Ash Content

Italian flour is classified by ash content. Ash content refers to the mineral content of a flour, and is determined by burning a given quantity of flour under prescribed conditions and measuring the residue. The mineral content varies and depends on many factors, such as the variety of wheat, the terrain, the fertilization, and the climate. The greater portion of minerals found in a kernel of wheat is contained in the germ, and husk, or bran, and the least amount in the endosperm. As a consequence, if a flour contains a greater number of bran particles, it has a more elevated ash content. The determination of the ash content serves to estimate the degree of the endosperm separation from the bran during milling, i.e. the grade of flour. Generally, flours thought to be of higher quality are more refined and produce less ash. In spite of the fact that there is a positive correlation of ash content with the extraction rate of flour, and that European bakers make great use of this indicator, Pyler (3) states: "The ash content of flour cannot, however, be taken as an unequivocal index of flour extraction for two previously mentioned reasons: (a) the mineral content of wheat varieties cultivated under different growth conditions can vary markedly, and (b) not all wheat varieties have the same mineral content gradient from the peripheral tissues of the wheat kernel to the endosperm. Since the bran portions of wheat contribute to the color of flour, the objective measurement of flour color may be a more reliable indication of its quality" The following tables are provided for the readers general interest. Table VI and table VII are excerpted from Il Manuale del Panificatore (5). Table VI compares Italian and German flour types relative to ash content. Table VII describes French flour types according to ash content and extraction rate. Table VIII is excerpted from Special and Decorative Breads (2), and compares French and American flour relative to ash content and extraction ratio.
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