PRODUCT INFORMATION SHEET

 


Product Name: VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN                                                                  Revised 02/09/17


Product UPC #:  0-71518-00810-9


Shelf Life of Product: 18 MONTHS


Code Date Location on Package: BOTTOM


Ingredients: VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN, VITAMIN C



Certifications:

•Kosher-Orthodox Union Parve        

•Non-GMO Verified


Health Information:

•No Fat  

•No Sodium

•No Saturated Fat

•No Sugar

•No Trans Fat

•Vegan

•No Cholesterol

•High in Vitamin C


Allergen Information:

•Contains Wheat        

•Dairy Free    

•Egg Free      

•Soy Free

•Produced in a peanut/tree nut free environment

•Produced on shared equipment, may contain traces of milk


Storage recommendation:

•Dry product may be stored at room temperature, in refrigerator, or in freezer at least until the code date on the package.


What to look for if the product is bad:

•Dry product: lumps, clumping, infestation, and atypical odor.


Substitution ratios in recipes: 

•None


Product uses (i.e. as an ingredient, cooked, raw):

•This product is mainly used to enhance bread dough.

•It will extend the shelf life of the bread. It may also be used as a meat substitute in a recipe called seitan.


Nutritional Benefits:

•Good source of protein


Product Specific Questions:


Product of the USA:


What is Vital Wheat Gluten?

It is made by washing wheat flour dough with water until all the starches dissolve, leaving just the gluten.It is powdered gluten.Even though it looks like flour, you cannot make bread with it.It is an additive to bread recipes to act as a binding agent to improve the texture and increase the rise. When combined with water, it becomes very elastic and helps retain the gas and steam from baking and gives more volume to baked bread.


 

How much should I use?

We recommend 4 tsp. per loaf but more can be used for heavier breads. Up to 2 tablespoons can be added per loaf.



Can I make bread out of vital wheat gluten?

No.



What happens if I do not refrigerate it?

It will start to lose its potency.



Why do you add Vitamin C to Vital Wheat Gluten?

Yeast likes an acidic environment. Adding Ascorbic Acid helps the yeast be more productive in the breads. It acts as a dough conditioner. It helps the yeast give your whole grain bread a better rise and gives it a finer, more regular and tender crumb.



What function does Ascorbic Acid perform in baking?

Industrial bakers categorize Ascorbic Acid as a flour ‘improver’ or dough conditioner. In the presence of oxygen, Ascorbic Acid becomes an oxidizing agent and the ‘improvements’ to which it contributes include:

•Strengthened gluten

•Greater loaf volume

•Finer crumb (i.e. smaller, more even cells/bubbles)

•Increased tenderness of the crumb

•Reduced crust thickness

•Faster rising

The net result of Ascorbic Acid is to improve the ability of dough to retain gas (as seen by increased oven spring) and to yield bread with a finer (smaller average cell size) crumb cell structure. These changes also result in bread crumb that is softer to the touch yet has the resiliency to recover much of its original shape after compression. This helps to convey the impression of proved freshness to the consumer.’ Baking Problems Solved, p 55, S. Cauvain & L. Young, Woodhead Publishing (2001)



Does the Vitamin C contain corn?

No



Does it contain Citric Acid or Sulfites?

No



Is Vital Wheat Gluten the same thing as Seitan?

No, Seitan is made from vital wheat gluten. To make Seitan, you mix powdered gluten, with spices and add water to make a dough. When the dough is steamed, baked or boiled it becomes chewy with a meat-like texture.