Hamburg-based GoodMills Innovation developed a solution to help with fluctuating flour quality, the SMART® Wheat high-protein flour. It helps optimize dough processing properties and achieves consistent baking properties, as it compensates for quality fluctuations in wheat flour. Fluctuating protein content in wheat flour impacts water absorption, dough processing and the quality of the resulting baked goods.

The protein content of wheat flour appears to have been on the decline over the past years, GoodMill observes, presumably, as a result of EU fertilizer regulations. However, climatic changes such as the increased occurrence of droughts can also harm protein formation in wheat grain. The use of SMART® Wheat compensates for harvest-related fluctuations in the basic flour, which improves the quality of the end products and the efficiency of the baking process, the specialist explains.

SMART® Wheat is obtained from protein-rich, high-stretch wheat through purely physical fractionation. Unlike commercially available wheat gluten, GoodMills Innovation does not use water for rinsing or high temperatures during production. Instead, high-protein wheat varieties are finely ground using a gentle crushing process and the highly active, native protein particles are then separated. This air separation process preserves the natural functionalities of the wheat protein.

The native protein it contains enables the gluten network to form more quickly, with direct effects on the dough. Its extensibility is significantly improved, resulting in easy-to-work, fluffy doughs.

SMART® Wheat is suitable for a wide range of end products, from small wheat to multigrain and wholemeal baked goods, yeast doughs and Berliners. Recommended dosages vary depending on the product type and range from 2% to 10%, according to the desired protein quality and specific requirements of the dough. SMART® Wheat is available in both conventional and organic quality.

Photo: GoodMills Innovation