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What Is Gluten?

4. glutelins , which can be dissolved in certain acids or bases. The proteins that make up gluten are the last two: prolamins and glutelins. The glutelin protein in wheat is called glutenin , and the prolamin protein is called gliadin . Both glutenin and gliadin are storage proteins. They are found in the wheat’s endosperm , where they retain nutrients used to help feed the plant’s embryo—the young, developing plant within the seed, also called the wheat germ. Gluten is formed when wheat flour is mixed with water. As the glutenin and gliadin proteins are hydrated, they begin to form chemical bonds called cross-links. The more the flour and water is mixed, the more the glutenin and gliadin rearrange and reshape themselves to form more cross-links. Little by little, as the dough is kneaded by hand or machine, the proteins form “networks” of gluten. Air trapped within the dough helps

The chemical structure of gliadin, one of two major protein components of gluten.

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