Whole Wheat Banana Bread Recipe - Chisel & Fork (2024)

FAQs

What happens if I use all-purpose flour instead of whole wheat flour? ›

You can, always considering a few differences between the two. In most cases, whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid than the same amount of white flour, so you will need to pay attention to how the texture of your dough or batter changes.

Because yeast has to work harder to make whole wheat flour rise, we'll use slightly more yeast in this dough compared to my regular pizza dough recipe. You need 1 Tablespoon (8.5g).

If your bread is not rising at all, there is usually a problem with the yeast. It might be out of date or, often, dead due to high temperature. Yeast begin to die at 120℉ (49℃). To see if the yeast you are using is active, add a little to warm water with a little sugar and look for bubbles after 5 - 10 minutes.

1. Substitute an equal part of whole wheat flour for white flour as long as it's the same type of flour. In other words, 1 cup of whole wheat bread flour can replace 1 cup of white bread flour, and 1/2 cup of whole wheat all-purpose flour is an acceptable substitute for 1/2 cup of white all-purpose flour.

Start by swapping one-third of the amount of flour in your recipe for whole wheat (if your recipe calls for one cup flour, use ⅓ cup whole wheat and ⅔ cup all-purpose). If that result is good, increase to use half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat flour.

“The bran cuts through the gluten and detracts from the airy texture of the cake or the flaky texture of the pastry, making it dense and pasty and generally undesirable.” Whole-wheat flour will also alter the flavor of your baked goods, leaving them slightly bitter.

The solution: When substituting whole wheat for 100% of the white flour in your own favorite yeast recipe, do this: For every cup of whole wheat flour substituted, increase the liquid in the recipe by 2 teaspoons. Once you've mixed up the dough but before kneading, let it rest for 30 minutes.

Whole wheat flour tends to absorb more water than its white flour (all-purpose/bread flour) counterpart and will often need more water added, a little bit at a time as you mix in the levain or starter and salt after the autolyse period.

Yeast is a microorganism that helps to give bread its light and fluffy texture and distinctive flavor. But when it comes to baking whole wheat bread, does it require more yeast than other types of bread? The answer is yes, whole wheat bread generally requires more yeast than other types of bread.

The bran in whole wheat flour weakens the gluten strands by cutting into them and disrupting the gluten matrix. This decreases the overall extensibility and elasticity of the dough so that it cannot hold onto as much carbon dioxide – resulting in a denser bread.

How long do you proof whole wheat bread? ›

Place the dough in an oiled loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to proof for 1.5-2 hours. Again, keep in mind that the dough may ferment faster than the white loaf from lesson one. Watch your dough carefully and look for the signs that it is ready to be baked.

Because yeast does not divide much in bread dough (only 20-30% increase in cell numbers in 4 hours), what you start with is what you end up with in terms of yeast numbers. This can affect the bread by adding a "yeasty" taste if you put too much into the dough.

So, 1,000 grams of flour and 750 grams of water will always be 75% hydration; it doesn't matter if the flour is rye, whole wheat, buckwheat, or gluten-free. However, whole-grain flours are “thirstier,” and doughs made with whole-grain flours typically require more water.

The recommended ratio is one tablespoon of vital wheat gluten per two cups of flour. This is especially helpful for bread recipes using low-protein flour varieties, such as whole wheat or rye bread. It is also good for bread recipes with lots of mix-ins, like nuts or fruits, to provide more structure and stability.

Since this is a measure of volume, we cannot do one for one wheat berries to flour measure. Instead, for one cup of flour you need to mill 2/3 cup of wheat berries. 2/3 cup of wheat berries waiting to be milled. 2/3 cup of wheat berries mills out to be 1 cup of flour.

Grain flours, such as buckwheat, oat, millet, teff, brown rice, quinoa, and amaranth. Other alternative flours, such as chickpea, soy, and mesquite.

Most flour comes from hard red wheat berries; all-purpose (white) flour is made with only the endosperm, so it has a lower nutritional value. Whole-wheat flour is made from ground hard red wheat berries and uses every part; the wheat germ and bran give the flour a darker color and a higher nutritional worth.

Whereas the whole wheat version is made by grinding entire wheat kernels into a powder, white flour removes the most nutrient-rich parts — the bran and germ ( 21 ). Thus, whole wheat flour is widely considered healthier. It's a good source of protein, fiber, and a variety of vitamins and minerals.

This flour is a blend that was created to be used for most home bakers. In the commercial processed flours, this tends to be mostly hard wheat with some soft wheat. So, to make a decent AP flour from freshly milled wheat berries, a 50/50 blend of hard and soft wheat would be pretty comparable.