Bread Q & A

While I was on vacation, I received a lot of similar questions so I figured many others probably had the same questions.  So here they are answered, along with some great reader comments of tricks they use or have tried.

Is there a difference between Vital Wheat Gluten and Gluten?

It is just specifying that it is a gluten found in wheat. (I think…if someone else knows leave a comment and I’ll correct it) I use vital wheat gluten.

Do I use all of the items you mention as dough enhancers or just pick and choose?

Yes, use ALL of the items (vinegar, gluten, and potato flakes) together for AMAZING bread!

Why do I have to add in gluten…doesn’t kneading the bread create gluten?

Think of it this way….gluten is like the muscles of the bread holding together those air bubbles.  Kneading the bread is like flexing or exercising the muscles to make them strong to be able to hold those bubbles with out breaking.  So kneading doesn’t create gluten, it just strengthens it.  Because whole wheat is heavier than all-purpose flour and has bran and fiber which have jagged edges that can break the gluten we need to add more muscle into the bread. 

Where can I buy gluten?

If you live in Utah, it can be purchased at Maceys in their preparedness section of the store.  If you don’t live in Utah I would suggest buying it HERE at the Honeyville Grain website because it is cheap and their shipping is a flat $4.95 no matter how much you purchase.

What kind of wheat do you use in this recipe?

I generally use hard white wheat in my recipes.

What is the difference between hard red and hard white wheat and which does the LDS cannery offer?

Hard red wheat is darker in color and stronger in flavor.  Hard white wheat is lighter in color and in flavor and is much easier disguised in baked goods.  Nutritionally they are basically the same, only differing slightly.  The LDS cannery offers both but the white is slightly more expensive (but I think worth the price!)  Before the cannery only sold red wheat so if you grew up and tried wheat and didn’t like it, you should try the white wheat. Soft wheats do not have gluten and are not good for bread making, they are used more for pastries.

I’ve heard the LDS Cannery sells wheat with a protein level of only 8%, is that true?

No!  A wheat with a protein level of only 8% CAN’T be a hard wheat by definition.  The normal range for a soft wheat protein is 9-12% the normal range for a protein of hard wheat is 10-15%.  The church’s wheat is between 10-11% protein, which is right on target for a hard wheat (and suitable for bread making-http://extension.usu.edu/foodstorage/htm/wheat). You can figure out the protein percentage by looking at the serving size in grams (for the church it’s 48 g) and the protein weight in grams (for the church it is 5). 5/48=10.4% You can purchase wheat products with a higher protein level at Lehi Roller Mills or Honeyville Grains.

Why do you store your wheat flour and your bread mixes in the fridge?

I store my freshly ground wheat in the fridge or freezer to preserve the nutrition and to keep it from going rancid.  If you’re using wheat flour from the store look on the packaging to see how they recommend storing it.

If I don’t have a wheat grinder, can I grind wheat in my blender?

Most likely no.  There are some blenders that have a dry blade and a wet blade.  If you have one of those, you can grind it in your blender.  However, you have an average blender with only one blade you can’t grind wheat in the blender with out water.  My suggestion is to find a friend, family member, or neighbor with a wheat grinder that you can borrow.  Also, stay tuned the Fun with Food Storage network will be giving a new wheat grinder away!  Check back for more information!

What if I don’t have a Kitchen Aid or Bosch for kneading the bread?

If you’re kneading it by hand, don’t put in all the flour to start with so you can use some of the flour for kneading purposes (to keep it from sticking) with out making the bread too heavy.  You’ll want to knead it for the same amount of time 10-15 minutes…so you’ll have really defined arms. :)

What if my dough is sticky?

When your dough is sticky, you’ll want to slowly add in more flour until you have the right consistency.  (Easy to touch and manage)

What if my dough is too dry?

When your dough is too try, you’ll want to slowly add in more water until you have the right consistency. (Pliable and easy to move around)

Do I have to roll out the dough like you did?

No, it just gives it a nicer bubble texture inside.  If you’re in a hurry, you can shape the dough by hand and it will take the form of your pan.

