Why doesn't wheat flour rise as much as white flour?

[JEDI]

i bought 5lb wheat flour for $2 and made some simple bread using 1/2cup of it.

Why doesn't it rise as much as white flour?

 

[leftyman]

I thought this was some kind of baking joke.

 

[Vegitto]

ZOMGRACISM! 😛

(I don't really know..)

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Whole wheat flour doesn't have as much protein to make gluten in it as white flour does. Less gluten means less structure to hold carbon dioxide bubbles which means less rising.

 

[AbsolutDealage]

Please note that you should be measuring your flour by weight instead of volume.

1/2 cup of white flour != 1/2 cup of wheat flour

EDIT:

Oh, and as for your question, Magnus is right. Whole grain wheat flour does not contain as much gluten as all-purpose flour. To get around this, you can increase the water content of the dough, and knead the dough for a longer period. That will help produce adequate gluten structure and produce a comparable bread.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer
Whole wheat flour doesn't have as much protein to make gluten in it as white flour does. Less gluten means less structure to hold carbon dioxide bubbles which means less rising.

Bassackwards.

Whole wheat flour has more protein in it. The higher gluten content makes the dough denser and heavier, so it rises less.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

Originally posted by: AbsolutDealage
Please note that you should be measuring all baking ingredients by weight instead of volume.

1/2 cup of white flour != 1/2 cup of wheat flour

fixed

 

[AbsolutDealage]

From the wiki

Nevertheless, it is possible to make a high-rising, light loaf of 100% whole wheat bread, so long as one increases the water content of the dough (the bran and germ in whole wheat absorb more water than plain white flour), kneads the dough for a longer period of time to develop the gluten adequately, and allows for a longer rise before shaping the dough. Some bakers let the dough rise twice before shaping. The addition of fats, such as butter or oil, and milk products (fresh milk, powdered milk, buttermilk, yogurt, etc.) can also greatly assist the rise.

 

[fLum0x]

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer
Whole wheat flour doesn't have as much protein to make gluten in it as white flour does. Less gluten means less structure to hold carbon dioxide bubbles which means less rising.

my fiancee is allergic to gluten 🙁

it is called celiac disease....anyone here have it? 🙁

 

[ch33zw1z]

http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/bread/bread_science.html

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer
Whole wheat flour doesn't have as much protein to make gluten in it as white flour does. Less gluten means less structure to hold carbon dioxide bubbles which means less rising.

Bassackwards.

Whole wheat flour has more protein in it. The higher gluten content makes the dough denser and heavier, so it rises less.

Technically, you are correct. I guess this is where baking meets science. I have observed that white flour or bread flour develops gluten much faster than whole wheat flours. There is definately something else going on however as otherwise the lightest best rising bread would be made from pastry flours and this is not the case. I suspect it is the ratio that is important rather than the total gluten content. Just my observations from a whole lotta years in the kitchen. 🙂

 

[Soybomb]

Originally posted by: fLum0x

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer
Whole wheat flour doesn't have as much protein to make gluten in it as white flour does. Less gluten means less structure to hold carbon dioxide bubbles which means less rising.

my fiancee is allergic to gluten 🙁

it is called celiac disease....anyone here have it? 🙁

I do, it sucks so much. I hardly ever even go out to eat anymore because everything has wheat/gluten in it.