BAKING QUALITY OF FLOUR

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26396, 14 April 1951, Page 2

BAKING QUALITY OF FLOUR

“MOIST CRUMB” IN BREAD SPROUTING OF GRAIN BEFORE HARVEST “Housewives who think their bread is too moist in the crumb, or underbaked, should not blame their baker but the very bad weather during the wheat harvest this season,” said the director of the Wheat Research Institute (Mr E. W. Hullett) yesterday. Continual wet weather in most parts of Canterbury prevented farmers from harvesting their wheat until it became so wet that the grains began to grow in the ear, he said. In the Otago and Southland areas there was hardly any sprouting, and bread baked from wheat grown in these'districts should be normal. “Consumers need have no fear as to the wholesomeness or nutritional .value of this seemingly moist bread. Actually it is no moister than usual. The use of sprouted wheat is almost equivalent to the use of malt in breadmaking and helps the bread to keep. “Consumers object to bread made from flour which contains too much sprouted wheat, but in seasons such as this they cannot fairly blame the millers or the bakers, Mr Hullett concluded.