1. Characteristics of Wheat Gluten
Wheat gluten is the substance in flour that keeps the dough stretchy and elastic. When making and kneading bread and other yeast and non-yeast dough, the wheat gluten makes it so you can pull and knead the dough and shape it into just about any form. It also holds the yeast in to give you those light and airy slices of bread we love so much. When using wheat gluten in bread, you also get a wonderful texture that is great for pulling apart after baking. Without wheat gluten, breads turn out like bricks that are broken instead of soft and tearable like wheat bread. This is also the same ingredient that makes pizza crust have that great chewy texture. In fact most pizza crust recipes call for extra wheat gluten added so you get a wonderful, bendable crust. Try a pizza without wheat gluten and you're likely to find a stiff unyielding crust that breaks apart, instead of cutting smoothly as the pizza cutter crosses the crust.
2. The Protein in the Grain
Wheat gluten is the protein part of the wheat grain. Other grains that have this type of protein are barley, rye and sometimes oats. The grains that contain this protein generally make great bread flours and can increase the overall protein in your diet. It's best to select the whole grain variety of these flours as they have the germ and insoluble fiber that contain the majority of the minerals and health benefits the grain possesses. Select unbleached versions of these flours as well.
3. Sometimes You Have to Go Without
Some people are gluten sensitive, which means their bodies process the protein in an unexpected way. Some actually have a gluten allergy, which means their bodies have developed antibodies, or antigens to the wheat protein. When you ingest wheat gluten and your body has the antigens, your body attacks the wheat protein, like it would any other allergen. People with wheat allergies are most likely allergic to the wheat protein, which is the wheat gluten.
4. The Gluten Disease
There is also a disease affiliated with wheat gluten allergy called celiac disease, or CD. This disease affects an estimated one in 250 people and is described as the destruction of the small intestine from the ingestion of gluten. The people who suffer from this disease must completely remove gluten from their diets. If they do, they lower their celiac disease related health risks, such as intestinal cancer and miscarriage.
5. Alternatives to Gluten
Many alternatives are now available to wheat gluten to help people sensitive to the effects of gluten on their systems and help celiacs cope with their disease. These include Xanthan gum and Guar gum, which make dough less like bricks and more like the chewy wheat bread they remember. Also, you'll find the bread recipes call for eggs and sometimes even gelatin to help the dough get that wonderful workable texture you remember.
