March 2, 2011 - 11:14am
Had to switch flour, need help
I recently had to switch my flour we are using for our Epi bread at work. I was using Gold Medal High-Gluten and never had problems. I switched to King Arthur Artisan and am having problems with it ripping. I think it may be the development time that I'm getting wrong, but not sure. I do the usual 5 min speed 1, 5 mins speed 2. Tried doing 4 and 4, better but not by much.We do use a sour starter along with dry yeast. I have also had a little problems with bread rising to its full potential. Any help is appreciated.
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These two flours are very much alike as far as structure goes. The primary difference is that the Gold Medal flour in 1% fat while the King Arthur flour has no fat. You might try adding a bit of fat to the formula and see if that helps.
As far as mix times, have yout tried 2,4?
another one you might want to try is 3,3,salt then 3
of course it also depends on the amount of dough being mixed.
also when is it ripping?
Its ripping after I have shaped it. Gonna try some olive oil this morning. hope it works
Greetings all,
Troubleshooting without seeing your process, your formula, and your work environment involves a bit of folly, bear with me as I hazard a guess or two.
The differences between a high-gluten flour and KAF Artisan (an organic flour with a protein level in the "all-purpose" protein range) are substantial and relate largely to the amount of protein, the quality of protein, the level of ash, and the enzymatic activity (quantified as the falling number). Quantifiable differences can extend even further to allowable mill variances and the possible addition of chemicals such as Bromate and processes such as Bleaching. The products are apples and oranges.
Looking at your specific situation, and again, guessing, based on scant details, I would suggest that if you're happy with a high-gluten flour that you seek a product with comparable protein. There are many available-we use the KAF Classic (organic, high-gluten) but have also worked with KAF Lancelot and KAF Special.
Last, as a general rule, flours of differing protein levels require different handling from the mix all the way through proofing and even scoring before the bake. In our bakery, we find the best results with judicious mixing, good fermentation and quality ingredients.
Happy Baking,
Martin from KAF
Thanks Martin! I actually decided to call the KAF hotline this morning. After discuss my process, formula, and problems I was informed that there is a good possibility that my starter has become too acidic. So, today I am going to do a double feed, since normally I only feed once a day, and roll with it for the weekend. If no improvements by Sunday, another double feed. And if that doesn't work...? Back to the old flour maybe