This is the loaf I baked during our finals week bread baking study break. A nice whole wheat loaf marked M for Matt. Unfortunately, it did not turn out quite as well as I had hoped. The bread was entirely too dense with a mealy crumb. This is, in large part, due to the fact that whole wheat and all purpose flour act differently and recipes do not translate over seamlessly.
From some cursory research into whole wheat bread baking I have been able to come up with a few points of improvement: adding vital wheat gluten, adding more water, and allowing more rest in between kneading.
Vital wheat gluten helps whole wheat dough rise and behave more like white flour dough. It is possible to achieve these results without the gluten but the dough must be expertly handled. The next points are due to the fact that whole wheat flour absorbs more water but at a slower rate than white flour. Instead of kneading the dough continuously until all the water is incorporated it is easier to knead then allow a short rest and then to knead again.
I have started my own whole wheat starter and plan to bake a whole wheat loaf and some regular baguettes this weekend. I will keep you posted on my successes/failures.
No comments:
Post a Comment