January 13, 2016 - 8:50pm
Bread Flour?
I'm just starting my first Tartine Country Bread and I'm a little confused by the term "bread flour." Is it acceptable to use my normal unbleached white all-purpose or is there a specific type of flour I should be looking for. I live in a pretty rural area and my options are limited unless I feel like driving for 2.5 hours... which I don't. So if it's acceptable to get away with all purpose are there any modifications I should try? Thanks in advance!
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Bread flour typically has a higher protein level than many all purpose flours, but all purpose flour makes great bread. There are mail-order sources for baking supplies, including flours, but use what you have and follow the formula and directions as presented.
You may (haha, you will) make some breads that are better than others as you work through your learning process, but people have baked bread for many generations and so can you. Feel welcome to share your experiences and pictures with us in this forum, ask questions and tell us how you feel it's going. You'll find this is a helpful group and each member has been where you are now, ready to make that first loaf.
Wishing you all the best,
Cathy
is it ok to add gluten to flour
You probably won't get struck by a bolt of lightning from the heavens and no one's going to break your door down at 4 A.M. for doing it, although there will almost certainly be some purists out there who'd roll their eyes and turn their backs on you for committing such a heinous crime. If you're careful how much you use, however, your bread will survive, perhaps improve if that's your problem, and will be edible without the fear of toxicity.
If you have a really soft flour and you need it to be harder, I can't see that taking the gluten from one lot of flour and adding it to another is a problem.
I agree with Jon
It all depends on what you've got and where you want to go with it.
I will offer one bit of advice from my own experience. Remember to thoughly incorporate the VWGluten into the rest of the flour, or you just might end up with 'chewing gum' blobs, that don't work too well (in my experience) with bread.
dobie
The important thing in a bread flour isn't what it's called by a miller, but that it's got appropriate protein level to make a strong bread dough. My go-to bread flour is King Arthur's All-Purpose flour. It's got around 11.7% protein, which is comparable with a lot of other flours that are labeled for bread.
You'll be fine with an unbleached all-purpose flour.
I believe Chad mentions that it is fine to just use unbleached AP flour for the Country Bread. I have used both, and found that I prefer the unbleached AP flour. I save the bread flour for bagels.