King Arthur Flours - Special Bread Flour vs. All-Purpose
Paula and David
It's great. When I make bread, it rises very high. But I was
wondering if anyone out there uses King Arthur Special Bread Flour.
The AP has 11.7% protein and the bread flour has 12.7%, so I wondered
if that one point difference really matters. The special bread flour
is a bit more expensive than the AP and it's also not as convenient
for me to buy.
I use my stand mixer to do half the work, and then when the batter is
too thick to knead with the dough hooks, I finish kneading by hand. I
don't have a bread machine at this time, and my stand mixer is not as
heavy-duty as I'd like (even though it has dough hooks). So I can
never really knead dough as well as a machine would. So I'm wondering
if I'm better off sticking with the AP.
Also of importance, I almost never make straight white bread. I just
about always make one-third of the recipe with whole wheat flour or
rye flour, or some other whole grain. That means that the rest of the
flour has to be pretty strong to compensate for the loss of gluten (or
the bran from the whole wheat cutting the gluten strands). In this
case, I wondered how well the King Arthur bread flour might work.
I'd appreciate any comments and opinions. Thank you.
Ellen
is more elusive to find so I just decided to use the regular. If I have
doubts about whether the gluten is sufficient for a particular recipe I add
some "vital gluten" which is pretty available in the "health foods section"
of the supermarket. That seems to add some oomph to mixed flour doughs.
Sometimes I also add diastatic malt (which I bought from KA mailorder -- one
bag appears to be a lifetime supply) ...
Ellen
"Paula and David" <pau...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:gbi6it8d497rsvr9j...@4ax.com...
Alan Zelt
I would find the use of a special bread flour (higher protein
percentage) beneficial when baking breads containing other ingredients
with a much lower protein level. An example would be baking rye breads.
--
alan
Eliminate FINNFAN on reply.
"The pleasure of the table reigns among other pleasures, and it is
the last to console when others are lost."
--Brillat-Savarin
Ellen
interesting flavor
from the KA site:
The secret to wonderful bread lies in the fermentation of the dough. And the
secret to a top-notch fermentation period is Diastatic Malt, an all-natural,
barley-based product that improves both the flavor and appearance of your
loaf. Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon (per 3 cups of flour) of our Diastatic Malt
Powder to your dough; its active enzymes help yeast grow fully and
efficiently throughout the fermentation period, resulting in better texture,
more flavor, and improved shelf life in your finished loaf
Ellen
"rpm" <n...@goaway.com> wrote in message
news:cJMU6.13654$lq1.3...@typhoon.austin.rr.com...
> X-No-Archive: yes
> >
>
> What is the purpose for the malt? TIA.
>
> Tim
>
> Lisa, if you don't like your job you don't strike. You just go in
> every day and do it really half-assed. That's the American way.
> - Homer Simpson
Ophelia
> It's great. When I make bread, it rises very high. But I was
> wondering if anyone out there uses King Arthur Special Bread Flour.
> The AP has 11.7% protein and the bread flour has 12.7%, so I wondered
> if that one point difference really matters. The special bread flour
> is a bit more expensive than the AP and it's also not as convenient
> for me to buy.
HI
I know nothing about the flour you describe because I live in Scotland.. but
I must ask.. if your bread is great and you are happy with it.. why are you
bothered:))))
Happy Baking with whatever flour:))
Ophelia
Scott
"Ellen" <qui...@spamcop.net> wrote:
> the diastatic malt seems to make the yeast very happy -- it also adds an
> interesting flavor
since malt powder is mainly sugar, do you also cut back on any added
sugar that a recipe otherwise calls for?
Ellen
only one I do make and only for large groups (cause it makes a remarkable
amount of bread, just remarkable) I don't use the malt in but it has just
about everything else in the world (eggs, extracts, citrus peel, etc etc)
and lots of yeast -- I use the SAF "gold" yeast for that which I ordered
from KA.
I don't use the malt frequently ... only if I have some doubts as to whether
the yeast is really going to do the job in a rational time frame.
I used it in this recipe (which actually called for it) and the rolls were
declicious -- mine came out sort of *oddly* shaped (need to work on that
technique) but they sure were delicious -- it's the cirioli panini ...yum!
(great web site) -- sorry for the topic drift
http://www.theartisan.net/bredfrm.htm
Ellen
"Scott" <Heim...@spamless.invalid> wrote in message
news:Heimdall-EEE807...@news2.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...
