It would be easy to assume that this year’s record harvest, which was up 32 per cent on last year’s, would be a good thing for bread makers, but high yields can lead to low protein levels – and protein is the element of particular importance to bread makers.
HGCA economist Icaro Rebolledo told BakeryandSnacks.com: “Especially in terms of protein, there is a big problem…For bread-making wheat, there will have to be more imports from the US and from France, if they have it.”
The strength of flour is determined by its protein content, which forms gluten, crucial for creating good crumb structure in bread.
Protein levels are down almost one per cent on last year, from 12.2 to 11.3 per cent, and the lowest for a decade. The optimum protein level for bread making is generally considered to be between 11.5 and 14 per cent, to allow sufficient dough expansion to avoid squat, dense loaves, but not too much, which creates overly aerated bread.
The problem with high yields
Although there has been a bumper crop this year, Rebolledo said that it is precisely this which could cause a headache for bread makers.
“Although these are the lowest protein levels we have seen in ten years, this has been an issue experienced in many other countries as well, perhaps as a result of higher yields,” he said.
“This is because there is a fixed amount of protein per hectare, so the more wheat in a hectare the further it has to spread.”
The problems for bread makers could also have a knock-on effect for biscuit and cake manufacturers. Although they are not reliant on high protein content, Rebolledo added: “It could affect them indirectly rather than directly…We are living with a volatile market, so it is difficult to say what is going to happen.”
Lower overall quality
There have been regional variations in quality throughout the UK, with quality in the North and South West worst hit by the wet harvest. The South East shows the greatest average protein level at 11.7 per cent – equal to the lowest regional value last year.
Several elements of wheat quality are measured to assess its suitability for bread making: specific weight and moisture content; protein content; and the Hagberg test, which measures enzyme quality. Quality in all of these measurements is down this year compared to the past three seasons’ average.
According to the Flour Advisory Bureau, 85 per cent of flour milled in the UK is British in origin, with 60 per cent going to bread making.
The HGCA survey results were based on analysis of 43,000 wheat samples from all over the country.