Why should I pay attention to the protein content in my flour?Updated 7 months ago

The protein content in your flour is important because it tells you how long

you should prove your dough for.

* Higher protein content is suitable for longer proof times

* Lower protein content is suitable for shorter proof times

Use the table below to find out more.

**Protein content in flour**| **Strength**| **Recommended proof time**

---|---|---

9 - 10%| Weak| 2 - 8 hours

11 - 12%| Medium| 12 - 18 hours

13%| Strong| 24 hours

(48 hours cold ferment max)

14%+| Very Strong| 48 - 72 hours

(Cold fermentation recommended)

_The protein content can be found on the flour 's nutritional information

chart._

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## How it works:

When water is mixed into flour, the starch in the flour will break down into

simple sugars (which is what the yeast feeds on). Typically, if the flour is

**low in protein** , this will also mean it's low in starch and so there will

be less food for the yeast to eat away at. This is why flour with low protein

is more suitable for same-day or very short fermentation.

If you were to do a long fermentation with a low-protein flour, the sugars

would be depleted early on which would result in over-proofed or weak dough.

If you were to make a pizza out of it, the crust may look quite pale because

there's no sugar left to caramelize it.

Flour that's **high in protein** is more suitable for longer fermentation

(like cold fermentation) because there will be enough food in there for yeast

to slowly eat away at whilst developing texture, structure, and flavor. If you

do a same-day dough with a strong protein flour - the dough won't rise as

much, as it hasn't had long enough to develop properly - this is why it needs

time.

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