Tips for Making a Recipe Less Dense?

[AKillian24]

Greetings!

In experiementing recently, I'm looking for a way to make bread less-dense (meaning - higher rise?). A great deal of the bread (mainly lower carb or whole wheat) bread is coming out very thick. Any suggestions from the panel of more experiences bakers? Thanks!!

[Donna M.]

Hi AKillian24, and welcome to the bread forum! I think I can help you with the heavy bread. Whole wheat flour does not contain enough gluten and that is why you are having problems. There are a couple of solutions. One solution would be to add some unbleached bread flour (1 1/2 to 2 cups). If you are wanting to avoid non-whole grain flour, then the other option would be to add some wheat gluten. Wheat gluten is available at the health food store. You can also get it at the grocery store with the specialty flours, but it will be more expensive there. Use about 1 1/2 tsp. of wheat gluten per cup of flour.

Good luck with your wheat bread, and please come back and tell us how it is working out for you!

[Jenny Sanders]

Wheat gluten is definitely the way to go. There are a few other things that can help, such as adding ascorbic acid and lecithin.

This recipe uses all of these, to make a whole wheat bread that is fairly light.

[AKillian24]

Wow! Thanks! Lecithin? I have it showing on my "where in the world do I find this at the grocery store?!" list... it's needed in a few of my other recipes - can anyone assist the less informed over here in Frisco, Texas? LOL

[Donna M.]

Lecithin can be found at the health food store. You can also find it in the vitamin section of stores that carry an extensive line of supplements. It comes in granular and liquid capsule form. I have never used the liquid form for baking, but maybe others have. I'd try it first without lecithin, as another poster said that lecithin gave her bread an odd taste. Usually the wheat gluten is all you need. Lemon juice is also a good sub for ascorbic acid, as it works in the same way. It is not quite as potent. Use about 1 tsp. per loaf of bread.

[Chipfo]

AKillian24 wrote:
Wow! Thanks! Lecithin? I have it showing on my "where in the world do I find this at the grocery store?!" list... it's needed in a few of my other recipes - can anyone assist the less informed over here in Frisco, Texas? LOL

Frisco, not far from me , Sherman TX here. Your close to the Dallas Metroplex, you should be able to find Lecithin maybe in Plano or McKinney health food stores, or just here online - http://www.urbanhomemaker.com/customer/product.php?productid=16438