The Formation and Development of Gluten

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top 1000How Baking Works
How Baking Works

By Paula Figoni

Published 2003

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Flour itself does not contain gluten. Instead, flour contains two proteins (glutenin and gliadin) that form gluten when water is added. Besides water, gluten requires mixing to form a strong, continuous network.

Gluten is a dynamic system, constantly changing as it is handled, but overall, it becomes strong and stretchy as it is mixed. Glutenin is thought to provide most of the strength, also called tenacity, to gluten, while gliadin provides its stretchiness, or extensibility. Glutenin also provides elasticity to gluten; that is, its ability to bounce back once it is stretched or pressed.