May 16, 2010 - 12:44pm
refined vs w.w. flour
i made some chocolate babka yesterday (delicious) and got me to thinking:
1. what, technically, makes a 10 to 11% all purpose flour develope a stronger crumb than a 15% whole wheat flour.
2. why does my wheat bread start out great but after a couple days start to toughen and get dry
3. why are the bread mysteries so captivating?
p.s. i bought a bag af hard red spring wheat called 'bronze chief' from 'wheat montana' my personal feeling is this is great stuff, better than other wheats i have ground
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Wheat Montana has been the best wheat I have ever used.
..although these are quite complex questions, of course!
Hi
1. White flour does not have any of the bran which cuts through gluten and prevents dough development. Also, see below, bran steals water which the proteins need to attain full development. Dough rheology [essential structural change] happens naturally over time, when water is added to flour to form dough.
2. 15% is VERY strong. If you are talking wholemeal as well, then your flour will be very thirsty. I expect to achieve 72% minimum water absorption for a standard wholemeal bread with flour at just less than 14%. So what you are getting from the 15% flour I really have no idea. Anyway, big clues here why your bread dries out.
3. I hope you are in this game for the long term; you need to be if you seriously want to discover the answers to this question: i really hope you enjoy the quest
Best wishes
Andy
i have been on a better whole wheat quest for over ten years and have just recently moved into areas other than w.w. i have known i'm 'hooked' for life for some time now. i 'spect i'll never think 'i've learnt it'.
the 15% claim comes from wheat montana themselves. i usually mix the flour and water only and let that hydrate for a while before proceeding.
...mike owens
but your reply doesn't TELL me very much in the form of real information.
Happy continued baking
Best wishes
Andy
but here goes.
12 oz. wheat montana 'bronze chief' hard red spring wheat, 15% protien. fresh ground in whisper mill, sifted once, bran reserved. to bran in a small bowl add enough 10 grain cereal to equal 1/2 C. add 3 oz water and soak for 1 hr. in a DLX mixer put 9 oz flour and 7 oz water and mix. rest 30 min. add 2t active dry yeast, 1/8 C veg oil & 1/8 C butter, 1.5 t salt, 3T barley malt, cereal mix, remaing 3 oz w.w. flour and enough King Arthur B.F. to make dough - feels close to 65% hyd. rise, shape, lg bread pan rise, score, cook @410 with steam til brown - aprox 40 min. rub top with butter. leave on counter overnight to cool then keep in tupperware bread keeper or fridge. i live in denver clorado, house temp is 70 to 72, external humidity at 38%. does that help? thank you.