How All-Purpose Flour Leads To A Denser Bread Loaf (2024)
If you've ever made a loaf of bread with all-purpose flour because it's all you had on hand and were disappointed or frustrated with the results, you're not the first, and you won't be the last. Perhaps your bread loaf doesn't have the same airy crumb as the photos in the recipe; instead, it's dense with a close crumb. The culprit might be the flour you used. There is a real difference between bread and all-purpose flour, and if you want airy focaccia or a beautiful sourdough boule, knowing the differences can lead to bread-baking success.
The reason your all-purpose flour bread is dense is because of the amount of protein in all-purpose flour versus the amount inbread flour. All-purpose flour is all-purpose because it strikes a happy medium between the protein levels of bread flour and cake flour, which have around 13 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Bread flour has a higher protein content so it helps the dough rise and build a strong network to support the shape of the loaf. It can absorb a lot of water, which when combined with yeast allows the gluten network to support the rise, and we see the network in those airy, open-crumb loaves of sourdough.All-purpose flour just can't support this growth the way bread flour can, which means the air bubbles will be smaller, leading to a dense bread loaf with a tighter crumb.
If you really don't have time to snag some bread flour or aren't really bothered by the end result -- not all of us are trying out for "The Great British Baking Show" in our heads -- you can absolutely substitute all-purpose flour for bread flour. Bread flour can take on a lot more water than all-purpose, so cut back on your water by about one-quarter. If you feel like you need to add more water, add it little by little and keep an eye on the texture. If you're subbing in all-purpose flour, you can help develop the gluten with extra kneading or an overnight rise in the fridge. You'll never quite be able to achieve the lofty rise, airy texture, and chewy crust that you would with bread flour, but you'll still have delicious homemade bread. The recipe you're following should give you some tips on the texture you're looking for.
Fortunately, not all bread recipes require bread flour. Breads and rolls that call for all-purpose flour are usually a bit denser and close-crumbed than a high hydration, long fermentation no-knead bread recipe.Recipes like milk bread, focaccia, and sandwich loaf are ideal candidates for all-purpose flour because they have a tender, tight, crumb that isn't dense or heavy.
If you make a bread dough with all-purpose flour, the gluten network won't be as strong because of the lower protein content; this means the dough won't be able to stretch as much to accommodate those bubbles, resulting in smaller bubbles and bread with a tighter crumb.
Breads and rolls that call for all-purpose flour are usually a bit denser and close-crumbed than a high hydration, long fermentation no-knead bread recipe.
There may be several reasons for a dense, cake like texture in bread. It may indicate the kneading wasn't enough for the gluten to develop properly, or the dough was proved for too short a time or the dough may have been too dry. It is also worth checking the flour you used.
Bread flour produces baked goods with more structure and chew than all-purpose flour, as all-purpose only has a protein content of 10 to 12 percent, versus the 12 to 14 percent of bread. All-purpose flour produces tender baked goods (as opposed to chewy ones) and is ideal for cakes, muffins, biscuits, piecrust, etc.
Even if you select the correct flour, if you overdo it your bread will come out heavy and dense. The addition of too excessive flour in the dough is a common error, particularly for those who are new and don't know how it is what bread dough ought to look like.
If you sift white wheat flour gently into a measuring cup and carefully scrape off the excess, you'll find that the density of wheat flour is about 120 grams/cup. If you pack flour into the same cup as tightly as possible, the density will be about 160 grams/cup.
Getting the amount of flour right is vital due to the high flour ratio to the other bread ingredients. Measuring one or two tablespoons too much per cup (easy to do) can cause your bread to be dense.
All purpose flour is best for muffins, cookies, cakes and other baked goods that do not require a notably chewy texture or high rise. It's also not as thirsty as bread flour, which means it will absorb less water.
All-purpose flour is versatile, as it contains an average amount of protein. The more protein in the wheat, the more gluten is formed. Gluten provides elasticity to the dough, helping it stretch and trap the gases formed by leavening agents like yeast and baking powder.
Adding sugar weakens the gluten structure, absorbs water, and eventually makes the bread lighter and softer. As a result, sugar improves the bread's taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.
Sugar acts as a liquefier. It absorbs water, weakens the gluten structure, and makes the dough looser. The dough expands more when baking achieving an airier and softer crumb.
Adding dry milk powder to your bread dough will help your loaf rise higher. In addition, the loaf will stay soft and hold moisture longer which again means it will last longer. It also helps brown the crust. If you want a lighter fluffier bread loaf just add 2 Tbsp of dry milk to the flour per loaf of your bread.
All it takes is a small amount of dough enhancer per loaf to create a much lighter and fluffier result. Using a dough enhancer like Vital Wheat Gluten works to improve the texture and elasticity of the dough and elongate the strands of gluten. Doing so allows more room for the gas in the dough to develop and rise.
If you want a lighter fluffier bread loaf just add 2 Tbsp of dry milk to the flour per loaf of your bread. Vinegar has a very similar effect to the dough as the ascorbic acid.
Lots of baking sites disagree about how to turn all-purpose flour into bread flour. Some people recommend adding just 1 teaspoon of vital wheat gluten per cup of all-purpose, while others recommend 1 to 3 tablespoons per recipe. I guess the variation depends on the baker's preferences and budget.
While bread flour is the best option, it can sometimes be used if you don't have bread flour. “Check the protein content,” advises Chef Jürgen, since it can vary from brand to brand, and an all-purpose flour that contains protein on the higher end of the range, 12 to 13 percent, will produce a better outcome.
Introduction: My name is Fr. Dewey Fisher, I am a powerful, open, faithful, combative, spotless, faithful, fair person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