Bob
purpose, similar protein percentage and qualities. Anyone else use this
flour?
Bob
The Old Bear
>From: Scott <Heim...@spamless.invalid>
>Newsgroups: alt.bread.recipes,rec.food.baking
>Subject: Re: King Arthur Flours - Special Bread Flour vs. All-Purpose
>Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2001 21:09:24 GMT
>
> "Ellen" <qui...@spamcop.net> wrote:
> >
> > the diastatic malt seems to make the yeast very happy -- it also adds an
> > interesting flavor
>
>since malt powder is mainly sugar, do you also cut back on any added
>sugar that a recipe otherwise calls for?
Yes, slightly. The diastatic malt is most useful in recipes with little
or no sugar. It is a yeast nutrient (or so I was told by the folks at King
Arthur flour.)
One uses it in very small quantities: I add about 3/4 teaspoon to six cups
of flour and one tablespoon of yeast.
I make the pilgrimage to "the castle" in Norwich, Vermont several times
each year. (My son attended a prep school nearby for a couple of years
and I got in the habit of going to the King Arthur retail store. Norwich
is just over the bridge from Hanover, New Hampshire where Dartmouth College
is located.)
The folks at the King Arthur store (many of whom you see in the photos in
the catalog) are all knowledgeable bakers and good at answering questions.
They also have printed sheets with information on specific ingredients
with sample recipes of how the ingredient is used. Here is the sheet on
Diastiatic Malt:
A Few Words
About Diastatic
Malt Powder...
Diastatic malt powder,an ingedient used widely by Europeans in
their bread, is an all-natural product with improves your bread in
a number of ways. Made from sprouted barley, which is roasted,
ground, filtered in water to remove husks and bran, the dehydrated,
diastatic malt powder is full of enzymes and vitamins. The
catalytic action of these enzymes on the yeast and flour improves
the flavor and appearance of the loaf, gives it a finer texture,
and helps it stay fresh longer.
You may notice that bread receipes often call for a small amount
of sugar. This sugar feeds teh yeast, which increases its capacity
to make dough rise. Sugar also helps brown the bread's crust. But
diastatic malt powder does all this, and more besides -- it
increases the bread's nutritional value, which sugar does not.
Take a taste of your malt powder: nice and sweet, isn't it? We
like to sprinkle it on cereal, and spoon it into a glass of milk to
make malted milk. In baking bread, we find a teaspoon is sufficient
for a recipe calling for six cups of flour. Don't be tempted to add
much more; yeast needs to eat, but too much food gives it
"indigestion," and it will stop working. In general, when a bread
recipe calls for a tablespoon or two of honey, sugar, molasses or
other sweetener, substitute a teaspoon of malt powder; your bread
will thank you.
Ethereal Air Bread II
We are sharing one of Robin's favorite recipes for sandwich bread.
This recipe is based on one from Estelle Korsonsky, and makes a
lovely loaf with a good texture that is perfect for sandwiches.
2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon diastiatic malt powder
7 to 8 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon salt
2 cups skim milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
Mix the yeast, diastatic malt powder, 6 cups of flour, and the salt
together. In a saucepan, heat the milk, vegetable oil, and honey
to 120 degrees F. The liquid will just start to feel hot. Pour the
liquid into the dry ingredients, and add the lightly beaten egg
whites. Add another cup of flour and stir until the dough has formed
a shaggy mass. Tuen the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and
knead the dough, adding more flour as necessary, until the dough has
formed a smooth ball. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl,
turning the dough to coat with the oil. Cover the bowl with a damp
towel. Place the dough in a warm spot and let rise until it has
doubled in size. This will take about 1 1/2 hours.
Punch the dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured counter.
Knead the dough briefly to expel air bubbles. Grease two 8 1/2 x
4 1/2 inch loaf pans. Divide the dough into two pieces and roll
each piece out into a rectangle the same length as the pans. The
rectangles should be 1/4-inch thick. Roll up the dough the long
way and place it in the pans. Cover the loaves with a damp towel
and let them rise for about 30 to 45 minutes, until they are about
1 inch over the top of the pans. While the loaves are rising,
preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the loaves for 35 to 45
minutes, or until well-browned and the bottoms sound hollow when
thumped. Cool the loaves on a rack. Yield: Two loaves each
yielding sixteen 1/2-inch slices.
