Different Fats in Bread

[BadRabbit]

Looking through the archives, I've seen the topic of fat in general and how it affects bread. However, I was wondering if there is a difference in the way particular fats affect bread and rolls.

For instance, does shortening produce a softer crumb than butter? Does oil provide a chewier crust than shortening? Etc...

Edited March 25, 2011 by BadRabbit (log)

[HungryC]

Haven't noticed a difference between olive oil & peanut oil (flavor yes, but texture, no), but I do find that butter makes for a more flaky-crisp crust, rather than completely tender or too hard. I have a batch of 3/4ths white whole wheat, 1/4th bread flour, slicing loaf (with a little ground flaxseed) resting in my fridge right now. I used peanut oil in it today, as I had an open bottle on hand.

[BadRabbit]

I got to thinking about this because I am working on a sourdough I would like to hold a little longer. I've got the flavor where I want it and so now I'm thinking of adding fat. I know that there are going to be some changes I want (e.g. extended shelf life) and some I probably don't (e.g. less crispy crust). I figured if different fats acted differently then I might be able to pick one that limited the bad effects while giving me the ones I wanted.

All this might be moot because there could be no appreciable difference between fats which is why I posted the query because I have no idea.

Edited March 25, 2011 by BadRabbit (log)

[baroness]

Most yeast breads contain little (perhaps an ounce or so) amounts of fat per loaf, so I don't see them affecting the crust. Flavor is a different matter; I like walnut oil for the loaves I bake that include nuts.

This WOULD be a good question for the Baking Hotline @ King Arthur Flour: call 802.649.3717

[andiesenji]

During the past couple of years I have been using coconut oil in some breads as a sub for butter, lard or oil.

I do not use margarine at all.

I won't use it again in brioche - nothing works as well as butter. The brioche made with coconut oil had a rather tough crust, not near as tender as with butter.

It worked very well in whole grain with nuts and seeds breads, black bread, rye bread and sourdoughs where I did NOT want a very thick, crisp crust.

I get a better artisan-type crust, thicker and crisper, with no fat at all. I don't use any fat in my French bread.

In quick breads I substituted coconut oil for lard in biscuits and scones with excellent results.

Not so much in pie crust. It was okay but not nearly as tender as with lard.

I used coconut oil and butter half and half in shortbread and it turned out quite nice.

[BadRabbit]

Would adding cultured butter to sourdough make it more sour?

[IndyRob]

Would adding cultured butter to sourdough make it more sour?

I would't think so. The flavor difference between regular and cultured butter is pretty subtle. And in the quantity used, I'd think there'd be very little difference. But I have been considering adding culture directly to a starter.

Back to fats, a couple of years ago I was following a foccacia recipe when I realized that a good quantity of olive oil that was meant to be reserved and used on and under the dough, got added directly to it. I wound up with a very wet dough and discovered my mistake upon reviewing the recipe. But I decided to drop some dough in a small oiled pan, let it proof and see what happened. It actually wasn't bad. The crumb had a dense texture somewhere between bread and biscuit. I thought that if it were refined a little, it would be good for the sort of boule-shaped loaf you get at some Italian(ish) restaraunts meant to be torn apart and dipped in olive oil and/or balsamic.

Edited March 25, 2011 by IndyRob (log)

[BadRabbit]

Would adding cultured butter to sourdough make it more sour?

I would't think so. The flavor difference between regular and cultured butter is pretty subtle. And in the quantity used, I'd think there'd be very little difference. But I have been considering adding culture directly to a starter.

I was actually thinking because the cultured butter would contain extra lactobacilli not from direct flavor contribution.

[andiesenji]

Would adding cultured butter to sourdough make it more sour?

I would't think so. The flavor difference between regular and cultured butter is pretty subtle. And in the quantity used, I'd think there'd be very little difference. But I have been considering adding culture directly to a starter.

I was actually thinking because the cultured butter would contain extra lactobacilli not from direct flavor contribution.

To encourage a bit more "sourness" in my sourdoughs, I use whey from yogurt and cream cheese making and also the liquid left over from making cultured buttermilk, which is somewhat like yogurt whey but with less milk solids (they are incorporated in the butter).

I simply freeze the extra whey until I am ready to use it. You can buy a powdered whey at health food stores (not the "sweet dairy whey" sold by King Arthur and others) or you can use buttermilk or even the powdered buttermilk mentioned on another thread.

If you have a fat separator, you can pour the buttermilk into it and leave it to "settle" (or actually rise) and after the milk solids have risen to the top, drain the clearish liquid from the bottom - it is very tangy and perfect for giving a bit of "oomph" to sourdoughs and also to rye breads.