Bread Wheat Studies and Baking Research

What's in wheat

The Grain Research Laboratory's Bread Wheat and Baking Research section studies how Canadian wheat flours behave in response to processing conditions and additives used in the baking industry and how major components such as protein are related to this performance. Our research program contributes to Canada's ability to produce wheat that best meets customer requirements in an evolving marketplace.

High protein Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat is known worldwide for its ability to produce high volume pan bread. CWRS is also well known as a blending wheat for improving the baking performance of lower protein wheat produced in or imported into many markets for CWRS. Lower protein segregates of CWRS wheat are recognized for their superior quality for certain types of hearth breads, flat breads and steamed breads. A selection of other Canadian wheat classes are used to make not only different bread types, but cookies, cakes, crackers and other baked products.

Research

The laboratory:

• Develops an understanding of bread and related products produced in domestic and export markets and the wheat quality characteristics that best meet these needs
• Advises marketers and processors on the processing characteristics of Canadian wheat
• Develops objective tests for evaluating quality
• Studies the effects of processing conditions and ingredients on quality
• Studies the impact of variety and environment on the processing quality of wheat
• Assesses the impact of grading factors on processing quality and provides advice on grading tolerances
• Researches the properties of wheat flour constituents and their relationship to processing quality
• Evaluates the quality of advanced breeder lines and provides guidance to plant breeders
• Analyzes the quality of the wheat harvest and publishes quality data on the CGC web site
• Monitors the quality of cargoes and responds to customers' concerns about the quality of shipments

Technology, methods, and standards

We use internationally accepted methods, including those of the American Association of Cereal Chemists and the International Association for Cereal Science and Technology. Our labs are equipped to simulate quality assessment procedures used by processors of our wheat.

Experience and expertise

Our staff is experienced in many flour testing and bread making procedures, as well as flour component analysis. We collaborate with researchers worldwide with similar interests. We work with experts in plant breeding, processing and market development and participate in technical missions to customer countries.

To find out more about our staff, their research and areas of expertise, read the biographies for:

Nancy Edwards, Program Manager, Bread Wheat Studies and Baking Research

Susan Stevenson, Chemist, Wheat Protein Research