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Replacing butter with flax seed meal

ukaiukai's picture
ukaiukai

Replacing butter with flax seed meal

I have been trying to replace the butter in a whole grain bread recipe with a sufficient amount of flax seed (1 tablesppon of butter to 3 of flax seed). Unfortunately, the bread doesn't seem to rise as as much as I need it to.  I bake this break for PB&J sandwiches and the little sandwiches are sort of sad.  The original recipe is:

3/4 c water

1.5(minus 3 Tbs) c WW flour

3 Tbs wheat gluten

1/2 c oat flour

1/4 c almond flour

1.5 Tbs dried milk powder

1 Tbs butter  (being replaced with 3 Tbs of flax seed meal)

2 Tbs honey

1 tsp salt

1 tsp yeast

I have tried to reduce the flour a little to compensate for the extra solids in the flax seed meal.  I have also tried slightly more yeast (and a new batch of yeast).  Neither has helped much.  I am baking the bread in a 1 Lb zojirushi. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know.  Thanks.

 

suave's picture
suave

It's hardly surprising, since you are replacing butter which adds moisture with flax seed meal, which takes it away.  Flax seeds absorb about three times their own weigh of water, and the meal is probably no different, so I suggest you increase water to a full cup.

ukaiukai's picture
ukaiukai

Thanks suave. I will try this out.

clazar123's picture
clazar123

I don't know what the percentage hydration is but this recipe only has 3/4 c water? Both WW and oat flour really absorb a lot of moisture. I'm not sure about almond flour but the flax,also, really absorbs water. IS this a very stiff dough? I'd be tempted to almost double the amount of water and give it a good overnight in the refrigerator or an autolyse to give all the flours time to soak up and distribute the moisture in the loaf.

 

pattycakes's picture
pattycakes

You might also try adding a little vital wheat gluten, since the flax seed meal may need more gluten to support it in the rise.