What if I need my bread to rise faster?

There are a couple of options

1) You can up to double the yeast called for in the recipe to cut out an extra raising time.

2) Put the dough in a warm oven (I just let mine pre-heat for about 5 minutes and then turn it off).  You can also put it in a warm place in your house, like on top of the dryer while it’s running or by a warm vent)

What if my bread didn’t take as long to rise as you said?

Yeah for you!  The time in the recipe is a general specification.  Use your judgement as to when the bread is risen.

How can I tell if my yeast is dead?

When your yeast is dissolving in the water you should see it sort of bubbling after 5 minutes.  If you don’t see any slight bubble action after five minutes, either check your yeast or water temperature.  (Too hot of water can kill the yeast, remember you just want WARM water)  

What if my bread tastes too yeasty?

This generally means the bread was rushed.  It was either too warm for the rising or too warm of ingredients when the yeast was added. 

Can I use a Milk Alternative for the Powdered Milk in a bread recipe?

No.  A milk alternative is NOT milk and lacks the nutrition (in fact they add high fructose corn syrup and EXTRA SHORTENING to it) and it lacks the caseine protein which helps bind things in a recipe.  Think of it this way, would you substitute Tang for Orange Juice in a recipe?  It’s a milk flavored drink, NOT MILK and isn’t recommended for baking with out some adjusting.  To find out of you have a milk alternative read the label carefully.

What do I do if I have Instant milk instead of Non-Instant Milk for the recipe?

If you’re using instant milk, double the amount of milk called for.

Do I need to scald the powdered milk?

No!  The enzyme that you are trying to kill by scalding the milk is already killed in the process of making powdered milk.  Yeah for powdered milk!

What if my bread is doughy in the middle after cooking?

Make sure when you take the bread out of the pan that you turn it over and tap the bottoms.  If it sounds hollow then it is done.  If it is doughy, it didn’t cook long enough.  Cook it for 5 more minutes and try tapping it again to see if it is done.

Can I more than double your recipe?

Sure!  You’ll just need more ingredients, more pans and a bigger mixing bowl. :)

Cinnamon mini chips

Okay, this isn’t for my recipe, although I get asked this a lot because I got sent this really great looking recipe (click here to view it) but a lot of you have wondered where to get the cinnamon chips.  Lori from ID said her daughter used to work at Great Harvest and that the link below will take you to a place where you can buy similar chips to what Great Harvest uses.

www.preparedpantry.com

 

I also received some great tips from all of you and wanted to make sure everyone could read them!

Cami G. said...

For those who are interested in making bread on a regular basis, it might be helpful to know that if you use SAF instant yeast, you only need to let your dough raise once, and it will rise really quickly, within 30-45 minutes generally. I can go from putting ingredients into my mixer to pulling loaves out of the oven in 1 to 1 1/2 hours, and only about 5 – 10 minutes of that requires any effort from me. And considering that it only costs about 25 cents a loaf compared with $3+ from the store, making my own bread is totally worth the (very small) investment of my time. Not to mention that it tastes soooo good!

Heather said...

I have been making bread for a long time and it was fun to learn some things I’m going to try. Thank you! You may want to try something that saves me a ton of time in making bread. I have used this with many different whole wheat recipes so I’m sure it will work with your bread recipe as well. I have the dough raise only once. After the bread is kneaded, I immediately form the loafs in pans. While I’m forming the loafs the oven is pre-heating to the lowest temp. (170). After I am done forming all the loafs I put them in and turn the oven off. If the oven is still on it’s way to hot and will start cooking the bread. I raise for 35 minutes and then turn the oven back on to 350 (keep the pans in the oven) and cook for 35 minutes. I have homemade bread an hour and a half. Try it and see if you like it.

-Just wanted to add in on her comment, this is a great time saving technique if you’re in a hurry!  It will change the taste of the bread just slightly (double rising gives a better taste) but if you’re in a hurry it’s definitely worth doing!.

