The flour's water absorption is connected not only with the ability to bind water, but also yield of the obtained dough. It is connected with the quality of bread and production profitability; however, this feature is still quite unknown and underestimated. Flour coming from different mills vary in the ability to bind water – water absorption within 45 – 67 % (and higher) using the world-wide comparable consistency of 500 standard units. Therefore, it is worth to select and purchase flour of high water absorption, which is connected with large additional water pouring in the dough production process. Such additional pouring can be calculated from the following formula when water absorption is known:
(A – B) · 0,4
Xp = ------------------- + W
20
where:
xp - % of water addition per 100 kg of flour selected for production dough for
a particular assortment
A - constant dough consistency (500 s.u.) when water absorption of the
tested flour is determined
B - dough consistency planned by a process engineer
W - water absorption result obtained from the instrument or read from the
certificate delivered by the flour supplier (seldom practice)
Construction
- burette controlled electronically
- water feeder
- bowl
- connector pipes of thermostat
- base
- reversible gear
- motor-reducer
- drive unit
- display of results
- measurement button
- power cable
- switch
- water container for burette
- overflow container
Technical parameters
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dimensions - 410 x 170 x 580 mm
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weight - approx. 8 kg
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drive – engine SEK 253, 1300 rpm
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automatic burette – power of 1 W
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power - 25 W
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measurement range - 45 – 65 %, accuracy ± 0,2 %
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bowl capacity - 25 g of flour
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measuring temperature - 30 ºC
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test time - 3 – 4 minutes
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reading on digital reader
Water absorption depends on moisture and ability to absorb water by flour colloidal substances, that is on gluten quantity and quality, quantity and quality of starch and other flour constituents, as well as milling and granulation degree. Quantity of water which is bound by gluten ranges according to Banecki from 170 to 210 % of its dry mass. Starch binds about 30 % of water in relation to its mass. The mechanical damage degree of starch during milling has a significant influence on water absorption by flour.
