HELP! whole wheat vs white flour when baking

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k8lyn_235
k8lyn_235 Posts: 507 Member
in Food and Nutrition
okay, so i made the "magic muffin mix" (with lemon poppyseed add-ins) floating around on pinterest and such (if you are unfamiliar with it, picture will be at end of post)

it calls for whole wheat flour. i made it exactly as it said, and i just didn't really care for the whole wheat taste. does anyone know if i could maybe do 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white? or do other ingredients need changed if i do that? please help! i appreciate it :)

Magic+Muffin+Mix+(1).jpg

ps - her muffin looks a lot lighter than mine. the whole wheat flour made mine a darker brown, this one looks white! and if anyone is wondering, it's 1 cup of baking stevia - not regular stevia which is like, 3x sweeter than sugar :)

Replies

  • linz1125
    linz1125 Posts: 441 Member
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    I would try whole wheat pastry flour. It's a lot lighter and better for baking things like this. I use it in pancakes, blueberry breads, and anything that has more of a dessert feel. I got bobs red mill, and I could only find it at whole foods. If you can't find it, you can try 1/2 whole wheat half white flour.

    Also keep in mind the quality of your whole wheat flour matters....so stick with something like bobs red mill, king Arthur, etc.
  • amez1974
    amez1974 Posts: 213 Member
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    I am not at home, so I can't check exactly what I have, but not all whole wheat flour is the same. I have some that is made with a different kind of wheat (maybe red?) and it looks nearly white and has a milder taste. Yes, you can also do half and half when baking something. I did that to get rid of my old bleached flour when we switched over to whole wheat.
  • pa_jorg
    pa_jorg Posts: 4,404 Member
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    Bumping to see the answers too. Plus those muffins look yummy!
  • pinkyleigh83
    pinkyleigh83 Posts: 148 Member
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    Usually when I bake muffins or pancakes I use half all purpose flour & half white whole wheat. I get both at Trader Joes.
  • k8lyn_235
    k8lyn_235 Posts: 507 Member
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    ooh, i had no idea there were different types! i'm very new to baking and cooking, so i'm a bit naive when it comes to some things! thanks so much. i'll look for the pastry flour and i have heard that bob's red mill is a good flour so i'll look for that, too.
  • k8lyn_235
    k8lyn_235 Posts: 507 Member
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    Usually when I bake muffins or pancakes I use half all purpose flour & half white whole wheat. I get both at Trader Joes.

    i'll probably do that half and half thing next time because i have a lot of all purpose white. unfortunately, i don't have a trader joes anywhere near me - i really wish i did!
  • think48
    think48 Posts: 366 Member
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    Try oat flour!! I love oat flour.
  • daylily2005
    daylily2005 Posts: 203 Member
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    you can easily do half and half. i do that when i make "whole wheat" pancakes :)
  • samlankford
    samlankford Posts: 334
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    usually when baking they suggest using wheat pastry flour... its a finer grind
  • VelociMama
    VelociMama Posts: 3,119 Member
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    Whole wheat flour doesn't rise the same way regular white flour does. You may prefer it (I prefer 100% whole wheat for baking), but some other people don't. Do a minibatch of each and see what you like.
  • kw85296
    kw85296 Posts: 265 Member
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    Ask at your local grocer. Sometimes they have Bob's Red Mill products in a specialty section and not with the other baking products. Also, if they know their customers are interested in that type of product, they are more likely to start carrying it.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    If you want muffins with a lot of 'bounce' like bread, use bread flour that has high gluton. If you want them to have a lot of crumb, you use cake flour.

    All Purpose flour is a mix of hard and soft flours and works most of the time. I like All Purpose for flour for muffins, although I use bread flour for all other bready things.

    You can get any of those flour types/grinds with whole wheat.

    Some whole wheat flours have a kind of 'dead' taste - especially as they get older or if it has been stored in a humid environment. You can certainly mix white and whole wheat flours. That's how most breads are made. But also make sure you get a good whole wheat flour at a place that sells a lot of it.

    King Arthur makes good flour, although it is expensive. Lilly Flour also has a lighter taste, although its very best flour is a cake flour.

    Adding a touch of lemon to the recipe will also lighten that heavy taste.

    Personally, I bake a LOT (less since I've been on MFP). I find muffins tricky because you have to be fussy about how much you mix them.

    BTW, overmixing muffins will also bring out that dead, heavy taste in whole wheat flour and make that less fluffy.

    Make absolutely sure your oven is completely at temperature before putting the muffins into the oven.
  • emarific
    emarific Posts: 12 Member
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    I like to use white whole wheat flour when baking. It's made from a dif. kind of wheat grain than regular whole wheat, mostly the nutrients are the same, it just has lower gluten and lower protein content. But it bakes just like refined white flour.
  • emarific
    emarific Posts: 12 Member
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    Here's a good FAQ about the white whole wheat flour in case anyone is curious: http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/whole-white-wheat-faq
  • sammielealea
    sammielealea Posts: 245 Member
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    Those muffins look yummy! Sorry I can't help, but had to comment so I could try them :smile:
  • slleader
    slleader Posts: 66 Member
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    You might also try sifting it real good. I made some muffins last weekend (used 1/2 white and 1/2 wheat) but before using the wheat I put it in my Magic Bullet and ground it up real fine, and they turned out great!!
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
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    You can also add gluten to it.
  • lmeola18
    lmeola18 Posts: 35
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    I use king Arthur whole white wheat flour when baking. Tastes like white to me!
  • k8lyn_235
    k8lyn_235 Posts: 507 Member
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    thanks for the comments! i bought some king arthur white whole wheat! can't wait to try it and see if my muffins turn out more to my liking :)
  • AGreen54
    AGreen54 Posts: 100 Member
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    I would try whole wheat pastry flour. It's a lot lighter and better for baking things like this. I use it in pancakes, blueberry breads, and anything that has more of a dessert feel. I got bobs red mill, and I could only find it at whole foods. If you can't find it, you can try 1/2 whole wheat half white flour.

    Also keep in mind the quality of your whole wheat flour matters....so stick with something like bobs red mill, king Arthur, etc.

    What she said. Have fun baking :)

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