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Boron Elgar[_1_] Boron Elgar[_1_] is offline
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Default Adding Gluten to All-Purpose Flour

On Sun, 25 Apr 2010 15:11:26 -0700, Mark Thorson >
wrote:

>Damaeus wrote:
>>
>> I've got some all-purpose flour and I also have some gluten. Could I get
>> similar results adding some gluten to the all-purpose flour for baking
>> bread? How much would one need to add?

>
>No, you cannot get similar results that way.
>That would only make sense if you were adding
>gluten to cake flour or (god forbid) potato flour.



You are incorrect. You can get excellent results adding it to all
purpose.

All purpose flours are generally lower in protein content than bread
flours. Adding a bit of vital wheat gluten to all purpose flour can be
quite beneficial in some bread making. Making this a smart move,
though, depends greatly on the recipe and the texture results one is
seeking. It is wonderful for heavy, whole grain breads if one is
unfamiliar with handling complicated doughs and wants to give a lift
to the texture and rise.

Some bread bakers never use VWG as an additive and insist that a
proper bread flour be used when the recipe calls for it, but unless
one is a frequent bread baker, often AP is the only flour around. VWG
lasts forever in the freezer.

Cake flour is not generally used for breads, and I wouldn't bother
trying to correct its very low protein level with VWG to make bread.
Potato flour is usually added as only part of the flour load in bread,
and recipes are more likely to call for potato, rather than potato
flour.

About one tablespoon per loaf. Note results and adjust as necessary
the next time the recipe is used.

Boron