Baking (rec.food.baking) For bakers, would-be bakers, and fans and consumers of breads, pastries, cakes, pies, cookies, crackers, bagels, and other items commonly found in a bakery. Includes all methods of preparation, both conventional and not.

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baker1
 
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Default Bread flour for shortbread?

Recipes call for All Purpose, but I'm wondering if using bread flour
is better. I use bread flour for my banana quick breads and it turns
out better than using AP.

However, these shortbread recipes do call for chilling the dough, and
rolling it out...unlike banana bread.

Vox...anything on this?

thanks
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Wendy
 
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Default Bread flour for shortbread?

allpurpose. Wendy
----- Original Message -----
From: "baker1" >
Newsgroups: rec.food.baking
To: >
Sent: Sunday, October 30, 2005 9:07 PM
Subject: Bread flour for shortbread?


> Recipes call for All Purpose, but I'm wondering if using bread flour
> is better. I use bread flour for my banana quick breads and it turns
> out better than using AP.
>
> However, these shortbread recipes do call for chilling the dough, and
> rolling it out...unlike banana bread.
>
> Vox...anything on this?
>
> thanks
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Vox Humana
 
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Default Bread flour for shortbread?


"baker1" > wrote in message
news
> Recipes call for All Purpose, but I'm wondering if using bread flour
> is better. I use bread flour for my banana quick breads and it turns
> out better than using AP.
>
> However, these shortbread recipes do call for chilling the dough, and
> rolling it out...unlike banana bread.
>
> Vox...anything on this?

I think the term "bread" is what is muddying the waters here. Also there is
no real consistency in AP flour. You many have a very high protein AP flour
that is higher in protein than some bread flours. If there is a
consistency, it would be within a line of products from the same
manufacturer.

Personally, I find that AP flour is good for quick breads. These are
products that are more like cakes than traditional yeast leavened bread.
However, if your bread flour gives you the result that you like, that's all
that counts.

Cookies may benefit from higher protein flour. It all depends on what
characteristics you like. For short bread cookies, the higher protein flour
would make them stronger. For soft, moist cookies, a lower protein flour
would be better. I say give it a try.


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Default Bread flour for shortbread?

Baker1-

> Recipes call for All Purpose, but I'm wondering if using bread flour
> is better. I use bread flour for my banana quick breads and it turns
> out better than using AP.


I'll put in a plug for reading Shirley Corriher's wonderful section on
flour in _Cookwise: The Secrets of Cooking Revealed_ You should be
able to find it in your library. Along with McGee she's a wonderful
food science writer.

I was finding that my scone recipe was coming up really wet, and for a
moment was perplexed. Then I realized that I'd switched flour, and
deduced that clearly the bulk organic unbleached AP I used for the last
two batches was lower protein than the King Arthur AP I'd previously
been using. Shirley does a great job of laying out the information, in
part explaining why it is some recipes "don't work". For example a
biscuit recipe written by a southern cook using the low protein AP,
10.5 % Martha White, when made with a 12% Pillsbury or Gold Medal AP,
will produce a dried up dough because of the absorption differences.

Anyway, I think her book is very useful and well worth reading. I've
had it out of the libaray so many times, it's finally gone onto my
holiday wish list this year. <G>

-Marylouise



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baker1
 
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Default Bread flour for shortbread?

On 2 Nov 2005 13:17:40 -0800, "
> wrote:


>I'll put in a plug for reading Shirley Corriher's wonderful section on
>flour in _Cookwise: The Secrets of Cooking Revealed_ You should be
>able to find it in your library. Along with McGee she's a wonderful
>food science writer.
>
>-Marylouise



Very interesting. I'll take a look, because I agree that being
somewhat off by only a few %'s can mess up a meal.

Thanks for the tip.
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Vox Humana
 
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Default Bread flour for shortbread?


"baker1" > wrote in message
...
> On 2 Nov 2005 13:17:40 -0800, "
> > wrote:
>
>
> >I'll put in a plug for reading Shirley Corriher's wonderful section on
> >flour in _Cookwise: The Secrets of Cooking Revealed_ You should be
> >able to find it in your library. Along with McGee she's a wonderful
> >food science writer.
> >
> >-Marylouise

>
>
> Very interesting. I'll take a look, because I agree that being
> somewhat off by only a few %'s can mess up a meal.
>
> Thanks for the tip.


When making bread, biscuits, and scones, and pie pastry I don't use a set
measure of liquid. I only add what is needed to make a proper dough. I
agree that Chorriher's book is a good read ( I own a copy), it is very hard
to know what the percentage of gluten forming proteins is in any given brand
of flour. Therefore, on a practical note it is important to realize that
you don't have to add all the liquid specified in a recipe, but only the
amount to make the consistency of dough you want.


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