Getting brown bread to rise

AElene

Does anyone know if adding Vitamin C powder to a brown bread dough mix (flour, yeast, salt, sugar, oil) helps it to rise? I'm trying to help a relative but I only ever make white bread, which seems to rise no problem in this hot weather. He is finding that brown bread dough doesn't rise very well.

I can kind of remember reading in an old breadmaker manual that you need to add vitamin C when making brown bread, but I can't find the booklet now

Prinzessilein

Vitamin C acts as an 'improver' and can help with the rise of your loaf.

I would also double check the amount of yeast/sugar/salt that your friend is using...getting the amounts spot on is really important (especially I find if using a bread maker)

monnagran

I've heard about VitC also but never tried it. Wholemeal bread tends to be denser than white bread anyway. I always substitute some of the wholemeal flour for white and this seems to work. Also it may help to add a bit more liquid to the mixture. I put in a good dollop of sour cream and that helps to soften it.

iammumtoone

I gave up with my bread maker as I couldn't successfully make brown bread

It makes white fine but not brown, as bread is one of the few things my sons eats and he happily eats brown rather than put him onto white bread I had to admit defeat and go back to buying brown

I also read adding vit c helps but tried it and unfortunately it wasn't successful for me.

Farway

I assume you mean wholemeal not brown? Brown is white with colouring added

Wholemeal is always difficult, I always made it 50 / 50 wholemeal and strong white, could try a spot of vinegar / ascorbic acid but it does sometimes have a bit of vinegar smell, which you sometimes find with commercial bread

But vit C, just crush a tablet, no need to buy special packs, watch out it is not orange / lemon flavoured though

iammumtoone

monnagran wrote: »

I've heard about VitC also but never tried it. Wholemeal bread tends to be denser than white bread anyway. I always substitute some of the wholemeal flour for white and this seems to work. Also it may help to add a bit more liquid to the mixture. I put in a good dollop of sour cream and that helps to soften it.

What split of white/brown do you use please?

Sour cream would be too strong my son would taste it, do you think plain yogurt would work instead?

[Deleted User]

wholemeal has very little gluten, so will not rise much. Flour and yeast need to be very fresh and don`t use warm water if using a bm because the initial heating process can make the water too warm, harming the yeast. It will rise if you add powdered gluten, a tbs to a cup of flour

silverwhistle

I tend to mix flours, and also use spelt and rye as well as wholemeal along with white. I don't use a breadmaker and that allows for a long slow rise. I sometimes add a squeeze of lemon juice which is never noticeable in the final result - try different approaches and hydrations. Weather does have an impact too, so try two small different batches at a time to see which works for you.

jk0

No problems here except that last year I did have a duff bag of wholemeal flour. The replacements have all worked beautifully:

Panasonic Bread Maker on programme 4, medium loaf.

1tsp yeast
14 oz wholemeal flour
half tsp salt
half tsp sugar
half ounce butter
300ml water

Edit: (Put the ingredients in in the order shown.)

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I've found the best results came from using very fresh/new yeast (whether a new tin of dried or a block of fresh) and I often start the yeast off even if it's easy stuff when I'm making the heavier breads.

I'll qualify this by saying I don't use a BM. But it works for me - or I'll just make soda bread/yoghurt bread rather than a full loaf when I'm using proper wholemeal.

monnagran

I use about 400 gr wholemeal to 150gr white strong flour. Couple of teasps each salt and sugar dissolved in 100ml boiling water then add150ml cold water. To this tip in 2x1/2 teasps dried yeast and a small tub of soured cream.
Mix this into the flour and leave for 10 mins. Knead lightlyon an oiled board and leave until doubled in size. Sometimes I do this twice. Then knock back and put into tin and proceed as usual.

I have found that the soured cream makes all the difference. No-one has ever noticed any taste of it in the finished loaf but I suppose you could substitute yoghurt, I don't know if it would work as well.

I've made this for years and never had a failed loaf. I think I have remembered the right quantities but I tend to be a bit slapdash.