Method for increasing stability and bake absorption of a bread baking wheat flour and resulting dough

A method for making an increased stability wheat flour bread dough comprising the following steps:

• (a) providing a quantity of a bread baking wheat flour;
• (b) drying the flour by suspending the flour in a heated carrier gas having an outlet temperature in the range of about 70-145 degrees C. for a time sufficient to reduce moisture content of the flour to less than about 8 wt % and to increase farinograph stability of the flour by at least 20%, both as compared with the flour provided in step (a);
• (c) separating the flour from the carrier gas to provide a free flowing dry powder having a reduced moisture content and an increased farinograph stability as compared with the flour provided in step (a);
• and
• (d) mixing at least a portion of the dry powder of step (c) with dough forming ingredients comprising water to form an increased stability bread dough.