Homemade Dough Enhancer

84 Comments

1. 

   Great instructional movie. I recently bought wheat berries, but was worried about making heavy, dense bread. Now I’ll wait until the next segment of this comes out before trying.

   “Goo, it’s called goo”, cracked me up 8^)

2. 

   Great instructional movie. I recently bought wheat berries, but was worried about making heavy, dense bread. Now I’ll wait until the next segment of this comes out before trying.

   “Goo, it’s called goo”, cracked me up 8^)

3. 

   Great instructional movie. I recently bought wheat berries, but was worried about making heavy, dense bread. Now I’ll wait until the next segment of this comes out before trying.

   “Goo, it’s called goo”, cracked me up 8^)

4. 

   Thanks for telling us all why we need dough enhancers. I do use gluten and potato flakes. Do I also need to use vinegar then? Also, I only use 4 t of gluten (3 c of whole wheat flour & 1 c of white flour). Do I need to increase my gluten to 4 T?
   Also, I would love more texture in my whole wheat bread. How do I add more texture with either oatmeal or wheat or something. I’m always nervous to venture out of what I know works for our family 😉
   One more question. I live in OH and would love to buy gluten in a bigger container than the little box at Kroger. Do you know where I can get that (or order that from)?

5. 

   Thanks for telling us all why we need dough enhancers. I do use gluten and potato flakes. Do I also need to use vinegar then? Also, I only use 4 t of gluten (3 c of whole wheat flour & 1 c of white flour). Do I need to increase my gluten to 4 T?
   Also, I would love more texture in my whole wheat bread. How do I add more texture with either oatmeal or wheat or something. I’m always nervous to venture out of what I know works for our family 😉
   One more question. I live in OH and would love to buy gluten in a bigger container than the little box at Kroger. Do you know where I can get that (or order that from)?

6. 

   Thanks for telling us all why we need dough enhancers. I do use gluten and potato flakes. Do I also need to use vinegar then? Also, I only use 4 t of gluten (3 c of whole wheat flour & 1 c of white flour). Do I need to increase my gluten to 4 T?
   Also, I would love more texture in my whole wheat bread. How do I add more texture with either oatmeal or wheat or something. I’m always nervous to venture out of what I know works for our family 😉
   One more question. I live in OH and would love to buy gluten in a bigger container than the little box at Kroger. Do you know where I can get that (or order that from)?

7. 

   Thanks, I do have a recipe that I add the vit. C too, I will have to give the vinegar a try, I always have it around and its a lot cheaper. Thanks forthe tips.

8. 

   Thanks, I do have a recipe that I add the vit. C too, I will have to give the vinegar a try, I always have it around and its a lot cheaper. Thanks forthe tips.

9. 

   Your cookbook looks amazing! I can’t wait till it comes out. Thanks for the details on dough enhancers.

10. 

    Your cookbook looks amazing! I can’t wait till it comes out. Thanks for the details on dough enhancers.

11. 

    So, are you supposed to use all 3 of these dough enhancers at a time, or just choose one? I have bought dough enhancer and gluten, but have yet to try the gluten and now I’m excited that I don’t really have to have both on hand 🙂

12. 

    So, are you supposed to use all 3 of these dough enhancers at a time, or just choose one? I have bought dough enhancer and gluten, but have yet to try the gluten and now I’m excited that I don’t really have to have both on hand 🙂

13. 

    Thanks for the great explanation. I never knew why people used gluten or dough enhancers. I have the same question as Annie. Are you supposed to choose one of the dough enhancers at a time? Also, I love the viengar idea. At what point would you add the vinegar to the dough?

    Thanks again for all you do!! You’re making a huge difference in a lot of lives!

14. 

    Thanks for the great explanation. I never knew why people used gluten or dough enhancers. I have the same question as Annie. Are you supposed to choose one of the dough enhancers at a time? Also, I love the viengar idea. At what point would you add the vinegar to the dough?

    Thanks again for all you do!! You’re making a huge difference in a lot of lives!

15. 

    Thanks for the great explanation. I never knew why people used gluten or dough enhancers. I have the same question as Annie. Are you supposed to choose one of the dough enhancers at a time? Also, I love the viengar idea. At what point would you add the vinegar to the dough?

