Usual flour
bleaching agents are: •
Organic peroxides (
benzoyl peroxide) •
Calcium peroxide •
Chlorine •
Chlorine dioxide •
Azodicarbonamide •
Nitrogen dioxide • Atmospheric
oxygen, used during natural aging of flour Use of chlorine,
bromates, and
peroxides is not allowed in the
European Union. Bleached
flour improves the structure-forming capacity, allowing the use of dough formulas with lower proportions of flour and higher proportions of
sugar . In
biscuit making, use of chlorinated flour reduces the spread of the dough, and provides a "tighter" surface. The changes of functional properties of the flour
proteins are likely to be caused by their
oxidation. In countries where bleached flour is prohibited,
microwaving plain flour produces similar chemical changes to the bleaching process. This improves the final texture of baked goods made to recipes intended for bleached flours. ==See also==