How can I make whole wheat flour rise?

Question

I want to make breads using 100% whole wheat pastry flour, no white or all-purpose. I want to try to keep the ingredients as healthy as possible. What's the best way to get whole wheat pastry flour to rise?

Answer 1

It's the yeast that makes it rise but here's a recipe for ya.

Ingredients

5 to 6 cups fine-ground whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons wheat gluten (optional)
1 teaspoon dough conditioner
1 seven gram packet of instant yeast (or two teaspoons)
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons water
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons melted and slightly cooled butter

Directions

1. Place about three cups of the flour in the bowl of your stand-type mixer. Add the yeast. Carefully measure 2 cups room temperature (80 degrees) water. The water should feel cool to the touch. Mix the water with the flour with a dough hook for 30 seconds or until the yeast is dissolved and the ingredients begin to combine.

2. Add the salt, sugar, and butter and continue mixing. Add most of the remaining flour, the wheat gluten, and dough conditioner and continue mixing at a medium speed for at least four minutes adding more flour as needed to reach a soft dough consistency. (It is important that the dough be mixed for at least four minutes to develop the gluten.) The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but will be soft, not firm, to the touch.

3. Once the dough is mixed, place it in a large greased bowl, turning once to coat both sides, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight or for up to three days.

4. On the day that you would like to bake your bread, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it warm to room temperature--about three hours. The dough should rise to nearly double in size.

5. Once the dough has risen, form the loaves. Coat your hands with flour and gently form a loaf by pulling the dough around itself to create a slightly stretched skin. You may need to coat your hands several times if the dough is sticky. If necessary, pinch the seams together on the bottom of the loaf. Lay the loaf gently in a well-greased loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with the second loaf. Let double again in size, about 11/2 hours.

6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once the dough has doubled (the loaf should be very puffy), place the two loaves on a shelf in the top half of the oven, well-spaced so that air can circulate between the loaves. Bake for thirty minutes or until done. The interior of the loaves should register at least 185 degrees when an insta-read thermometer is inserted through the bottom crust. Remove the bread from the pans and cool on wire racks. Let it cool completely before cutting.

Answer 2

I make bread with only whole wheat flour all the time, and my secret to getting it to rise quickly is putting the dough--prepared with yeast the standard way-- in a warm oven (about 190 degrees) for about 20-30 minues in a covered container. This also works for other flours as well. Don't get it so hot that it starts to bake- just hot enough that it rises fast. I hope this helps!

Answer 3

The key to getting the nice air bubbles from the yeast is GLUTEN. Whole wheat hasn't been broken down enough to provide enough gluten for good bubbles (rising).

The 2nd answerer had the right answer in her recipe -- just add wheat gluten to the mix (I wouldn't call 'optional', if you want fluffy bread).

The only other way to get the stuff to rise is through chemical means, by adding baking powder and baking soda (if you have an acid-y liquid), but even then the carbon-dioxide can't be trapped into bubbles without the wheat-gluten.

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Answer 4

bicarbonate soda powder is a good way to help something rise, make the bread as normal and add half a teaspoon to 1 loaf of ingreadients and it will help the bread rise.

yeast is the primary part to bread making that makes it rise but when you buy it, it is semi active. you need a warm not hot area to leave the mixture for a good half-one hour. you will notice a rise before cooking. Make sure the area is warm and not too hot. if its hot you will over cook the bread. the best place is ontop of the stove when the oven is on.

Answer 5

Whole wheat flour is heavier than all purpose flour, but if you use it, the recipe must call for baking powder as well. I sometimes I mix 1/2 all purpose and 1/2 whole wheat flours in my muffins. and it turns out very well, but there are many other ingredients that help. I've included some tips for using whole wheat flour
How to substitute whole wheat in your favorite recipes

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Whole wheat is heavier than white flour and needs more leavening.
In yeast breads, use more yeast and/or let it rise longer
In baking powder leavened products, increase baking powder by 1 tsp for every 3 cups whole wheat flour.
Recipes using baking soda need not be adjusted.
In baked products using eggs, separate the eggs and beat whites until stiff. Then fold in just before baking. For extra lightness, an extra separated egg may be added. Good for waffles and especially cakes.

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Answer 6

It is the yeast that makes it rise.