a tough, elastic grayish substance resembling chewing gum. In is the gluten in flour that, when a dough is kneaded, helps hold in the gas bubbles formed by leavening agent.

About 80 percent of wheat gluten consumed in the United States serves as an input to the baking industry, with some slight year to year variations depending upon the quality of the wheat crop.
Gluten in wheat flour

Homemade Noodles

Homemade Noodles
People who belong to the younger generation may question why those in the older generation go to the trouble of making their own noodle, when they may be obtained for reasonable price at most supermarkets. The answer is that making homemade noodles allows the cook to incorporate ingredients as desired, within the limits of good culinary practices.

Basic Ingredients
Commercial pasta production generally utilize a dough containing about 70% solids and 30% water, which is a good general guideline for the maximum amount of liquid needed for a given amount of meal or flour. This works out to one egg per cup of sifted flour.

High Protein Noodles
The quantity and quality of protein in noodles may be increased considerably by the addition of certain ingredients. For example, the substitutions of defatted soy flour for only one-eighth of the wheat flour raises the quantity of protein by about 40%, and makes the protein quality almost equal to that of animal protein. It is best not to add nonfat dry milk, because this ingredient weakens dough. Professional pasta makers get around this problem by adding carrageenan to strengthen the dough.

Seasoning and Spices for Noodle Doughs
These should be added as fine, dry powder, because larger particle may weaken the noodles. Some typical seasonings that might be used are basil, bay leaf, garlic, onion, oregano, sage and thyme.

Vegetable Ingredients
Purees made from deeply colored vegetables add considerable color to noodles. However, only limited amounts of purees can be use without adding excessive water. It might be wise to experiment first by adding small amounts of food purees such as beets, carrots, creamed spinach, green beans, beans, sweet potato, and tomato soup. However ration of egg to flour would have to be reduced in order to allow for the water in the puree.
Homemade Noodles

Flour protein requirements of instant noodle

Instant noodles are the fastest growing sector of the noodle industry and play a key role in the nutritional requirements of many Asian countries.

It was reported that along with starch pasting properties, protein content and protein quality should also be considered in the evaluation of suitability of flours for making instant noodles.

Protein content of wheat has been found to have a positive relationship with textural properties, especially hardness of cooked noodles.

Hardness of cocked noodles increases significantly as protein content is increased.

Flour protein requirements vary with the type and quality of the instant noodle produced ranging from 7-9.5 percent for a general high-quality noodle to 11.5-12 percent for a cup noodle.

The nature of the protein is critical; that a moderately strong viscoelastic glutenin be formed to stabilized and impart the desired chewiness to the noodle.

Gluten, the viscoelastic protein composite which results from the mixing of gliadin and glutenin proteins, must have sufficient strength to handle multiple sheeting passes without tearing yet retain elasticity to avoid excessively shrinkage after rolling.

These proteins will stabilized and impart the desired chewiness to the noodles.

Elasticity is the noodle dough is also important from a processing aspect as too strong dough will cause shrinkage after each roller pass.
Flour protein requirements of instant noodle

Flour for Japanese noodles

Japanese noodle flour must be prepared so that it has the characteristics that suit the preferences of Japanese consumers. Japanese eating habits have been influenced mainly by rice, leading to the so-called ‘rice culture’.

Noodles can be made from either red wheat or white wheat. However, white wheat has an advantage over red wheat for making noodles because the bran specks from the white wheat are less conspicuous.

The characteristics of noodles are related to the flour type used for noodle dough. Flour rather rich in gluten - either all purpose or bread flour is used for wheat noodles.

Wheat protein content is an important determinant of noodle quality. As flour protein increases, noodle firmness increases.

Soft wheat is used for Japanese white salted noodles, whereas hard wheat is used for yellow alkaline noodles.

The hardness of wheat has an influence on the milling process. The particle size of soft wheat flour is finer than hard wheat flour and generally, soft wheat flour is lower in protein content than hard wheat flour.

Numerous researchers have provided evidence that moderately high swelling wheat starch in flour is important to the quality of Japanese salt noodles. By contrast, wheat flours with low swelling starch are preferred for alkaline noodles in Japan.
Flour for Japanese noodles

Protein in Noodle

Protein in Noodle
Wheat flour protein content, as in other wheat-based products, has a major influence on mixing and sheeting properties as well as on noodle appearance surface smoothness, cooking time, fat intake (in instant fried noodles), and textural properties.

Qualitative effects of protein on noodle processing and product quality have received less attention by cereal chemist and are less well known than the role of protein content.

Considering the fact that protein content of wheat largely depends on environmental conditions while protein quality is mostly determined by genotype background and that wheat flour with a narrow range of protein content is used by manufacturers for the production of the specific types of noodles, protein quality is what wheat breeders pay attention to for the development of what gives rose to variations in processing and product quality of noodles.

However, comparatively little is known about the protein quality of wheat desirable for making noodles, nor has a guideline for selecting and developing noodle wheat varies been established.

In addition to protein content, the protein quality of flour, as expressed by sodium dodecyl sulfate sedimentation volume, mixograph subunits score, has a large influence on processing and textural properties of Asian noodle.

A Healthier Whole Wheat Pasta

A Healthier Whole Wheat Pasta
Whole-wheat pasta is generally known to be better for you because whole-wheat pasta contains the entire grain seed. Whole-wheat pasta contains vitamins, minerals and fiber, some of which are lost in the refining process when pasta is made from refined and processed flour.

The reason
The main reason that so many people prefer processed pasta, to whole-wheat pasta, is that the processed pasta has a slightly different taste and texture than the whole-wheat variety, and many people have become accustomed to processed pasta. It is true that whole grain pasta is better for you, and offers health benefits that you won't find in processed pasta.

Whole-wheat pasta is brown and has a stronger taste than the pasta that most people are accustomed to eating. It comes in many different shapes and sizes. Some people say the differences take some getting used to while others notice very little difference.

Nutrition of whole-wheat pasta
Whole-wheat pasta is not only higher in natural nutrients but it also contains more fiber. In addition, whole-wheat pastas tend to have a lower glycemic index. What this means is that it will not raise your insulin level. This is very important if you are a diabetic or attempting to lose weight.

Though people have grown accustomed to the mellow taste and texture of refined pasta, whole-wheat pasta is higher in protein, and tends to be more filling, so you eat less. It becomes lighter as it cooks and can be quite delicious when served with flavorful sauces. It is a common misconception that pasta is a very fattening food. Pasta is not necessarily fattening as it is made from grain, which is a naturally low fat food.

It is the sauce that you put on the pasta that adds the calories to the meal. If you want to eat pasta but keep your calorie count low, you could eat whole-wheat pasta topped with a low calorie sauce.

Today whole wheat pasta
As a result of new technology, today's whole-wheat pasta has improved in the past few years to be even more palatable with better texture. Some of today's whole-wheat pasta is very tasty when cooked correctly and complimented with the right sauces. Dieticians and doctors will usually tell you that whole-wheat pasta is your best choice for health. You will get far more nutrition and fewer calories that you will with refined pasta.

By choosing whole grain pasta, you can put your favorite Italian dishes back on the menu without sacrificing your health.
A Healthier Whole Wheat Pasta
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com
By Jessica Ackerman