Cookie flour test

Spread factor, cookie Quality test widely used to evaluate soft wheat flours. The test measures the ratio (W/T) of cookies produced from a standardized formulation and making procedure. 

There is an American test for biscuit flour that involves producing standard cookies baked on a standard aluminium plate. The diameter of the finished product is measured. The greater the diameter the higher the score. This test is of course a measure of dough extensibility, which is the crucial property for biscuit flours. 

Small quantities of wheat are usually milled for test baking. Various flours are checked by different baking procedures according to end use. For hard wheal, test loaves are baked to determine the mixing time and tolerance of doughs, the degree to which the flour will absorb liquid, potential loaf volume, texture, crumb, color, and flavor. For soft wheat, similar determinations are made with test cakes, cookies, or crackers. 

Yamasaki, W.T. 1953. An alkaline water retention capacity test for the evaluation of cookie baking potentialities of soft winter wheat flours. Cereal Chem. 30 242. 

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