Power to The Bakers.How To Substitute Whole Wheat For White Flour In Baking
Flour is the most crucial ingredient for baking any item. You can avail different types of flour for baking a wide range of food items. You can choose from bread flour, all-purpose flour, pastry flour, cake flour, and many more flour varieties. A recent nutrition study found that of all the flour types, whole wheat flour is highly nutritious. When you compare other flour varieties with whole wheat flour, you notice that the other flour types, at times, are missing some basic nutritional elements. The required nutrition is what you get in whole wheat flour. The nutritional value of whole wheat flour is due to the fact that it includes the endosperm, bran, and germ in the milling of whole wheat grains. In the all-purpose flour or other flour, the milling process does not include germ and bran. In such flour types, you will mainly get the value extracted from the endosperm.
Due to the nutritional value of whole wheat flour, people nowadays are choosing whole wheat flour over other flour types. People are becoming more health-conscious and are relying on the consumption of health-essential food items. So when it comes to baking, what will you choose — whole wheat flour or white flour?
The first thing that will cross your mind is the change in taste of the final product. When you are substituting the whole wheat flour with white flour, you need to ensure a lot of things. It is essential to follow a step-by-step approach to prepare a delicious item with whole wheat flour.
#1 Start By Adding Flour In Smaller Quantities
When you try to substitute whole wheat flour with white flour, you need to ensure that you add it in smaller quantities. You cannot replace the whole wheat flour entirely with white flour. You need time to adjust to the taste of the whole wheat flour. So taking small steps will help you with the process. For instance, you can add one cup of whole wheat flour for 500gm of white flour. With time, you can keep increasing the quantity of whole wheat flour and decreasing the quantity of white flour.
#2 Add And Mix The Liquid In Small Quantities
While preparing the food item with whole wheat flour, you should add liquid in small quantities. You can use water, milk, or even orange juice based on your preferences. If you want to have a sweet taste in the baked item, you can use orange juice or apple juice. While adding the juice, use smaller quantities. Whole wheat flour has a great binding effect. So if you add water in excess, it may affect the taste of the baked item. Moreover, the dough of the flour will be loose and sticky. You cannot use such flour for baking.
#3 Check The Right Baking Temperature You Have To Set
The temperature you require for white flour, and whole wheat flour is different. So you need to set the temperature of the oven/microwave beforehand. When you substitute the whole wheat flour for white flour, the temperature needs to be changed. The heat required by both the flour varieties is different. So be careful that you are not overheating or underheating the food item. You can take the help of the experts while choosing the right temperature.
#4 You Need Different Ingredients For Preparing Different Food Items
As you already know that white flour has a different taste than whole wheat flour, be specific about the spices you add. Besides this, there may become other ingredients that you would like to add to the baked item. So choose wisely as it will make a lot of impact on the overall taste of the baked item.
For Which Baked Items, Can You Use Whole Wheat Flour Instead Of White Flour?
You can easily use whole wheat flour instead of white flour for various food items such as cake, pastries, muffins, bread, etc. But be sure to follow the steps for baking these items. You need to ensure that they have perfect texture and taste. For the items that are soft in texture, such as cake and pastry, you need to use whole wheat flour in smaller amounts compared to white flour. If you are using the whole wheat flour in excess, it will make the item a bit hard and chewier.
Summary:
You can bake the best and most nutritional items with whole wheat flour. All you have to ensure is to buy high-quality flour from the grocery stores. Check the overall freshness, texture, and smell of the flour before you buy whole wheat flour.