Durum Flour
<p><b >Durum wheat</b> or <b >macaroni wheat</b> (also spelled Durhum;<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durum#cite_note-0" >[1]</a></sup><i >Triticum durum</i> or <i >Triticum turgidum durum</i><sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durum#cite_note-1" >[2]</a></sup>) is the only <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyploid" title="Polyploid" >tetraploid</a> species of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat" title="Wheat" >wheat</a> of commercial importance that is widely cultivated today.<sup class="Template-Fact" >[<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" >citation needed</a></i>]</sup></p>
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It was developed by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_selection" title="Artificial selection" >artificial selection</a> of the domesticated <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmer" title="Emmer" >emmer</a> wheat (like emmer, durum wheat is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awn_(botany)" title="Awn (botany)" >awned</a>) strains formerly grown in Central Europe and the Near East around 7000 B.C., which developed a naked, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat#Hulled_versus_free-threshing_wheat" title="Wheat" >free-threshing</a> form.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durum#cite_note-2" >[3]</a></sup> </p>
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<i >Durum</i> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin" title="Latin" >Latin</a> means "hard", and the species is the hardest of all wheats. Its high <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein" title="Protein" >protein</a> content, as well as its strength, make durum good for special uses, the most well-known being <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasta" title="Pasta" >pasta</a> which in Italy is exclusively made from durum wheat.<sup id="cite_ref-encarta_3-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durum#cite_note-encarta-3" >[4]</a></sup> </p>
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Durum wheat is used extensively in breadmaking. However, it is unusual in that, despite very high protein content, it is low in desirable <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten" title="Gluten" >gluten</a> needed to form a glutinous web necessary for bread to rise. As a result, although 100 percent durum wheat breads do exist, such as pagnotte di Enna from Sicily, as well as others, in most instances bread doughs contain only a portion of durum wheat and are supplemented substantially with commercial white flours, oftentimes those higher in gluten necessary to offset the poor gluten contribution of durum flour. </p>
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When durum flour is used as the sole flour in bread, substantial additions of isolated wheat gluten are necessary to effect rising. Without it, 100 percent durum wheat breads are often heavy, with very close grain, and will split easily when risen for baking.</p>