Page:800 proved pecan recipes- their place in the menu (IA 0519PECA).pdf/56

 There are two varieties of wheat: First, the hard, or spring wheat; and second, the soft, or winter wheat. Hard wheat contains starch in a lesser amount and gluten in a greater amount than soft wheat. Hard wheat flour is used for bread where the tenacious, elastic quality of the gluten is needed to hold up the gases which make bread light. Soft wheat, in which starch predominates, is used in making pastry flour.

Bread flour is yellowish in color and slightly gritty or granular to the touch. It passes readily through a sieve and absorbs a comparatively large amount of moisture. Unless otherwise indicated, bread flour is used in recipes where yeast is the leavening material.

Pastry flour is white in color, velvety to the touch, and holds its shape after pressing in the hand. It absorbs a comparatively small amount of moisture. Pastry flour makes a sweeter bread, and may be used to give variety of flavor, but the amount of liquid should be decreased.

1. Whole, or entire wheat flour, which contains all the grain except the outer bran coat.

2. Graham flour, which is made of the whole wheat kernel and is darker in color and coarser in texture than whole wheat flour.

3. White flour which is made from the starchy portion of the wheat, lacks the mineral salts and vitamins of whole wheat or graham flours.

4. Bran, which consists of the outer parts of the wheat kernel, is rich in minerals and laxative in quality.