Because I use a machine for kneading, I usually add three tablespoons of
Arrowhead Mill's "vital wheat gluten" per six cups of flour in most
recipes. My experience has been that machine kneading tends to be much
more aggressive than hand kneading, and therefore the added gluten helps
compensate for the machine's ability to stretch some of the gluten beyond
its breaking point. When I make recipes by hand, I find that the gluten
content of King Arthur All Purpose Flour is quite satisfactory. (Keep
in mind that too much gluten will make bread tough.)
Hence my basic starting point for almost all my bread recipes is one
tablespoon of yeast, 3/4 teaspoon diastatic malt powder, three tablespoons
of wheat gluten, and five to six cups of flour. Beyond that, everything
changes based upon what kind of bread I am trying to produce.
Cheers,
The Old Bear
Ellen
since I was a kid and it never occured to me to add some of my lifetime
supply to a glass of milk ... I have made that ethereal bread, it was pretty
good, if I remember correctly it was a real enthusiastic dough.
your points about machine kneaded vs heand kneaded and overworking the
gluten, I think I have had that happen a couple of times when I used the
mixer and I will try adding some vital gluten next time I use the machine
for one of those doughs that seem to need a long machine knead ...
Ellen
"The Old Bear" <old...@arctos.com> wrote in message
news:oldbear.87...@arctos.com...
Debbie Deutsch
I am lucky enough to live in an area (Boston) where all commercially
distributed varieties of King Arthur Flour are easy to find. I have used
both the regular and special-for-bread flour in my bread baking. There
really is a difference. The regular flour makes great bread, but the
special-for-bread flour definitely develops more gluten. The shipping cost
is certainly a factor to consider, but the cost goes down if you order
other things at the same time :-). (See www.kingarthurflour.com for
wonderful ingredients and equipment, some of which are hard to find
elsewhere.)
I like to use the special-for-bread flour as the white flour component in
rye bread. Also, it has just the perfect texture (a little drier and more
chewy) in the cinnamon bread recipe I have been playing with. However, the
most important use in my home for special-for-bread flour is in pizza
dough. Alton Brown recommended it in his recipe (found on www.foodtv.com).
After many years persuing the perfect pizza (hows that for alliteration?),
this recipe has delivered. You can stretch the dough almost translucently
thin and it doesn't tear. It bakes up crisp on the bottom and with a thin
chewy dough, and you can fold it in half just like the NYC pizza I grew up
with. The trick is to use the high-gluten flour and to knead it
sufficiently - 15 (fifteen) minutes in your Kitchenaid (or equivalent).
I have no connection with King Arthur Flour other than as a very satisfied
customer.
Happy baking,
Debbie
Bob
in a 25 lb. bag! (I break it down into 1 gal. ziplock bags for storage -
and I also put them into a larger airtight tub) For any and all bread
receipes, I prefer to use the KA "special bread" flour. I know the bag
says its for machines, but in any machine kneaded receipe, it seems to
produce the best results. Also, I use dough enhancer if there is a large
amount of non-white flour in the receipe.
Has anyone else used a commercial bread flour like Sam's?
Bob C.
Alan Zelt
>
> If you have a Sam's Club nearby, they have an excellent "bakers" flour-
> in a 25 lb. bag! (I break it down into 1 gal. ziplock bags for storage -
> and I also put them into a larger airtight tub) For any and all bread
> receipes, I prefer to use the KA "special bread" flour. I know the bag
> says its for machines, but in any machine kneaded receipe, it seems to
> produce the best results. Also, I use dough enhancer if there is a large
> amount of non-white flour in the receipe.
>
> Has anyone else used a commercial bread flour like Sam's?
>
> Bob C.
>
Sort of like "professional strength"! Actually, it is a flour to be used
when yeast is also used. It contains more gluten than AP flour. It can
be used with or without machine kneading.
Scott
old...@arctos.com (The Old Bear) wrote:
> But diastatic malt powder does all this, and more besides -- it
> increases the bread's nutritional value, which sugar does not.
hmmm, now I certainly agree that malt powder has a greater nutritive
value than does sugar--that's why you can use it to make beer without
adding yeast nutrients--but I daresay that the quantities that one would
use would add an insignificant amount to the bread's nutritional value.
Roz
they are great. I get good results. I also use Stone Bhur flour. They do not
make a bread flour as such, but their package of all purpose says it is good
for bread machines.I wrote to Stone Bhur a while ago (you have to send a
proof of purchase, etc.) and asked the amount of protein in their all purpose
and I can't remember exactly what they said but it was very high for all
purpose.
Donna
