Question

What is not the purpose of tempering in the production of wheat flour?

• A. Enhancing milling efficiency
• B. Maging dough properties
• C. Controlling flour quality
• D. Controlling the gluten content

Hint:

Gluten content is an intrinsic biochemical property of the wheat class (hard wheat has high gluten, soft wheat has low gluten). Pre-milling tempering only changes physical moisture levels to ease physical separation of bran from endosperm.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Tempering (or conditioning) is a crucial pre-milling step in wheat processing where a calculated amount of water is added to raw wheat grains, followed by a resting period of 6 to 24 hours.

Step 2: Detailed Explation:
Tempering has several specific technical objectives:
- Toughening the Bran: Moisture penetrates the outer layer of the wheat kernel, making the fibrous bran coat tough and leathery.
This prevents the bran from shattering into fine specks during grinding, allowing it to be easily separated as large flakes, which directly controls flour quality (keeping it free from brown specks).
- Mellowing the Endosperm: Water diffuses into the starch-rich endosperm, softening it and making it easier to grind.
This reduces the electrical energy required for milling, thereby enhancing milling efficiency.
- Maging Dough Properties: Proper moisture distribution directly impacts the hydration rate and rheological properties of the fil flour during dough preparation.
- Why Gluten is uffected: The gluten protein content of wheat is genetically determined by the wheat variety (e.g., hard vs. soft wheat) and environmental factors during cultivation.
No amount of physical conditioning or moisture addition (tempering) can alter the absolute amount of gluten-forming proteins (gliadin and glutenin) present inside the grain.

Step 3: Fil Answer:
Tempering cannot be used to control or alter the inherent gluten content of the wheat flour.
Hence, the correct option is (D).