Lab Activity: Separating Gluten from Wheat Flour

Objective

In this lab, we will explore gluten, a protein found in wheat flour, and its role in the structure of dough. You will learn how to separate gluten from flour by washing away the starch and, in a second experiment, separate both gluten and fiber from whole wheat flour.

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Materials Needed

• 2 cups of bread flour (for part 1)

• 2 cups of whole flour (for part 2)

• ¾ cup of water (approximate, adjust as needed)

• Mixing bowl

• Strainer or sieve

• Extra water for washing

• Paper towels or drying surface

Part 1 Procedure: Bread Flour

Step 1: Measuring the Flour

• Measure 2 cups of bread flour and place it in a mixing bowl.

Step 2: Adding Water

• Add approximately ¾ cup of water to the flour. You may need to add a little more or less water to get a soft dough, but the dough should be smooth and firm (not too dry or too sticky).

Step 3: Kneading the Dough

• Mix the water and flour until a dough forms, then knead the dough vigorously with your hands for about 10 minutes. The goal is to develop the gluten by kneading.

Step 4: Washing the Dough

• Fill a bowl with water. Place the dough in the bowl and gently knead it under water. The water will become cloudy as the starch is washed out of the dough.

• Strain the water out, refill with clean water, and repeat this process. Continue washing and straining until the water becomes clear, indicating that most of the starch has been removed.

Step 5: Observing the Gluten

• After washing, what remains is gluten—a stretchy, elastic substance. This is what gives bread its chewy texture and structure.

Download a printable PDF version of this lab.

Part 2 Procedure: Whole Wheat Flour

Step 1: Measuring the Whole Wheat Flour

• Measure 2 cups of whole wheat flour and place it in a separate bowl.

Step 2: Adding Water

• As with the bread flour, add approximately ¾ cup of water and mix to form a dough.

Step 3: Kneading the Dough

• Knead the dough vigorously for 10 minutes to develop the gluten.

Step 4: Washing the Dough

• Repeat the washing process as you did with the bread flour dough. Continue until the water becomes clear.

Step 5: Separating Gluten and Fiber

• As you wash the dough made from whole wheat flour, you’ll notice that not only the starch but also small pieces of fiber (bran) from the dough wash away.

• The gluten will be left behind, just like in the bread flour experiment, but you can also observe the separation of fiber, which gives whole wheat its characteristic texture.

You can collect fiber in a strainer while you wash the whole wheat flour dough.

Final dough from white bread (left) and whole wheat (right).

Download a printable PDF version of this lab.

Conclusion

By the end of this lab, you should have a stretchy ball of gluten from both the bread and whole wheat flour experiments. The whole wheat dough will have more texture due to the presence of fiber (bran), while the bread flour will result in a smoother ball of gluten. This lab demonstrates the importance of gluten in giving structure to dough and how fiber is present in whole wheat flour.

Discussion Questions

1. What is the role of gluten in baking?

2. How does kneading the dough affect gluten development?

3. Why does whole wheat flour produce a different result compared to bread flour?

4. What is the significance of fiber in whole wheat flour?