In an era when many people are actively avoiding gluten, you may have noticed that there seems to be a strange product in the baking aisle of the grocery store: active wheat protein. This powdery substance is rich in protein, suitable for vegetarians, and can change your baking method at any time.
How is Active Wheat Protein made?
Although technically it is not flour, active wheat protein is a flour-like powder that contains almost all gluten and minimal starch. It is made by hydrating wheat flour, which activates gluten protein and then processes it to remove all substances except gluten. It is then dried and ground into powder again.
How do you use important wheat gluten?
Baking
Active wheat protein is usually listed as "optional" in baking recipes, but it is a useful ingredient. Because it is a concentrated wheat protein, adding a tablespoon or two of important active wheat protein to your next loaf of bread can increase its elasticity and produce better crumbs and chewiness in the final product. The recommended ratio is one tablespoon of important wheat gluten for every two cups of flour. This is particularly useful for bread recipes that use low-protein flour varieties (such as whole wheat or rye) or recipes that have a lot of mixed ingredients (such as nuts or fruits) to provide more structure and stability.
Artificial meat
Another major use of important wheat c is seitan, also known as "wheat meat", which is a vegetarian meat substitute. Seitan is usually made by mixing important wheat gluten with spices and seasonings, and then adding liquid. Once a hard dough is formed, it can be steamed, grilled or boiled to create a chewy and salty texture similar to meat. Cheongtan can be used to imitate chicken, breakfast sausage, sausage, and more.