For some time now, several people are switching from white flour to whole-wheat flour, a much healthier alternative. The ideal thing is to make the change little by little so that you have time to get used to the flavor and texture of the whole wheat-flour.
Recipes such as cookies, scones, muffins, chocolate cakes and breads are delicious with whole wheat flour. Add a little more liquid to the recipe when using whole-wheat flour. Whole wheat flour absorbs liquids more slowly than white flour. You can also add a little more milk to the dough. For example, add two teaspoons (10 ml) of liquid per cup (240 ml) of whole wheat flour. Because whole-wheat flour absorbs liquids more slowly, whole-wheat pasta tends to be stickier than those made with white flour.
Try beginning by substituting just half or 1/3 of the flour, if you’re not used to using whole wheat flour, try substituting just 1/3 or 1/4 of the white flour so your taste buds have time to get used to the flavor and texture. As you get used to the taste of whole wheat flour, start increasing the amount used in the recipe. The method, however, does not work with breads.
To prepare the bread, substitute up to half of the white flour to make bread, the bread dough needs to rise outside of the oven to be very firm and tasty. For this to happen correctly, only half of the white flour can be substituted for whole wheat.
If the recipe calls for two cups (470 ml) of white flour, for example, use one cup (240 ml) of white flour and one cup (240 ml) of whole-wheat flour, stave off the bitterness of the whole-wheat flour with two to three tablespoons of soup (30 ml to 45 ml) of orange juice. Whole-wheat flour has a stronger taste than white flour and can leave pasta with a slightly bitter aftertaste. To help resolve the issue, try replacing two or three teaspoons (30 ml to 45 ml) of any liquid used in the recipe, such as water or milk, with orange juice. Orange juice is sweet and full of natural sugars that help offset the flavor.
Whole wheat flour doesn’t allow bread doughs to rise like white flour, that’s where wheat gluten comes in. For every two to three cups (470 g to 710 g) of whole-wheat flour, add one tablespoon (15 ml) of vital wheat gluten to the recipe. Wheat gluten can be found in the natural products section of any supermarket.