May 5, 2010 - 4:47pm
White bread flour
For several years now I've been making a nice, light bread with a combination of KA white whole wheat and Gold Medal Better for Bread white bread flour. My local Safeway has stopped carrying the white bread flour and I can't find any in Honolulu.
Can I replicate the effect of the high-gluten bread flour by mixing unbleached all-purpose flour with a little high-gluten flour from my health food co-op? I think the brand is Bob's.
No, the health food co-op doesn't carry white bread flour, though perhaps I could ask them. (I think they might not agree, as most of their customers want whole wheat, not white.)
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If you are not satisfied with your results using the AP flour, certainly you should see what you can achieve using blends of the ap with high gluten flour or vital wheat gluten.
Vital wheat gluten(gluten flour) is actually a different product from high gluten flour. High gluten flour is the step up from bread flour, with protein levels of about 14%. Vital wheat gluten is nearly all protein in the 60 to 75% range.
But whatever flours you have, you can blend them to achieve the target levels you desire. I use this online mixed mass percentage calculator to accurately blend my flours to my desired levels, if so needed:
http://tools.foodsim.com/
Otherwise, just begin by using the mixing methods as suggested by the VWG manufacturer. Actually sounds like you will probably be using Bob's Red Mill VWG(in bulk form, of course):
http://www.bobsredmill.com/vital-wheat-gluten.html
Good luck.
Thanks mrfrost. Nice to have a more experienced baker confirm my guess as to the best course of action.
90% of the time buy my flour from KA directly. There is always a 10% discount and the list price is less than what is charged in Honolulu. Try going to there website and price it out to see if it works for you ? Shipping is fast 4-5 days to your door after order. My experience is, for about 25 lbs of the different flours you can buy online, you may pay $1-$1.50 more per bag. The flour is the freshest since your getting it direct and there sell flours online that you cannot get otherwise for sure here.
Having said that, I ran out of KA Bread flour, needed it that day, I went to Times on Liliha and Vineyard and bought The Gold Medal Better for Bread flour there.
Hey Saraugie, howzit? Thanks for the tip re the Better for Bread flour. I live in Makiki, so that Times market isn't too far out of the way for me. I'll be sure to check it out in the next few days.