Do You Have Problems Getting Whole Wheat Bread to Rise?

Making your own bread is fun and very rewarding.  We have not bought a loaf of bread in years.  If you are new to bread making, I suggest you start with white bread flour to get a feel for the dough and how it rises.

After you have mastered that, you can switch to whole wheat. We buy wheat and grind it ourselves.  It is cheaper to grind your own flour and wheat berries store better than flour purchased at the grocery store.  It is also healthier. You can mix the flour 50/50 and use 50% whole wheat and 50% white bread flour if you would like.  You can read about how to turn the wheat berries into specialty flours here.

I know a lot of people think whole wheat bread is very dense and feels like a brick when compared to white bread. I will write a post on how to make bread soon. In the meantime, let me assure you that as you gain experience, your whole wheat bread can rise just as high as white bread.  Here is one tip I use to help my whole wheat bread rise higher. Use 1 TBS per cup of whole wheat flour.

Whole Wheat Dough Enhancer

1 Cup Powdered Milk
2 Cups Vital Wheat gluten
2 tsp Powdered Ginger
1 pkg Pectin
4 TBS Gelatin
4 TBS Lecithin
1 TBS Ascorbic Acid

If you're interested in trying it, you can purchase dough enhancer in the grocery store.  You can find it in the same isle as the flour.  However, pound for pound, making your own dough enhancer is cheaper. Also, you will find that the individual ingredients store better than the box of dough enhancer you could purchase at the store. 

This is a great idea to add to your food storage program!