How to Bake with Whole-Wheat Flour
By Stacy Fraser
In the EatingWell Test Kitchen, we bake with whole-wheat flour as much as possible. It has almost four times more fiber than all-purpose flour and provides more potassium, magnesium and zinc. Baking is a science — not all baked goods are ideal candidates for whole-wheat, but if you experiment, you'll find many recipes just as delicious with whole-wheat flour. (To keep it fresh, store it airtight in the freezer.)
Here's our general rule of thumb: For sturdier-textured baked goods (bread, pizza dough), swap at least 50% (and up to 100%) of the all-purpose flour with regular whole-wheat or milder-flavored white whole-wheat. For tender-textured treats (cookies, cakes, pie crust), use whole-wheat pastry flour in place of up to 50% of the all-purpose. Whole-wheat pastry flour is lower in protein and milled from a softer wheat — yielding more tender results than regular whole-wheat. Happy baking!
Check out the slideshow above for recipes that will allow you to put your new baking knowledge to good use!
