Vital Wheat Gluten
Good morning to all. I live in the US, in the Southern parts. I purchase my bread flour from the chain store Sam's Club. I see that their protein percentage is roughly 14%. I also have been using vital wheat gluten at a ratio of about 2% of the total flour weight. This seems to work well for me over the years.
My only concern is how this is incorporated into the dough. I have been mixing it with the sugar to ensure that there are no clumps of it when added to the dough. In the past I have tried sifting it into the flour but that did not always give me repeatable and consistent results.
Should I try blending it in with the liquid at the beginning to ensure that the protein is incorporated fully and allowed to work with either the fermentation or the preferment (when making a sponge). In some recipes I add it after the sponge, with the sugar. But, I am wondering if this would not give it enough kneading to develop properly.
Just asking for suggestions, thanks!
I'm very curious why you want to use VWG with such a strong flour! 14% protein is high already.
That is a good question, and I've had that conversation with myself a few times. In essence I want a roll (dinner-type rolls) that is very light but has a tight crumb. I have been using this method for a long time with this recipe. This particular recipe is one where all of the ingredients are added at one time. The other recipe, that uses a sponge, is one that I just started using the VWG in it. This dough is a sweet dough. When I do the final proofing I tend to procrastinate about when to place in the ovens. I always tend to let it rise as much as possible. This sometimes works against me, causing the base of the product to shrink and wrinkle slightly after it is baked and removed from the ovens and cooled. I am just experimenting with the VWG on this sweet dough. I may have to "pop" it in the oven a little earlier than usual.
The dinner-rolls dough looks and tastes much better when I use the VWG than when I do not use it.
It does sound a little redundant to use the VWG with a high protein flour, I know. I just don't want to make more changes to a product that I sell to others. Then the boss (wife) will complain if the product is not the same ;)
Honestly, I did not know what the protein per cent was on my bread flour from Sam's until today. My bad for that.
OK, interesting! Whatever works for you. I've never used WVG (despite not having access to such strong flour at all, btw), so can't really help you, was just curious.
I checked the 25 pound bag for information on the protein. The website description of the protein % in the bread flour stated 13.7 to 14.3 %. When I looked at the bag, I saw 3 grams of protein per serving. A serving is considered to be 30 grams. that equals roughly 10% according to my rough calculations. So, I really don't know what the protein content actually is. Hence, another reason to use the VWG.
The best way to incorporate VWG is to thoroughly mix it with the flour.
The VWG into the flour will be my next step. Thanks!
Hi Bimfitwo ,
firstly well done on filling in your member info, i always like to have a look at who i am reading and hopefully helping. Sadly seems to be overlooked by many new posters!
Here in Australia we don't have flours with that higher protein levels, often making do with 10 and 11% and still able to turn out pretty reasonable loaves.
A pet hate of mine is the Name "Vital Wheat Gluten"! In my professional past we used to add Gluten in the wet form to a 100% wholemeal sandwhich dough, to attain light airy volume , it used to arrive in a weak brine in 20 litre buckets and was the bi product of a company that was producing starch, the starch which has numerous uses in Industry was washed out of a dough leaving behind the raw wet gluten which resembled a khaki coloured rubbery mass, it was cut with a knife weighed and added to the doughs at a rate of 2%, it had no problems assimilating in the dough.
At another bakery i worked at they used to make a protein enriched dough where a considerable quantity of dry gluten was added and there were often problems with the loaves shrinking back during the cooling period as you describe with some of your rolls. It's as if the gluten strands contract during that cooling stage.
i often used to add Dry Gluten powder to my doughs when i thought the flours were on the weak side when baking at home But Andy (Ananda)TFL from the UK encouraged me to manage without and have done so now for many years. I am sure extra mixing is required for such strong flour.
I don't thing the fine texture that you desire is dependent on the high gluten values. Shaping and handling and Hydration are more likely to give the fine smaller even holes.
The dry gluten will reform as soon as it comes into contact with the liquid, try a teaspoon of dry gluten and some water and you will see exactly what Gluten is like.It does help with the structure of a loaf more especially in weak flour and may help with wholemeals and ryes.
Kind regards Derek