Dough Enhancers for Lighter, Softer Bread

About three years ago, I posted a recipe for dough enhancer, an additive to promote better rising of the yeast and improve the texture or crumb of the bread.  The ingredients are all-natural items, many of which we already have in our kitchens.  However, what I didn't realize then is that many of the ingredients have more readily accessible counterparts that are also less expensive.

I go through phases in using dough enhancer.  Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the wheat goes through phases.  As I've noted previously, the wheat itself can affect how well bread dough rises.  In fact, poor wheat is more often the reason for rising failures than yeast is, at least in my experience.  So when I've got a bucket of wheat that isn't making great bread, I turn to dough enhancers for some help, in addition to substituting in some white flour.

Here's the recipe I shared back then:

Bread Dough Enhancer
1 cup lecithin
1 cup whey powder
1/4 cup diastatic malt powder
1 tablespoon ginger
1 tablespoon dry pectin
1 tablespoon citric acid
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Use 1 teaspoon per cup of flour.  (So for the recipe posted yesterday for making bread you would use 2-3 tablespoons.)

Here's another one with some different ingredients:

Bread Dough Enhancer
2 cups vital wheat gluten
1 cup dry milk powder
1 cup potato flakes
1 package pectin for jam (Sure-Jel, MCP, etc.)
1 cup lecithin
1/2 cup diastatic malt powder
3 tablespoons ascorbic acid (Fruit-Fresh)
2 tablespoons dry ginger
1 envelop unflavored gelatin (Knox)

I haven't come across alternatives for lecithin.

Dry milk powder can be substituted for whey.

Diastatic malt powder is still hard for me to find in grocery stores.  You can make your own from sprouting wheat, but it's really kind of a hassle.

Ginger doesn't have any alternatives.  Use 1/4 teaspoon per loaf of bread. 

Unflavored gelatin can be substituted for pectin.

Instead of citric acid, you can use vitamin C or vinegar.  Vinegar would be especially good to use with sourdough.  Use the same amount of vinegar as yeast in the recipe.

Partially due to the potassium content reacting with the yeast and helping dough rise, potatoes are a natural dough enhancer as well for producing a softer, fluffier texture.  You can use potato flakes, 2-4 tablespoons per loaf of bread.  (Do not use potato pearls.)  Another option is to save the water used to boil potatoes in place of water in your recipe.  Unsalted water works best.

Vital wheat gluten, also just called gluten, is substituted for all-purpose white or wheat flour at a rate of 1/2-1 tablespoon per cup of flour. 

You can use any of these options for enhancing your bread singly or in combination.  Work with what you have and determine the best enhancers for your bread recipes.

Links to related posts:
Diastatic Malt Powder
Dough Enhancer
Pectin
Dry Milk
DIY Vinegar

 2 july 2020

23 february 2019