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Farm Kitchen:  Scones from MJF December Issue - Help?  |
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HollyG
True Blue Farmgirl
214 Posts
Holly
Hamburg
Arkansas
USA
214 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 13 2011 : 09:20:43 AM
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Good Morning, Farmgirls!
I am in LOVE with the scones from the December issue. I made the first batch by recipe and we enjoyed them. The second batch, I was almost out of cherries, so I used what I had and added chopped apricots. They were delicious! This morning I tried modifying again. I used 1/2 white flour and 1/2 whole wheat flour (1 1/2 c. of each.) Hmmm.
My husband said they were drier, and they are. They have a pleasant nutty taste of the wheat flour, but almost a bit salty. I used the apricot and cherry mix as we liked it better than straight cherry.
Can anyone give me any ideas about incorporating or even substituting wheat flour in baking recipes? I wondered if I needed to add a touch more buttermilk and maybe cut the salt a bit. We try to follow a low-sugar diet and that includes cutting out white flour too. We clearly like the straight white flour better, but would enjoy the wheat if we tweak it a bit. Any ideas of where to start?
Holly G.
Farmgirl #2513
Be fruitful today! |
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karla
True Blue Farmgirl
1308 Posts
karla
Pella
Iowa
USA
1308 Posts |
Posted - Jan 13 2011 : 09:29:34 AM
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The whole wheat flour will soak up more moisture thatn white flour....maybe add just a tsp/tbs more of liquid & see if that helps.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
http://rua2j-grammysheirlooms.blogspot.com/ |
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SantaTeresita
True Blue Farmgirl
474 Posts
Teresita
Sacramento
CA
USA
474 Posts |
Posted - Jan 19 2011 : 07:34:12 AM
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Did you sift your wheat flour several times? We might not think about sifting as a help but it is. Sift whole wheat flour more than white. The problem cooks tend to run into is that because whole wheat flour is more dense, the end product can often seem heavy or solid. No one wants to eat bread that has no air in it, so if you're using whole wheat flour, lessen the density by sifting the flour a couple of times. This helps incorporate more air into the dough. Try this next time!
Home+Yarn+Ocean-loving Farmgirl Sister #2503 |
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SantaTeresita
True Blue Farmgirl
474 Posts
Teresita
Sacramento
CA
USA
474 Posts |
Posted - Jan 19 2011 : 07:44:49 AM
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When substituting with the healthier wheat flour, there is that adjustment to compensate and keep the recipe from drying out as you have noticed. If you do a complete substitution and there is no white flour in your recipe, you'll end up with a baked item that is a bit drier than normal.
Here's 2 handy and easy ways to avoid this and enjoy your baked goods.... you can adjust your baking time and take your baked goods out of the oven a little sooner, or you can increase your wet ingredients ever so slightly. For example, if you're making an applesauce muffin with whole wheat flour, add just a bit more applesauce to compensate for the dryness of the whole wheat. It's just a small amount of extra liquid that you are adding.
I'd agree with an extra tsp to add moisture back into your recipe.
Home+Yarn+Ocean-loving Farmgirl Sister #2503 |
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SantaTeresita
True Blue Farmgirl
474 Posts
Teresita
Sacramento
CA
USA
474 Posts |
Posted - Jan 19 2011 : 07:50:38 AM
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Then there's the overmixing factor that can happen even with our all white flours too. Avoid overmixing when you use whole-wheat all-purpose flour in baked goods such as cookies or muffins. Too much mixing will cause the flour to form glutens, which gives you a tougher, chewier end product. Some cooks choose to use a combination of whole wheat and white flour for a slightly fluffier end result. With the scones, I think the half ratio of white and wheat would work nicely for you to enjoy more delicious scones.
Home+Yarn+Ocean-loving Farmgirl Sister #2503 |
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SantaTeresita
True Blue Farmgirl
474 Posts
Teresita
Sacramento
CA
USA
474 Posts |
Posted - Jan 19 2011 : 08:06:20 AM
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When you make your scones after adjusting your white and wheat flours, you'll notice that you will feel more full when substituting more wheat flour into your recipe. Whole grains are far better for you because they do have more fiber, minerals and vitamins and that's good for us.
Just remember to substitute an equal part of whole wheat flour for white flour as long as it's the same type of flour. There are lots of different flours and you will need to use the flours from the same family. In other words, 1 cup of whole wheat bread flour can replace 1 cup of white bread flour, and 1/2 cup of whole wheat all-purpose flour is an acceptable substitute for 1/2 cup of white all-purpose flour.
Hope these tips help everyone and happy baking!
Home+Yarn+Ocean-loving Farmgirl Sister #2503 |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Jan 19 2011 : 08:17:18 AM
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Teresita, I was going to ask the same thing. I sift the fire out of my whole wheat and it requires a sifter with a handle that turns, not one of those where you squeeze the handle. Sifting adds air to the flour and so when measuring, one cup of sifted flour is quite a bit less than one cup of unsifted flour.
Holly,
The other thing I was going to ask is if you are using soft white wheat (pastry flour) or hard red or white (bread flour). The pastry flour makes much better pastries like scones, biscuits, cookies, muffins, etc that do not have any yeast in them. Soft white wheat has less gluten and sifts out lighter. The hard red and white is a bread flour with a higher gluten content to help breads rise. Keep experimenting! :-)
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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HollyG
True Blue Farmgirl
214 Posts
Holly
Hamburg
Arkansas
USA
214 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2011 : 09:31:05 AM
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Thanks, ladies,
I used 1 1/2 C. all-purpose white flour, then sifted and carefully measured 1 1/2 C. wheat flour. I've got a bum shoulder, so I don't overstir everything, but I was extra careful anyway. The recipe calls for a cup of buttermilk and I added probably 1/8 of a cup more. They are moist, filling, and delicious! I knew you would be the ones to know what to do! Now, we can enjoy the same deliciousness - only a bit healthier for us!
HollyG
Farmgirl #2513
www.mydeepwoodslife.com |
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Farm Kitchen: Scones from MJF December Issue - Help? |
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Scones from MJF December Issue - Help?
