Baking with Whole Grain Flour

Our whole grain wheat flour is made from high protein wheat, making it ideal for bread making. It can also be used to make pancakes, waffles, pizza crust, pastas, cookies, muffins or other dense baked goods.

Here are some helpful answers to our most asked questions when it comes to baking with whole grain flour.

Can I substitute whole grain flour for white flour in my recipes?

Yes, but it will take some time experimenting with substitution. A good tip is to start substituting with 1/2 whole grain and 1/2 white flour. You may need to add a little more or a little less flour when substituting 100% whole grain flour. Because, whole grain flour absorbs more liquid than all-purpose flour, you may need to increase the liquid in a recipe when making substitution.

The end result will be a darker colour, with a more pronounced flavour, and possibly less volume is a result of an enzyme in the bran that reduces elasticity in gluten.

Gluten provides yeast bread’s structure to rise and stay risen. Vital Wheat Gluten provides the extra gluten needed to make whole grain loaves rise to their highest potential. Try adding 1 tablespoon of Vital Wheat Gluten per cup of flour in your bread recipe and see the difference it makes! You can find this in the baking isle at most grocery stores.

Is your whole grain bread collapsing? 

A number of things can be happening:

a) too low of oven temp. Oven needs to be heated high enough so that when the bread starts to rise in the oven it will bake quickly to retain its shape.

b) Over proofing – cut back on the rise time

c) Under – kneading – whole grain flour takes more kneading to properly develop gluten.

Is there a way to make the taste of whole grain flour less intense?

If the flavour of whole grain is too strong for you in your recipe, try substituting orange juice for two tablespoons of the liquid (water, milk) in a recipe.

Why is my whole grain dough turn out too dry?

Avoid adding extra whole grain flour to whole grain yeast bread dough in an attempt to make it it smooth and supple as white bread dough. The bran and germ in the whole grain keep the dough slightly tacky. Adding more flour will make the bread dry and heavy. To make the dough easier to handle, lightly oil hands instead of adding flour. Also keep in  mind that whole grain flours absorb more liquid than white flour, but they do so at a slower rate. So as the dough rests it will absorb any extra liquid.