GRANDMOTHER OLIVE'S TIPS ON BAKING WITH WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR

People seem to have a hard time when using whole wheat flour.  Susan made whole wheat bread one time and it came out as hard as a door stop.  She was in tears.  I went in the kitchen to help her make another one.  The second one came out much better than the first.  We could eat the second one.

First, let me explain whole wheat flour.  I will use bread but the same applies to pancakes, crackers, bread or cupcakes.  Whole wheat flour contains germ and bran which other refined grains also contain but white bread does not.  Germ and bran have minerals like zinc, magnesium and iron and also omega-3 fatty acids and dietary fiber.  Also contained in germ and bran are many nutty flavors to bread or whatever you are baking and a fuller texture.  Germ and bran also soak up more water than white flour will.  Shortage of water can make a dry loaf of bread or make it crumbly or hard as a rock.  Germ and bran also make the dough heavier which can cut its capacity to rise.  But, if you make the items correctly bread or whatever you are making can be light, and healthy to eat.

First, you can not take a recipes that calls for white flour and just subsititute   whole wheat flour for white flour.  It won't work.  You will have to change more in the recipe than just the flour. In fact you will probably have to revise the whole recipe. So make sure the recipe you are using was written for whole wheat flour.

Second, is liquid, liquid, liquid.  This is the biggest mistake that most people make in baking with whole wheat flour is water.  They don't use enough.  Whole wheat flour needs a great deal  more water than white flour does.

Third is not in any medical book and I am not a doctor, but my feeling that using sourdough yeast  that it is great for the digestive tract.  With the yeast, germ and bran it will take the items with whole wheat dough more time to rise.

Fourth is don't over knead the whole wheat dough.  In the brain are flakes which can really cut the dough.  Cutting the dough will change the consistency and structure of the dough and cut its ability to rise.

Fifth because of all the above it will probably mean that it will take more time for the whole wheat dough to rise than white flour dough would.  On the other hand if the fermenting yeast continues metabolizing the sugars in the wheat, the dough stops rising and reverses.  Should your dough over ferment then the gluten deteriorates, and the dough can collapse.

So you should allow the dough to rise for 20 minutes.  Then punch down the dough loaves and allow three more hours for then to rise.  Then place them in your preheated oven.

I hope these help you in baking using while heat flour.  It does become easy. To me, whole wheat flour items taste so much better than while flour.

Elmer was at Jean's house using the phone for the post this week as his cell phone died and it is charging here.  Albert heard Elmer mention the trip to Pinecraft that he and Anna are taking.  Albert looked at me and asked why we don't go to Pinecraft anymore.

Albert and I use to go to Pinecraft in November and stay until April.  A few years ago we stopped as it seems one of us had a medical problem and stayed here for treatment.  Albert says it seems that we are pretty healthy this year or at least as we can be for old folks our age.  I told Albert it was too late this year to rent a place anyway.  Plus that I do not ride buses that far anymore.  I use to enjoy riding the bus and talking with everyone, but I just couldn't sit that long on a bus anymore.  Thinking that was that, I didn't mention it again.



The men went off to our section of the house while Jean, Anna and I sat at Jean's kitchen table.  About an hour later Albert comes out and asks me if I could suffer a car trip to Rochester, NY.  I said, of course, I could.  It's just sitting in one for twenty-four hours was to much for me even with car stops.  Back Albert went.  We ladies continued talking.

Albert came out again and said we are going to Pinecraft.  I told him, he was silly.  He said it is all taken care of.  I said I wouldn't ride a bus or car that far.  He said we aren't - we are going Amtrak. After Albert calling people he knew and Elmer calling people he knew, he rented a place for us to stay.

I tried to give reasons we couldn't go.  What if we got sick?  Albert said there are hospitals and doctors there.  What if something happened here?  Albert said Jean and David could take care of it.  If it was an real emergency, he was sure that Bishop Joseph would let us fly back due to the emergency and our ages.  Every excuse I could think of, Albert had an answer for.  Finally, Albert said Olive, we are going to Pinecraft - that's it.  So we are going.

Albert won't tell me when we are leaving because he said I would find an excuse not to go.  He will tell me when the time comes so I can pack.  He even got us a room or cabin or whatever you call it on a train that we can sleep in.  Albert thought of everything on this one.

Be With God,
Olive