How to Add Whole Grains to Bread
Substitute whole grain flours for part of the white flour in a recipe., Experiment with whole grain flours to find ones that you enjoy., Add extra liquid to your bread dough if necessary., Add cooked whole grains to your breads., Rest whole grain...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Substitute whole grain flours for part of the white flour in a recipe.
Different recipes can handle different ratios of flour substitutions.
In yeasted breads, you can begin by substituting 1/3 or 1/2 cup of whole grain flour for white flour and then increasing the amount in each subsequent batch until you have found the amount you like.
In chemically leavened breads (those with baking soda or baking powder), start by substituting half the flour with whole grains and then adjust subsequent batches to your taste.
Chemically leavened breads can handle more substitutions because they do not need as much of the gluten that comes from wheat to form their texture. -
Step 2: Experiment with whole grain flours to find ones that you enjoy.
Consider whole wheat, buckwheat, cornmeal, rye, oat, oatmeal, barley, triticale, sorghum, tuff, amaranth and other whole grain flours.
Each provides different flavors, texture and nutrients to your bread. , Whole grain flours need to absorb more liquid than breads made with only white wheat flour.
When you add the liquids to your dough, it should have a slightly wetter texture than normal.
The whole grain flours should absorb the extra liquid during rising or resting and the bread dough should have about the same consistency as normal by the time the bread is ready to bake.
Consider adding an extra tablespoon or 2 of the liquid in your recipe to your dough.
Experiment with subsequent batches to find the right amount for your substitution. , Fold 1 cup of cooked whole grains into the dough before rising or resting.
If you are adding the whole grains to a chemically leavened bread, be gentle.
Mixing too much at this stage can make the resulting bread less tender.
Consider including brown rice, millet, wheat berries, quinoa, oatmeal and other whole grains. , This extra time allows the whole grains and whole grain flours to absorb more liquid and improves the texture of the resulting bread.
Quick bread batters should rest for at least an hour in the refrigerator and may benefit from spending the night in the refrigerator.
Yeasted bread doughs can also have some extra time added to their rising schedule by putting the dough in the refrigerator for some extra time. , Baking times should not need to be altered from the original recipe. -
Step 3: Add extra liquid to your bread dough if necessary.
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Step 4: Add cooked whole grains to your breads.
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Step 5: Rest whole grain breads before baking.
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Step 6: Bake breads with whole grains or whole grain flours as you would breads with white flours.
Detailed Guide
Different recipes can handle different ratios of flour substitutions.
In yeasted breads, you can begin by substituting 1/3 or 1/2 cup of whole grain flour for white flour and then increasing the amount in each subsequent batch until you have found the amount you like.
In chemically leavened breads (those with baking soda or baking powder), start by substituting half the flour with whole grains and then adjust subsequent batches to your taste.
Chemically leavened breads can handle more substitutions because they do not need as much of the gluten that comes from wheat to form their texture.
Consider whole wheat, buckwheat, cornmeal, rye, oat, oatmeal, barley, triticale, sorghum, tuff, amaranth and other whole grain flours.
Each provides different flavors, texture and nutrients to your bread. , Whole grain flours need to absorb more liquid than breads made with only white wheat flour.
When you add the liquids to your dough, it should have a slightly wetter texture than normal.
The whole grain flours should absorb the extra liquid during rising or resting and the bread dough should have about the same consistency as normal by the time the bread is ready to bake.
Consider adding an extra tablespoon or 2 of the liquid in your recipe to your dough.
Experiment with subsequent batches to find the right amount for your substitution. , Fold 1 cup of cooked whole grains into the dough before rising or resting.
If you are adding the whole grains to a chemically leavened bread, be gentle.
Mixing too much at this stage can make the resulting bread less tender.
Consider including brown rice, millet, wheat berries, quinoa, oatmeal and other whole grains. , This extra time allows the whole grains and whole grain flours to absorb more liquid and improves the texture of the resulting bread.
Quick bread batters should rest for at least an hour in the refrigerator and may benefit from spending the night in the refrigerator.
Yeasted bread doughs can also have some extra time added to their rising schedule by putting the dough in the refrigerator for some extra time. , Baking times should not need to be altered from the original recipe.
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Megan Pierce
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