June 2, 2021 - 5:31am
Substituting bread flour for AP in a milk bread recipe
Hi everyone,
I'm in a bit of a bind here. The milk bread recipe I normally use calls for AP flour, but all I have at home is bread flour. There is also a Covid curfew where I live, so buying AP won't be possible. Is there anything I should keep in mind while substituting one for the other? Please let me know!
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Hi! Your bread crumb will probably look and feel different and bread made with bread flour will be about 20% taller, so choose your bread pans if you bake your loaves in tins accordingly.
Still, there is a huge range of quality both in APFs and in bread flours so you might even encounter APF flours as strong if not stronger than some bread flours. Experience will tell. There is nothing to be afraid of. Bread flour is for bread after all, it will not disappoint.
may require an increase in liquid. Per loaf that might be a splash or two more. (Tablespoon or two) Or 5 to 10% more liquid in the recipe. Flours vary and so do protein levels.
Generally speaking the more protein, the more liquid required for the same dough feel. So start out with the recipe and if you find the dough too stiff or dry after working flour and milk together, you might need a little more milk.
If you weigh the dough before adding the extra milk, and again after, you can keep track of the amount and make a note on the recipe for the next batch.