How to Substitute Whole Grain Flour for White Flour in Recipes
Using whole grain flour for baking will make your food healthier but can dramatically change the taste and texture. Whole wheat flours differ from white flours as they include all of the grain but have a lower gluten content. Substituting whole grain flour in recipes calling for white flour necessitates some adjustments to the ingredients and techniques to ensure success with your finished product. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Whole grain flour
- Spoon
- Measuring cup
- Vital wheat gluten (gluten flour)
Instructions
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Replacing Whole Grain for White Flour in Any Baking Recipe
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Replace up to a third of the total amount of white flour with whole wheat flour to maintain the original texture. Alternatively, use 7/8 cup of whole grain flour for each 1 cup of white flour to completely replace the white flour in any recipe to produce a denser result.
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Continue to adhere to the recipe as directed except for with bread recipes. Opt for this substitution for cookies, cakes and quick breads.
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Follow your recipe about how the batter or dough should look after mixing. Keep some additional liquids on hand to add in case your brand of whole grain flour did not absorb as much liquid as a white flour. Varieties of whole grain flours hold differing amounts of moisture and you might need to add more flour or liquid to get the proper texture.
Use Whole Grain Flour in Yeast Breads
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Replace each cup of white flour with 7/8 cup of whole grain flour to make 100 percent whole grain bread with a chewier taste and denser texture. Make a lighter loaf by only substituting one third of the white flour with whole grain. For instance, use 1/3 cup of whole wheat flour and 2/3 cup of white flour for each 1 cup of white flour in the recipe.
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Add 1 tbsp. of vital wheat gluten (gluten flour) to each cup of whole grain flour replacing the white flour used in bread recipes, Use this addition when substituting whole grain flour for the white flour.
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Change your bread mixing technique to strengthen the dough by combining the yeast, water and sugar and letting it sit until bubbly. Combine the vital wheat gluten with the whole wheat flour, and stir one half of this flour combination into the yeast. Let it sit for two hours to overnight. Continue with the recipe as directed. Use this method for any recipe requiring yeast and kneading of the dough: pizza doughs, yeast rolls and bread recipes.
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Tips & Warnings
Recipes substituting whole grain flour for white flour will have a heavier, more chewy texture than those using only white flour or a portion of whole grain.
Measure out the whole grain flour by transferring it to the measuring cup with a spoon instead of scooping out the flour from the container with the measuring cup.
Breads will not rise as high when using whole grain flour and the dough will have a stickier consistency.
