On 1/9/2012 9:25 AM, Julie Boylan <fortunitone@yahoo.com>
>I have a new grain mill and I have wheat berries - the white stuff,
>not the hard red stuff. The freshly ground flour looks and feels
>great but I have had two failures using it in a bread recipe that I
>have successfully used with commercial flour. The recipe is for 100%
>whole wheat flour. (Link to recipe available if interested.)
>
>After 10 minutes of kneading in the mixer with the dough hook, the
>dough is craggy looking. I can pull it apart easily. It is not
>elastic at all. So I added vital wheat gluten and some whole wheat
>bread enhancer that has (among other things) more gluten and
>ascorbic acid. For two large loaves I added 2 tablespoons of the
>enhancer and between 1/4 and 1/3 cup of the VWG. After another 10
>minutes the dough was much more elastic but not enough
>apparently.The crumb looks more like a biscuit than a nice bread.
When we were doing the research that led to opening a bakery we
talked to the owner of a "Great Harvest" franchise. He commented
that the worst problem he had was grinding flour. It was a bigger
issue than turnover. And part of the problem was getting a good
wheat to grind. If all you care about is quality, it's hard enough
because the big milling companies have contracts in place that tie up
much of the harvest. If you also want it to be organic, you're
asking for more trouble. And, if you're grinding your own, you
should hold out for organic grain.
There are lots of unknowns in your question. I have no idea how
experienced a baker you are. If you've played with whole grains
before. And if the recipe is any good.
So, let's start with the recipe. Have you made that recipe with
store bought whole wheat? If not, you don't know if the recipe is
good. I'd start there. Make the bread with store bought whole
wheat. If it doesn't work well, you may have found the source of
your problems. Make sure you feel the dough, because if the recipe
worked, that is what you want your dough to feel like.
Whole grain flours absorb more moisture than refined
flours. However, they do it more slowly. So, for the first part of
your kneading, you have a dough that is far too wet. The tendency of
beginners is to add more flour. When the flour starts absorbing
water, your dough gets too dry. And that causes more issues.
So, start with the recipe as given. If it is too dry, add some
water. If it is too wet, do nothing. Knead for about 5 minutes, then
let the dough rest for 5 minutes with the mixer off. This gives the
flour time to absorb moisture. Then adjust the flour and water
ratio, if needed, as you knead for another 5 minutes. That is
usually enough kneading.
The next issue is the grain. Where did you get it? Was it a strain
of wheat intended for bread making? If not, look around for some
that was. A number of organic mills sell unground, but cleaned,
grain for home milling. Your local health food store can probably
get some for you. Personally, I am not a fan of white wheat. It has
more protein than red wheat, but it doesn't handle as well and the
breads are really pretty bland. VERY IMPORTANT - don't get feed
grain, it is very low quality and dirty!
The next issue is the mill. Most people cheap out and get a
micronizer mill. They really don't make great flour. They overheat
it. That is why so many recipes from people who sell those mills
include milk powder and eggs. They are trying to fortify the dough
so it will handle and bake well. You're making cake, not bread. You
can make good bread with flour from a micronizer, but its easier if
you use a mill with stones.
I have a good recipe on my web site for a 100% whole wheat sourdough
bread. (http://www.sourdoughhome.com/100percentwholewheat.html) It
has gotten a good bit of praise. It works with home ground flour.
The next issue is the difference between home ground and store bought
flour. The flour mills ensure the moisture content of the grain is
right before they mill it. As a result, their flours are fairly
consistent. You are almost certainly using the grain as it comes out
of your sack or bucket. So, you have a very variable moisture level
in your flour. You will probably need to adjust the moisture level
in your dough so your flour can make a good bread. If the recipe
worked with store bought flour you need to adjust the liquids in the
recipe until the dough feels like the batch made with the store
bought flour. Wait until the second kneading to do this.
Remember, the goal is not to grind the flour as finely as you can, it
is to make good bread. With most grinders, you should use a medium
setting. This also reduces overheating.
I hope you'll tell us how things work out,
Mike
*Bake With Mike <http://www.bakewithmike.com>*
A Randomly Selected Food Saying Of The Day:
"The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook"
-Julia Child