    Thanks again for all you do!! You’re making a huge difference in a lot of lives!

16. 

    Thanks for the info. I am glad that you did not suggest the store-bought “dough enhancer”. I have used it before and NOT been impressed. “Vital Gluten” is a great thing! I am convinced that it makes my homemade bread “slice-able” and hold together SO much better than the bread I had growing up! Knowing that vinegar can be a “dough enhancer” is VERY handy information too. I have added potato flakes before, but just for added nutrition, not as a help to the yeast. You have really done your homework and it is fantastic!!!!! Thanks SOOOO much for what you are doing!

17. 

    Thanks for the info. I am glad that you did not suggest the store-bought “dough enhancer”. I have used it before and NOT been impressed. “Vital Gluten” is a great thing! I am convinced that it makes my homemade bread “slice-able” and hold together SO much better than the bread I had growing up! Knowing that vinegar can be a “dough enhancer” is VERY handy information too. I have added potato flakes before, but just for added nutrition, not as a help to the yeast. You have really done your homework and it is fantastic!!!!! Thanks SOOOO much for what you are doing!

18. 

    Thank you, Crystal!

    This is a wonderful instructional video.:) I’m beginning to reconsider trying bread making again. I’ve been so discouraged, that I finally gave up and decided that my family would have to eat quick breads we couldn’t buy our bread.

    Joyce

19. 

    Thank you, Crystal!

    This is a wonderful instructional video.:) I’m beginning to reconsider trying bread making again. I’ve been so discouraged, that I finally gave up and decided that my family would have to eat quick breads we couldn’t buy our bread.

    Joyce

20. 

    Thank you, Crystal!

    This is a wonderful instructional video.:) I’m beginning to reconsider trying bread making again. I’ve been so discouraged, that I finally gave up and decided that my family would have to eat quick breads we couldn’t buy our bread.

    Joyce

21. 

    I sometimes use 500 mg. Vitamin C tablets as a dough enhancer in my bread. Use 1 tablet for every 5 cups of whole wheat flour. You can mill these with your wheat berries, or crush them with between two spoons.

22. 

    I sometimes use 500 mg. Vitamin C tablets as a dough enhancer in my bread. Use 1 tablet for every 5 cups of whole wheat flour. You can mill these with your wheat berries, or crush them with between two spoons.

23. 

    I sometimes use 500 mg. Vitamin C tablets as a dough enhancer in my bread. Use 1 tablet for every 5 cups of whole wheat flour. You can mill these with your wheat berries, or crush them with between two spoons.

24. 

    thank you so much for the explanation

    I use vitamin c in all the recipes that call for dough enhancer but if I can use the vinegar instead of the dough enhancer that really cool because it is very cheap I’ll ready have it in my pantry so could you explain these a little more

    so instead of dough enhancer I will use the vinegar and it will depend on the yeast that I add to my recipe? so I will not pay attention to the measure that call for dough enhancer?

    thanks Crystal!!!!!

25. 

    thank you so much for the explanation

    I use vitamin c in all the recipes that call for dough enhancer but if I can use the vinegar instead of the dough enhancer that really cool because it is very cheap I’ll ready have it in my pantry so could you explain these a little more

    so instead of dough enhancer I will use the vinegar and it will depend on the yeast that I add to my recipe? so I will not pay attention to the measure that call for dough enhancer?

    thanks Crystal!!!!!

26. 

    Is there a difference between vital wheat gluten and gluten flour?

27. 

    Is there a difference between vital wheat gluten and gluten flour?

28. 

    Thanks for the information on dough enhancers. I have a 100% whole wheat recipe I use that calls for gluten, and it makes a very good bread. It’s good to know these other things can substitute or be added along with the gluten. I’ll have to try some of them next time I bake. Can’t wait to see your post on the actual baking. Always open to learning new methods and healthy recipes. Thanks…smiles and sunshine…Bev

29. 

    Thanks for the information on dough enhancers. I have a 100% whole wheat recipe I use that calls for gluten, and it makes a very good bread. It’s good to know these other things can substitute or be added along with the gluten. I’ll have to try some of them next time I bake. Can’t wait to see your post on the actual baking. Always open to learning new methods and healthy recipes. Thanks…smiles and sunshine…Bev

30. 

