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Additives and Ed Okie

Tarheel_Boy@webtv.net (Skallywagg)
Tue, 12 Aug 2003 21:36:00 -0400 (EDT)
v103.n035.8
Mike asked about vital wheat gluten and dough enhancers.  Mike, dough 
enhancers usually consist of vital wheat gluten, diastatic malt, and 
ascorbic acid.  You pay a higher price for the enhancer when someone else 
mixes it for you.  Now, I don't mind paying a higher price for the 
convenience of a quality product such as Lora Brody's.  But to answer your 
question, you don't need both VWG and a dough enhancer.  The VWG is going 
to help your dough develop structure, especially when part of that dough 
consists of whole wheat and/or rye that doesn't have as much gluten as 
bread or even all-purpose flour.  The malt will help develop taste and 
browning, and the ascorbic acid gives the yeast a boost.  All you need is 
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon per recipe of the ascorbic acid.  So, use a pre-mixed 
dough enhancer like Lora's or add your own VWG, malt, and ascorbic 
acid.  Play around with them in the same recipe and see which combination 
works best for you.  If you have any additional questions, please address 
them in this forum or write to me privately.

In closing, I have to say I got a kick out of Jazzbel's conception of Ed 
Okie.  I have imagined him with an Einstein-like hairdo standing in front 
of a huge blackboard covered with equations that fills one wall of his 
kitchen.  Little wonder he is so smart about bread baking.  ;-)))

Bob the Tarheel Baker