Flour Protein Level and making do
Because of flour shortage I have no white bread flour left and no whole wheat or rye. But I do have white and whole wheat pastry flour. And I have a box of vital wheat gluten. According to the box, 1 t of gluten can turn a cup of AP flour into bread flour. I don't have any calculations by weight. By my reading, AP flour is ~ 11.5% protein, and Bread Flour is ~13.5, and pastry flour is ~8.5. I'm not sure if the 8.5 for pastry is the same whether white or whole wheat. But in any case, if 1 tsp per cup = +2% increase from AP to Bread, then can I assume that to get to a +5% increase, I need to multiply by 2.5 to get to the right amount of gluten for my pastry flours to become closer to bread?
I thought I would translate the volume measurements to weight once I got the math right. And forgive me, but I am not a math person.
I know that the kind of wheat in pastry is different from other flours -- maybe made from softer wheat, maybe ground finer? But it's my only alternative until I can get more flour.
I am trying to bake the Jim Sullivan recipe, for which I use perhaps a T of starter instead of the 1/4t yeast he calls for.
many thanks for advice.
rmrav48
If you find a way, please let me know. I tried and could not, at least not a loaf bread. There are more "characteristics" to pastry flour ( from soft wheat ) than just the protein percent.
I was able to make yeasted biscuits and a soft biscuit-y like flatbread from it. But it would be a real stretch to call what I made "bread."
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On a slightly related thing, try your local Indian grocery stores for flour. And read my previous comment here: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/comment/452875#comment-452875 if you are willing to do detective work and track down some bread flour and drive a little to pick it up. It should cost about $22 - $30, depending on area, plus the cost of driving a little.
and, don't think of it as "buying 50 pounds". Think of it as "buying 25 pounds for $25, and getting 25 pounds FREE." Give away the "free" flour, and you're still in business !
Did you use added wheat gluten when you tried to make a loaf and couldn't?
Yes. Sorry I was not more specific. Pastry (soft wheat) flour plus Vital Wheat Gluten did not make bread flour (or even AP flour) for me.
It was Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour.
I could make a flat bread, like a thick chapati or tortilla, I sometimes call it "bannock", and it rose a little, but it did not taste like bread or rise like bread. It was weird.
I hope your luck is better.
Thanks for saving me wasted time and wasted flour. I just found out my local supermarket has KA organic bread flour and organic whole wheat. But at my age (68) I fear going to the market right now. So I'll look for someone to pick up the flour for me.