Ingredients

19 questions bakers asked about ingredients, most-asked first, each with the answer and the chapter it comes from.

What can I make with sourdough discard besides bread? For pancakes, use around 5-20% starter based on flour weight. If you want them sweet, add some sugar. For so …
Can I use hard wheat flour instead of soft wheat flour for sourdough bread? For sourdough, using hard wheat is great because it has higher protein, which helps develop a strong gluten …
How do I choose good flour for sourdough bread? Rye like your Roggen Vollkornmehl will always bake dense and flat, because rye's pentosans stop a real glute …
Can I make sourdough bread with Indian wheat flour? Yes, Indian wheat works. Any flour will grow a starter and ferment a dough, so you can absolutely bake sourd …
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour for sourdough? You can, all-purpose flour makes great bread too. Lower protein just means the dough holds a bit less water, …
Can I use all-purpose white flour for bread if my starter was made with wheat flour? Absolutely, you can use a wheat flour starter with white all-purpose flour for your loaf! Just remember to a …
Can I use half whole wheat flour in sourdough bread? Yes, half whole wheat works well. Two adjustments: whole wheat drinks more water, so add a little extra to r …
Can chlorinated tap water be used for sourdough or is bottled water necessary? You can definitely use your tap water; just let it sit for 12-24 hours to allow the chlorine to dissipate. A …
Does high-protein flour help maintain gluten structure in sourdough? Yes, using a 15% protein flour, like strong Canadian flour, can indeed help maintain a robust gluten network …
How can I improve German Type 550 flour for sourdough baking? For better success with German flour, aim for a higher protein content. Try mixing in some vital wheat glute …
How do I adjust sourdough ratios and process for whole wheat bread? Mostly yes, with a few tweaks: whole wheat soaks up more water, so add a bit more and give it a little longe …
How do I bake with whole rye flour in sourdough bread? Rye is a different animal from wheat: it barely builds a gluten network because of sugars called pentosans, …
How do I make sourdough with weak flour that can't handle high hydration? You don't need very high hydration for great bread. With weaker flour, stay around 60 to 65%, use a stiff st …
How do you bake soft bread with freshly milled whole wheat flour? You are not alone, and the book is honest that home-milled flour is tricky. Home mills tend to leave the sta …
How do you calculate baker's percentages for salt and starter? Baker's math is always a percentage of the flour weight, so 2 percent salt is 20 g only when you have 1000 g …
How do you determine flour strength for sourdough baking? Protein content is the main clue you can read off a package: more protein means more gluten, which lets the …
How do you make sourdough bread with spelt flour? Spelt is worth doing, and a 50/50 wholegrain and white spelt mix is a nice balance. Spelt has plenty of glut …
How does baker's percentage work for scaling sourdough recipes? Using baker's math helps scale recipes easily. If you know the percentages, you can adjust the recipe for an …
How does hydration vary between Caputo 00 flour, bread flour, and other flour types? Hydration depends on the flour's protein and gluten, not the brand name, so a fine Caputo 00, a stronger bre …

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