Flours

It is possible to make flour from almost any pulse or grain. I recommend that you keep a good variety in smallish quantities in your store cupboard. This way you can experiment with them singly or in combination for texture and flavour. Flour begins to lose its nutritional value after six months, so do not buy or store it in bulk. Apart from wheat flours, you will generally find other flours do not contain enough gluten to leaven bread on their own. Gluten is a protein present in many flours. When mixed with water and kneaded, it is gluten that makes the dough stretch. If yeast or baking powder is added, the mixture produces bubbles of air which the gluten traps. It is this process that makes the dough rise. People who suffer from an allergy to gluten can eat bread and cakes made from rye flour.