Would some please tell me why they have to bleach flour?

Question

....Uhhh, it's bleached...Isn't this strange to begin with? Yet most people think nothing of it when they put it into their bodies. I don't understand why they have to bleach it.

Answer 1

Any flour develops better baking qualities if allowed to rest for several weeks after milling. Freshly milled flour produces sticky doughs and products with less volume than those made with aged flour.

While aging, flour turns white through a natural oxidation process referred to as bleaching. Natural aging and bleaching are somewhat unpredictable, time-consuming processes, however, some chemicals are now used to do both. Potassium bromate and chlorine dioxide gas rapidly age flour. Chlorine dioxide and other chemicals bleach flour by removing yellow pigments in order to obtain a uniform white color. Bleaching destroys small amounts of the flour's naturally occurring vitamin E, which is replaced in fortified or enriched products. hope that asnwers your question

Answer 2

There are several forms:

Potassium Bromate 924, which is a texturizer/dough conditioner used in bread. It is also used to age
flour and stabilize its baking properties (924 effects the proteins that constitutes the gluten).

Or Methyl Bromide, which is used primarily to fumigate structures like flour mills and food
factories to control pests in stored products.

And Chloride, which is basically to make it white.

Answer 3

Yes, it is strange. I only buy unbleached flour. I can't imagine adding extra bleach like the other person said. The unbleached works just as well and it certainly isn't "chunky."

Answer 4

Um, it gets out the fiber from the wheat that flour is made of. If you want all the chunky stuff, go with unbleached.
I prefer to add extra bleach to mine! Mix it all up, it taste quite good. Sometimes I add vinegar too!

Answer 5

from what i understand someone long ago decided white bread was cool and it started like that- theres no reason- just appearance. in fact bleaching it actually makes the bread pretty unhealthy- no fiber- no nutrients- just fluff-
i don't understand why either- personally i like breads with coarse grains- i like something to bite into you know? ;' )