PEK Academy
Flour, starch and grains.
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Core guide
Dough hydration is total water divided by total flour, expressed as a percentage. With 500 g flour, 65% hydration means 325 g water. Include flour and water from preferments.
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Wheat dough structure comes from the balance between flour capacity, available water, time and mechanical work.
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Flour names describe different things in different markets. Protein percentage is a useful guide to gluten-forming potential; ash reflects mineral content and extraction; particle…
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The gluten network forms when wheat proteins hydrate and connect into a viscoelastic structure; mixing, stretching and time then reorganise and develop that structure.
The same hydration does not always produce the same dough because different flours absorb and retain water differently. Protein, damaged starch, fibre, arabinoxylans, bran, and initial moisture all matter.
Shortcrust and strudel dough need opposite gluten strategies. Limit gluten in shortcrust; develop it in strudel dough through kneading, hydration and resting.
In gluten-free baking, a single naturally gluten-free flour is rarely a reliable 1:1 replacement for wheat flour.
Starch builds the main baked crumb framework as it heats, but raw starch alone retains gas poorly. More fibre or binder usually requires more liquid; do not change either in isolation.
Tapioca is the name for starch and processed products made from cassava root. In baking, the usual ingredient is refined tapioca starch, which many brands also call tapioca flour.
Too much flour can leave less water available relative to total solids and produce a drier, firmer, denser sponge.
Graham flour is a whole wheat flour, usually a coarser style of it. Both contain components of the whole wheat kernel, but particle size varies among manufacturers.
Store flour tightly sealed in a cool, dry, dark place. Refined white flour usually does well in a pantry; whole-grain and higher-fat flours keep quality longer in the refrigerator or freezer when turnover is…
A gluten-free flour blend is not a single substitute for wheat flour. Reliable structure comes from a balance of fine flour, starch, an appropriate binder, enough water and sufficient hydration time.