Kimberly said…

This bread is AMAZING!! I used 2 Tbs of powdered shortening instead of the oil/butter and I used instant milk. It turned out better than the recipe I have used for years. Okay, much better!!! I also cut the raise time, as it had risen right out of the pan:)

© 2009 – 2011, Crystal. All rights reserved.

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  • Debi

    Is Moo Milk powdered milk, or milk alternative?

    Thanks,

    Debi

  • Debi

    Is Moo Milk powdered milk, or milk alternative?

    Thanks,

    Debi

  • Michelle

    I wanted to mention that I live in Utah and got cinnamon chips from Maceys at Christmas. I don’t know if they carry them all the time, but it’s another place to check. Also, I also raise my bread the way Heather does, and it comes out perfect every time, unless you fall asleep and don’t catch the rise in time. A little flat on top, but still tastes good. One last thing, I use 3 500 mg. of vitamin c, crushed between two spoons, in the water, as my dough enhancer and it really works well. This is for a 4 loaf recipe.

  • Michelle

    I wanted to mention that I live in Utah and got cinnamon chips from Maceys at Christmas. I don’t know if they carry them all the time, but it’s another place to check. Also, I also raise my bread the way Heather does, and it comes out perfect every time, unless you fall asleep and don’t catch the rise in time. A little flat on top, but still tastes good. One last thing, I use 3 500 mg. of vitamin c, crushed between two spoons, in the water, as my dough enhancer and it really works well. This is for a 4 loaf recipe.

  • Holly

    I definitely have times when all I want is homemade bread in a hurry, but a big part of the reason you want bread to raise slowly is to allow everything time to develop flavor. Just a thought.

  • Holly

    I definitely have times when all I want is homemade bread in a hurry, but a big part of the reason you want bread to raise slowly is to allow everything time to develop flavor. Just a thought.

  • Cali

    I was just wondering if evaporated milk would work as a substitute? Also, I always thought that gluten formed when the dough was kneading. If this is true, why do you add gluten?

  • Cali

    I was just wondering if evaporated milk would work as a substitute? Also, I always thought that gluten formed when the dough was kneading. If this is true, why do you add gluten?

  • http://thedcookshouse.blogspot.com/ Rebecca C

    I live in a state that grows literally tons and tons of wheat. One reason why white wheat costs more is because when you grind it you get more flour per cup of grain than hard red. (That’s actually been researched.) That means farmers can sell it for more money per bushel, also its more susceptible to rotting before its harvested if its a really wet spring, so some years white wheat will be less plentiful meaning they can charge more for the greater demand.

    Personally, I think white wheat grinds into a smoother flour, but I am sure I am just fooling myself because I can’t see all the bran.

  • http://thedcookshouse.blogspot.com Rebecca C

    I live in a state that grows literally tons and tons of wheat. One reason why white wheat costs more is because when you grind it you get more flour per cup of grain than hard red. (That’s actually been researched.) That means farmers can sell it for more money per bushel, also its more susceptible to rotting before its harvested if its a really wet spring, so some years white wheat will be less plentiful meaning they can charge more for the greater demand.

    Personally, I think white wheat grinds into a smoother flour, but I am sure I am just fooling myself because I can’t see all the bran.

  • Heidi

    One tip on a grinder – being newly married means that it isn’t in our budget right now – so we bought a $10 coffee grinder and I grind my wheat with it. It is time consuming and not as fine as flour (so it isn’t good for cakes or cookies) but it makes great bread that tastes like it has texture to it! Just the way we love it!

  • Heidi

    One tip on a grinder – being newly married means that it isn’t in our budget right now – so we bought a $10 coffee grinder and I grind my wheat with it. It is time consuming and not as fine as flour (so it isn’t good for cakes or cookies) but it makes great bread that tastes like it has texture to it! Just the way we love it!

  • Cindy

    I have always bought Vital Wheat Gluten at the local Walmart! Just thought I’d pass it on, so no one thinks it needs to be purchased at specialty stores! I can’t wait to try your bread recipe.

