100% whole wheat bread

[Anna N]

Thank you for participating in this Q&A.

I have two questions I hope you will address:

Are there any special techniques for getting excellent loaves of bread using 100% whole wheat flour?

Even when a recipe makes no mention of "slashing" should one always slash the bread to ensure good oven-spring?

I am a total amateur who is only just getting my toes wet in the world of bread making.

Many thanks.

[FoodMan]

Like Anna I have a problem with breads made with 100% wheat flour, they are usually very dense and a little crumbly with a slightly sour taste. Any advice to improve on them would be appreciated.

Thanks

Elie

[James MacGuire]

100% whole wheat loaves do tend to be dense. Remember that whole wheat flours will tend to absorb more water than white flours, and that a quick premixing of the ingredients followed by a 5 minute rest before beginning the kneading will allow the flour to hydrate, and soften things so that the bran doesn't break things down as much.

Stone ground flours still contain the germ, and they therefore go rancid and lead to acid tasting results. Look for fresh flours, and also remember that the fermentation times might be shorter than other loaves. Crumbly results, on the other hand, might be a consequence of insufficient bulk fermentation of the dough. This leads to a dense, quick-drying loaf which when sliced, lacks the elastic, supple quality that fermentation provides.