The science behind the elasticity of Pasta

The first thing that leaps a baker's mind when talking about bread or pasta is Gluten. Gluten is the star ingredient of such food products. Wheat is a versatile grain, under different circumstances and forces, it produces gluten which is a unique source of protein. It is the gluten which provides the pasta or bread that unique texture and structure.

Let's understand the dynamics of gluten. It is through gluten that pasta gets its shape and is able to hold it. The composition of protein and gluten can affect the pasta quality and dough formation ability. Gluten is a formation of two proteins, Gliadin and Glutenin. These two proteins enable the elasticity, firmness, and sharpness in a pasta. While kneading the dough, it is the glutenin which plays an active role and enables the dough to stretch while the gliadin provides the shape and firmness. Therefore it is important to include the right magnitude of gluten to make top quality pasta.

Wheat is the best source of Gluten and therefore is widely used in its production. However different types of wheat provide different characteristics to a pasta. Pasta suppliers in India and across the world like Gustora understands the wheat rheology and provides the best quality pasta to its consumers.

There are lyrically two kinds of wheat; soft and durum wheat.

Soft wheat: this wheat produces the widely known and accepted white flour which has multiple uses. Soft wheat provides a delicate texture to the pasta, making it less suitable for dried pasta. On the other hand, durum wheat has a course, grainy-like texture which is difficult to break apart. This ensures firmness and avoids cooked pasta from becoming rubbery. Milling of durum what produces semolina which is ideal for pasta and bread. This semolina imparts innumerable characteristics to the pasta like;

1. Favourably nutritious due to a good content of protein and gluten.

2. Semolina can retain the starch thus preventing the pasta from sticking.

3. Good quality semolina flour ensures consistency that makes pasta al dente.

4. Semolina imparts that beautiful yellow colour to pasta which would have otherwise looked pale due to white flour.

5. Hard wheat semolina is a good source of dietary fibre and is associated with lower body weight.

It is the production and the drying phase that ensures the ultimate quality of the pasta. Gustora adopts slow drying method under moderate temperatures to ensure pasta's porosity and quality. This method also retains all the essential nutrients making it a healthy choice for its consumers.