  • Cindy

    I have always bought Vital Wheat Gluten at the local Walmart! Just thought I’d pass it on, so no one thinks it needs to be purchased at specialty stores! I can’t wait to try your bread recipe.

  • http://carltonfamilytimes.blogspot.com/ Tammy

    I was confused as to the difference between Vital wheat gluten and gluten flour. I had purchased the box of vital wheat gluten at Walmart once but then saw in the bulk section of Winco (Idaho) something called gluten flour. I thought that must just be regular flour with a little gluten added, but when I finally looked closer at the information listed on the bulk bin, it does say vital wheat gluten and tells how to use it. I will say that buying it in the bulk was MUCH cheaper than the little box at Walmart. Most large supermarkets have a bulk/natural food section so try there too.

  • http://carltonfamilytimes.blogspot.com Tammy

    I was confused as to the difference between Vital wheat gluten and gluten flour. I had purchased the box of vital wheat gluten at Walmart once but then saw in the bulk section of Winco (Idaho) something called gluten flour. I thought that must just be regular flour with a little gluten added, but when I finally looked closer at the information listed on the bulk bin, it does say vital wheat gluten and tells how to use it. I will say that buying it in the bulk was MUCH cheaper than the little box at Walmart. Most large supermarkets have a bulk/natural food section so try there too.

  • amy k

    when i grind my wheat, i add a small ratio of red wheat to the white wheat when i grind, and the bread tastes fine. I make a honey wheat bread that has a small amount of white flour to it so the bread is dense, but not very.

  • amy k

    when i grind my wheat, i add a small ratio of red wheat to the white wheat when i grind, and the bread tastes fine. I make a honey wheat bread that has a small amount of white flour to it so the bread is dense, but not very.

  • HW

    I found wheat gluten at Wal-Mart in a small package located near the flour. Bread should be 180-200 degrees F on the inside when it is done. I use a instant read thermometer that I stick into the middle of the loaf. I have a question though–when I knead dough by hand, it always gets stickier as I knead and I have to continually add more flour. Is this supposed to happen?

  • HW

    I found wheat gluten at Wal-Mart in a small package located near the flour. Bread should be 180-200 degrees F on the inside when it is done. I use a instant read thermometer that I stick into the middle of the loaf. I have a question though–when I knead dough by hand, it always gets stickier as I knead and I have to continually add more flour. Is this supposed to happen?

  • Jennifer

    Potato flakes, potato starch, potato flour all the same or different? I was at an asian market saw potato starch so I grabbed a bag (cheap)to try ,it worked great. I saw potato flour at the grocery store is it the same as potatoe starch??? Is vinegar the same as using vitamin c or ascobic acid? They are all ascitic.

  • Jennifer

    Potato flakes, potato starch, potato flour all the same or different? I was at an asian market saw potato starch so I grabbed a bag (cheap)to try ,it worked great. I saw potato flour at the grocery store is it the same as potatoe starch??? Is vinegar the same as using vitamin c or ascobic acid? They are all ascitic.

  • http://seriouslysocute.blogspot.com/ Lindsay

    Thank you for taking all that time to post all of this valuable info!

  • http://seriouslysocute.blogspot.com Lindsay

    Thank you for taking all that time to post all of this valuable info!

  • heatherann

    About Milk Substitutes: I use powdered goat milk because my kids can’t have regular. I didn’t like results with soy milk powder.

  • heatherann

    About Milk Substitutes: I use powdered goat milk because my kids can’t have regular. I didn’t like results with soy milk powder.

  • Janet

    Have you figured out how much wheat glutten to store per hundred pounds of wheat?

  • Janet

    Have you figured out how much wheat glutten to store per hundred pounds of wheat?

  • Stephanie

    Does anyone have problems with their bread rising? I’ve tried making bread a couple of times, and after I put the dough in the pan and cover it to let it rise a 2nd time, after 45 minutes it’s barely risen any. I’ve tried using a warm oven, but it doesn’t seem to make a difference….. what am I doing wrong?

