In this comprehensive guide,Rose Levy Beranbaum, author of numerous books on baking, includingThe Bread Bible, teaches us how to make show-stopping loaves of bread from start to finish. In the first section, she covers the basics ofmeasuring, kneading, and proofing, plusshaping, anddecorating and bakingthe final loaves.
在第二部分中,Beranbaum展示了最好的flours for bread.
Basic bread contains very few ingredients—often just flour, water, yeast, and salt, plus sometimes oil or butter, eggs, seeds, grains, and nuts. With so few ingredients, it's very important to use the best quality and to store them properly. Here's how to get on the good foot with flour.
Flour's two different types of protein give bread its structure: glutenin, which creates elasticity and then chewiness, and gliaden, which creates extensibility, the protein's ability to stretch to achieve a higher rise. These proteins need water in order to connect and form gluten, the supporting structure of bread. The bubbles of carbon dioxide resulting from fermentation are held in place by the gluten strands until baking, when the starch gelatinizes and sets.
Baking FlourDifferent types of wheat flour contain different amounts of protein. Unbleached all-purpose has the lowest amount of protein, usually around 10.5%. Bread flour contains about 12 to 12.7%. High-gluten and whole-wheat flours have about 14% protein.
Flours with different protein levels are good for different kinds of breads. For instance, unbleached all-purpose is most suitable for soft varieties such as white sandwich bread, while bread flour works best for rustic or hearth loaves. Butter and egg-rich breads (such as brioche) can benefit from bread flour in the lower range, such as Gold Medal's Better for bread flour. It gives the dough a little extra support and rise without compromising its soft texture. High-gluten flour, which is bread flour with extra protein, is ideal for chewy breads like bagels.
Keep in mind that different brands of flour differ in their protein content as well. There are several ways to deal with this. If your recipe includes a recommendation for a specific brand of flour, you'll know its protein content will work with the recipe. Alternately, some flour companies list the protein content of their flours, which can help you pick the right flour for the bread you're making. Beyond that, working with different brands requires some trial and error.
Whole-wheat flourmakes for a more wheat-y and substantial bread. Recipes that call for white flour can be adapted to include some whole-wheat flour. For every cup of whole-wheat flour you use, add 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons water. This is because the bran and high protein content of whole-wheat flour make it very absorbent, so it needs more water. If you want to substitute whole-wheat flour for all of the white flour, it's best to add 2 teaspoons of vital wheat gluten per cup because the bran contained in whole-wheat flour cuts through gluten and weakens the structure of the bread. The vital wheat gluten helps restore some of that lost structure. For each teaspoon of vital wheat gluten, add 1 1/4 teaspoons more water. (This water is in addition to the 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons water per cup of flour that you add to compensate for using whole-wheat flour.) Also, once you exceed 50% whole-wheat flour, you will need to keep the dough very sticky after mixing, and slightly sticky after the second rise, then add flour only as needed when shaping. This is because the bran in the whole-wheat flour is slower to absorb moisture evenly.
When making bread with whole-wheat flour, only allow it to rise to 1 1/2 times its size (rather than double). Whole-wheat flour makes dough less extensible, so if you let it double it will not be able to support the rise and will lose much of its loft.
Durum wheat flourhas the highest protein of all flour. However, the gluten that forms when water is added is not elastic, so durum wheat needs to be used in combination with other flours. Bread can be made with up to 26% durum wheat flour. Pugliesi is an example of bread made with durum wheat flour.
Rye flourdoes not contain any gluten-forming proteins, so it is used in conjunction with a minimum of 80% white wheat flour (less, and the rye would cause the bread to be gummy).
Pumpernickel flouris whole rye flour that is coarsely ground. It has to be used with a minimum of 70% white wheat flour.
National brands tend to be the most reliable, but it's really a matter of personal preference. Before purchasing, be sure to check the expiration date to make sure the flour is as fresh as possible and buy flour and buy flour with the appropriate protein content for the bread you wish to make.
As flour ages, it loses strength, and in the case of whole-wheat flour, the germ will cause it to become rancid and bitter. Store all flour in airtight containers in a cool, dark place—light bleaches the color.
White wheat flourkeeps, in an airtight container, at room temperature for about 1 year, but will stay fresh longer if refrigerated and much longer if frozen.
Whole-wheat flourshould be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or in a cool, dark place and used within 3 months or stored in the freezer, where it will keep for up to 1 year.
Rye and pumpernickel flourscan be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 6 months or the freezer for 1 year.
Organic flour needs to be placed in the freezer for a minimum of 72 hours to kill grain moth larvae or weevils before it can be used. Afterward, store as you would regular flour, in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
Different types of flour will change the structure and flavor of your bread. Butthere's more going on than just flourwhen you look under the hood of a successful loaf of sourdough.
