It was the Egyptians who discovered how to make yeast-leavened breads between 2,000 and 3,000 B.C. Since wheat is the only grain with enough gluten content to make a raised loaf of bread, wheat quickly became favored over other grains grown at the time, such as oats, rice, and barley. The workers who built the pyramids in Egypt were paid in bread.

In 150 B.C., the first bakers' guilds were formed in Rome. Roman bakeries produced a variety of breads and distributed free bread to the poor in times of need.

In 1202, England adopted laws to regulate the price of bread and limit bakers' profits. Many bakers were prosecuted for selling loaves that did not conform to the weights required by local laws. As a result of the bread trials in England in 1266, bakers were ordered to mark each loaf of bread. The bakers' marks were among the first trademarks.

Wheat is not native to the United States. It was not grown by the colonists because it did not do well in the New England soil and climate.

Self-Rising Flour - All-purpose flour with salt and leavening added. One cup of self-rising flour contains 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Self-rising flour can be substituted for all-purpose flour in a recipe by reducing salt and baking powder according to these proportions.

Pastry Flour - Flour milled from soft, low gluten wheat. In comparison to cake flour, the protein is comparable but pastry flour has less starch. This flour is generally used for baking pastries.

Cookie Flour - Flour milled from lower-protein soft wheat.

When wheat began to be cultivated and not just gathered, people began to develop ways to grind more grain at one time. At first, a couple of good stones were used. Then sloping or saddle stones or a simple mortar and pestle were used. This was very physical labor as it took several hours to grind enough grain for just one meal. The coarsely ground grain also wore down people's teeth. The flour would contain powdered bits of stone as well as the grain.

Spring wheats are planted in late spring, usually before or in the month of April. Spring wheats do not go thru a dormant stage, but just develop and mature until they are harvested.

Millstones, two large stones that were turned against each other, developed next. Some mills used slave labor or other human labor to turn the stones. Horses, oxen, and then water and wind were used to turn the top millstone against the bottom stone, with the grain being fed in between the stones. The Romans are believed to be the first to use waterpower for milling flour around 100 B.C.

Bread Flour - Flour ground from hard red spring wheat and milled primarily for commercial bakers. Similar to all-purpose flour, bread flour has greater gluten strength and is generally used for yeast breads.

Some topics in this essay:
Plains Kansas, Thomas Jefferson, AD Wooden, Flour Wheat, October Winter, Rome Roman, Flour Flour, Chillicothe Missouri, BC Swiss, Flour All-purpose, winter wheat, red winter, red winter wheat, wheat grown, hard red, wheat flour, flour milled, white wheat, hard red winter, all-purpose flour, soft white, durum wheat, soft white wheat, white wheat grown, soft red winter,