Falling Number

The Falling Number test measures the activity of the amylase enzymes in a sample of flour, which gives an indication of the diastatic ability of the flour. In the Falling Number test, a hot paste is made with 7 grams of flour and 25 grams of distilled water. This slurry is put into a glass cylinder, and a sort of ski pole– shaped device is placed on the paste. The length of time it takes for the ski pole to descend through the paste is timed, and the resulting number of seconds is the Falling Number value for that sample of flour. If there is a high level of amylase enzymes in the flour sample, the enzymes quickly begin to convert the starch into sugar and break down the viscous paste, and the ski pole falls through quickly, resulting in a low number. If, on the other hand, the enzyme level is low, the conversion of starch into sugar is slow, thus taking longer for the ski pole to break down the paste and descend, and the Falling Number is higher. Therefore, a low Falling Number indicates a flour that is high in enzymes, and a high Falling Number indicates a flour low in enzymes. For the baker, a Falling Number between 225 and 300 indicates a flour with a reasonable level of enzymatic activity.