  • Stephanie

    Does anyone have problems with their bread rising? I’ve tried making bread a couple of times, and after I put the dough in the pan and cover it to let it rise a 2nd time, after 45 minutes it’s barely risen any. I’ve tried using a warm oven, but it doesn’t seem to make a difference….. what am I doing wrong?

  • Heather

    Cinnamon Chips are now sold by Hersheys brand in the chocolate chip section.

  • Heather

    Cinnamon Chips are now sold by Hersheys brand in the chocolate chip section.

  • http://www.andynadellransom.blogspot.com/ NaDell

    My mom sometimes has the dough for bread raise in a sink full of hot water. Cover dough bowl with a towel.
    I also like to put my mixer on the stovetop while the oven preheats to help the rising along.
    I don’t add any of the dough enhancers, but I really like how my red wheat bread turns out anyway. I’ll have to try your tips.
    I saw Cinnamon chips at WinCo the other day.

  • http://www.andynadellransom.blogspot.com NaDell

    My mom sometimes has the dough for bread raise in a sink full of hot water. Cover dough bowl with a towel.
    I also like to put my mixer on the stovetop while the oven preheats to help the rising along.
    I don’t add any of the dough enhancers, but I really like how my red wheat bread turns out anyway. I’ll have to try your tips.
    I saw Cinnamon chips at WinCo the other day.

  • Pingback: Eat It: Bread Q & A | Fun With Food Storage

  • Amber

    FYI – I buy vital wheat gluten at Good Earth in the bulk section for $1.08 per pound. WAY cheaper than buying it in boxes at the grocery store and worth the trip – I also buy soy lecithin (as a dough enhancer) in the bulk section, too. Much much cheaper.

  • Amber

    FYI – I buy vital wheat gluten at Good Earth in the bulk section for $1.08 per pound. WAY cheaper than buying it in boxes at the grocery store and worth the trip – I also buy soy lecithin (as a dough enhancer) in the bulk section, too. Much much cheaper.

  • Marja

    I actually use soft white wheat in bread…..I have used it exclusively but usually I do half and half with hard white wheat. It turns out light and fluffy like the “white whole grain” kid bread. I do use vital wheat gluten so maybe that’s what makes it work. Also it is superb in cookies! I buy it at Walton Feed in 50 pound bags.

  • Marja

    I actually use soft white wheat in bread…..I have used it exclusively but usually I do half and half with hard white wheat. It turns out light and fluffy like the “white whole grain” kid bread. I do use vital wheat gluten so maybe that’s what makes it work. Also it is superb in cookies! I buy it at Walton Feed in 50 pound bags.

  • http://welkerzoo.blogspot.com/ Karen

    I have an amazing recipe for “Rustic Italian Bread.” It makes really crunchy and thick crust, but soft and airy insides. It calls for “bread flour,” but now I want to use my wheat flour. Would you just use the dough enhancers plus wheat flour in place of the bread flour? Or is their a different formula I should use?

    Thanks! Your site is so helpful!

  • http://welkerzoo.blogspot.com Karen

    I have an amazing recipe for “Rustic Italian Bread.” It makes really crunchy and thick crust, but soft and airy insides. It calls for “bread flour,” but now I want to use my wheat flour. Would you just use the dough enhancers plus wheat flour in place of the bread flour? Or is their a different formula I should use?

    Thanks! Your site is so helpful!

  • http://www.twinmomwv.blogspot.com/ Megan

    Okay, the first time I made this recipe it turned out fantastic and everyone was in love with it. The past two times the very middle of the loaf has still been doughy. What am I doing wrong?! I even lowered the oven temp. so that it could bake longer and not burn on the bottom. Help!

  • http://www.twinmomwv.blogspot.com Megan

    Okay, the first time I made this recipe it turned out fantastic and everyone was in love with it. The past two times the very middle of the loaf has still been doughy. What am I doing wrong?! I even lowered the oven temp. so that it could bake longer and not burn on the bottom. Help!

  • Luweeza

    Can someone use buttermilk powder in place of milk powder?