How to Mix Wheat Flour & Bread Flour in Bread Machine

Mixing bread and wheat flour will produce a lighter loaf of bread.

Baking with whole wheat flour is a healthy alternative to bleached white flour. Wheat flour is higher in dietary fiber and protein than bleached flour. By nature, though, whole wheat flour is heavier in texture and has a lower gluten level, making it difficult to bake a light and airy loaf of wheat bread. A good solution is to mix bread flour with the wheat flour when you add it to your bread machine. Bread flour is high in gluten and has a small amount of barley flour and vitamin C which helps the yeast work optimally and increases elasticity.

Instructions

1. Measure half of the amount of wheat flour that is called for in your recipe and pour it into the bread machine. For example, if your recipe calls for 3 cups of wheat flour, you will only use 1 1/2 cups.

2. Measure an amount of bread flour equal to the amount of wheat flour you are using and add it to the bread machine. If you put in 1 1/2 cups of wheat flour, then you will also use 1 1/2 cups of bread flour.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bread machine and program it according to the user's instructions.

Tips & Warnings

• Some bread machines require you to put the wet ingredients in before the dry ingredients. If this is the case, follow your bread machine's specific instructions, being sure to reduce the amount of wheat flour in your recipe and supplement it with an equal amount of bread flour.

• You can purchase gluten to add to a wheat flour recipe. This is typically most effective if you add it to the dough in addition to reducing the wheat flour and adding in bread flour, instead of using just the gluten to lighten up the texture of the bread.

• Some specialty machines have a setting specifically for whole grain breads. If you machine has a setting for whole grain or whole wheat, use it when you are making wheat bread even if you cut the wheat flour with bread flour.

References

• "The Bread Machine Cookbook": Donna Rathmell German: November, 2005
• Whats Cooking America: Types of Flour
• Erma Monson, bakery cook; Martha's; Blackfoot, Idaho

Resources

• "The Bread Machine Cookbook IV: Wholegrains and Natural Sugars": Donna Rathmell German: October 1992