You could try sifting out the bran, or some of it. It depends on the mesh size of your sifter. It won’t be just like white flour, but it would likely lighten up your bread a little. And what some do then is before baking, sprinkle the bran on top of the dough.
Thank you, Liz and Arlo! I’ll try it both ways and post about the outcome.
Substitute any amount but remember that starter is flour and water and adjust so the total of each remains the same. Now depending on how much starter you have used will effect on how long the dough needs to ferment. There’s no one rule for how much… that is left to your own discretion.
Thank you, Abe.
In my hometown, there is plenty of AP flour but no bread flour. I have been able to procure 50 lbs of high gluten four (which is 13.5% protein). I usually use King Arthur Bread flour which is 12.7%. I am trying to find out what I will need to do differently with a higher gluten content. Most of what I read is about how to deal with a lower level and hence concentrate on strategies to increase strength. What do I do with too much? Add a little AP in? I want to continue making a variety of sourdough breads, not bagels! What can you suggest for adjustments?
You’ll only make bagels out of that if you boil the dough otherwise enjoy some of the pros that comes with the higher gluten percentage.
As a rule the higher the percentage the better it is for bread. Might make it more chewy but some people actually prefer that. You can always add some other flour be it AP or wholegrain or rye etc. You can also bake it in a pan for a softer sandwich loaf. Here is a soft loaf baked in a pullman using 14% protein khorasan flour.
Should I adjust anything? Or just sub 1 for 1 high gluten (13.5%) for the 12.7%? More/less water? I always use other flours in combination in all my breads (a little rye, whole wheat and sometimes type 85 when I have it).
That’ll work. Just edited my post above. You can add up to 20% rye or whole wheat which will alter the crumb a bit. If you stick with all strong bread flour then lowering the hydration will have an effect. How high is it now?
Right now I use a flour that’s 12.7%. The new flour that’s coming is going to be 13.5%
How high is the hydration for an all white sourdough you usually do?
I never do all white sourdough. Maximum white is usually 75% and hydration is usually 80% (if you parse the starter into flour and water amounts)
Drop it down to 65 - 70%. Start off at 65 and if too low you can add water till 70%. Should help with a closer more softer crumb. You can also add some oil, about one tablespoon, for a softer crumb.
But I really don’t think its such a great jump that you’ll notice a big difference.
Good to know. Thanks for your thoughts (and expertise)! My bread is already quite chewy (which I love) but was worrying (perhaps too much?) about how this change would effect my baking.
If you dont mind a little chewy and you already never do more than 75% white flour then I wouldn’t change a thing. It’ll be fine!
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I have a bread flour substitution question - in our area all flour disappeared for several weeks after the start of the coronavirus lockdown. I had some APF and my wife found some KAF Whole Wheat, but bread flour only appeared this week in Giant (and it was bleached, but it was all there was, so…). However, the international store I go to had a quantity of Atta flour (which is made from durhum wheat, if I understand correctly). Now of course I could just make chappati, but I’d like to try to use it in sourdough baking. Has anyone tried it and what was the experience?
Thanks for any advice!
It is my understanding (I may be wrong so if someone could corroborate this) is that while it is durum wheat the process it goes through while making it into flour makes it more fit for flat bread rather than tall loaves. Now I’ve never worked with this flour so I don’t know if its impossible or just not ideal.
Can you find fine durum semolina. Semolina can come in different grades from coarse to fine with fine being not quite durum flour but the next best thing. If you can that’d make a nice substitute.
@HLAgnew @anon44372566
I did a comparison of bolted durum flour and semolina flour recently – they were each paired with all purpose flour 50:50. The semolina (durum wheat middlings in fine-flour form) took longer to absorb the water. The bolted durum (durum wheat flour that has had some bran sifted out) was stickier. Both made similarly lovely khachapuri, a Georgian stuffed bread – recipe to come soon on here on Breadtopia.
Edited since I’ve learned more:
I think Atta flour would be similar to whole grain durum flour, which I use at 60% (ish) in this soooo delicious bread (semolina flour that is fine can be substituted).
You can always put the dough in a pan if it feels like the gluten won’t work with a freestanding loaf.
That’s what I did here (50% semolina flour):
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_A2mNSpfxw/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Here is a pizza dough (40% semolina flour):
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Nice loaf @Fermentada loving that swirl. I’ve often made use of fine semolina and while its a good substitute it just lacks something that rimacinata has. Its amazing what that extra fine grind does and I’m also thinking there are different varieties of durum grain where the better quality ones are grown for rimacinata and the others for semolina even though rimacinata is remilled semolina. But I have no knowledge of this and its just an opinion I’ve formed when working with them. Or it could actually be solely down to the grind which makes all the difference. As for Atta I seem to remember from somewhere that the milling process used destroys the gluten to a certain extent which makes it not ideal for tall loaves.
@Abe I think you’re much more familiar with these flours than I am. I remember learning about the Altamura bread from you. I did some googling and I think Atta flour is maybe closest to whole grain durum flour…and I edited my reply to reflect that. Though @HLAgnew please note I’m still speculating.
Here’s something interesting https://trfl.nl/recipe/73/how-make-good-no-knead-artisan-bread-indian-atta-flour