What is Gluten?

Gluten is a form of protein, which exists in some of the grass related grains like wheat, barley and rye. It is a composite of gliadin and glutenin. It offers dough or elastic like consistency to flours, which are derived from wheat, rye and barley. It has an absorbent quality, so it is widely used in making breads and other baked food items.

Role of gluten in making breads:

When you knead the dough made with wheat flour, gluten is formed, as the glutenin molecules connect with gliadin. If you leave the dough with yeast, fermentation occurs and the bubbles of carbon-dioxide in it are trapped by the composites of gluten. The most significant properties of dough are viscoelasticity, thermosetting properties and the ability to retain gases. These properties have close links to gluten properties. Glutenin molecules have two molecular mass –HMM (higher Molecular Mass) and LMM (lower). The HMM subunits are mainly responsible for providing high levels of elasticity in dough. On the downside, gluten is the most important factor responsible for staling of bread.

Gluten development affects the texture of breads and baked foods. Tender baked goods contain less development of gluten, whereas deeply baked products like pizza contain more development of gluten. If you increase the wetness of the dough, gluten development would be more. Gluten is dried and grinded to derive in powdered form, which is then added to ordinary flour dough to raise the structural stability and chewiness of the breads. More often, the pet foods contain gluten powder to enhance the protein content.

Gluten is included in different proportions in different flours. There are various types of gluten flours available in the market and the most common is wheat gluten. Pure gluten flour is added to flours to provide supplemental protein. It is more popular in low carb foods. In some of the Asian countries, gluten flour is used in vegetarian cuisines as a substitute for meat.

Gluten free diet:

Gluten can cause severe or mild forms of Celiac diseases, especially for those who have sensitivity to wheat gluten. It is reported that 0.5 to 1.0 percent Americans are sensitive to gluten. In order to stay well, people with gluten intolerance must take gluten free diet. Even a small amount of gluten can damage their small intestine. The gluten free diet includes bean, soybean, but flour and millet. Pure buck wheat is also accepted as a good gluten free diet. Gluten free breads are also available in the market and they can consume them.