    Thanks for the information on dough enhancers. I have a 100% whole wheat recipe I use that calls for gluten, and it makes a very good bread. It’s good to know these other things can substitute or be added along with the gluten. I’ll have to try some of them next time I bake. Can’t wait to see your post on the actual baking. Always open to learning new methods and healthy recipes. Thanks…smiles and sunshine…Bev

31. 

    This was a great video, but I also am wondering, do you need all of them or just choose one? Thanks!

32. 

    This was a great video, but I also am wondering, do you need all of them or just choose one? Thanks!

33. 

    Have you ever used powdered butter? I just purchased some from Macy’s today and just trying to figure it out.

34. 

    Have you ever used powdered butter? I just purchased some from Macy’s today and just trying to figure it out.

35. 

    I have found that if I want my bread to be nice and round with good texture for slicing, I have to use gluten and vinegar (lemon juice also works the same). If I only use the vinegar my bread tends to fall a bit and the top looks lumpy. It also ends up being more crumbly. Vital wheat gluten is wheat, hi gluten flour is more refined white flour. They work the same, it just depends on what you want.
    I do have a question though. Is there anything you can do to ‘rescue’ your bread if the gluten hasn’t fully developed during the mixing ( I do mine for 8 min in the bosch)? It’s happened a few times when I haven’t added any gluten. It still turns out okay, just not great.
    Thanks!

36. 

    I have found that if I want my bread to be nice and round with good texture for slicing, I have to use gluten and vinegar (lemon juice also works the same). If I only use the vinegar my bread tends to fall a bit and the top looks lumpy. It also ends up being more crumbly. Vital wheat gluten is wheat, hi gluten flour is more refined white flour. They work the same, it just depends on what you want.
    I do have a question though. Is there anything you can do to ‘rescue’ your bread if the gluten hasn’t fully developed during the mixing ( I do mine for 8 min in the bosch)? It’s happened a few times when I haven’t added any gluten. It still turns out okay, just not great.
    Thanks!

37. 

    Wonderful videos! I have a question about the wheat flour. Do you use hard red wheat or soft white wheat and what is the difference?

    Thanks for all you do to help us learn about cooking with food storage. I am 65 years yound and still learning.

    Eva

38. 

    Wonderful videos! I have a question about the wheat flour. Do you use hard red wheat or soft white wheat and what is the difference?

    Thanks for all you do to help us learn about cooking with food storage. I am 65 years yound and still learning.

    Eva

39. 

    Thanks for this post! I’m too cheap to go out and buy gluten, so it’s great to know that I can use vinegar and/or potato flakes to improve the texture of my wheat bread. Awesome!

40. 

    Thanks for this post! I’m too cheap to go out and buy gluten, so it’s great to know that I can use vinegar and/or potato flakes to improve the texture of my wheat bread. Awesome!

41. 

    Love all this info! I’m just eating it up! Thanks
    Where is the best place you have found to buy Gluten in larger amounts?

42. 

    Love all this info! I’m just eating it up! Thanks
    Where is the best place you have found to buy Gluten in larger amounts?

43. Eat It: Dough Enhancers | Fun With Food Storage
    

    March 27, 2009

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44. 

    Can’t wait for your book to be available. I love your videos!!

    Do I need to keep wheat gluten in the fridge?

    You have inspired me to bake bread again.

45. 

    Can’t wait for your book to be available. I love your videos!!

    Do I need to keep wheat gluten in the fridge?

    You have inspired me to bake bread again.

46. 

    Although those three things may make your bread better, you can have excellent bread without using any of them. Water, wheat and yeast are the only necessities for making bread. You can make endless variations on those three, though.

    1. 

       I’ve been really confused.  I think my wheat bread is soft and delicious and I don’t use enhancer because I read that was for really old, stored wheat that may not bake up as well.  How do you know if you need to bother with it?

47. 

    Although those three things may make your bread better, you can have excellent bread without using any of them. Water, wheat and yeast are the only necessities for making bread. You can make endless variations on those three, though.

48. 

    One way of getting vital wheat gluten is to make your own. Make gluten aka wheat meat. When you’ve extracted the gluten to make the meat. cut it into slices and dry it well (dehydrator, oven, whatever you have). After it’s dry, powder it in blender, food processor, bash it with a hammer – again whatever you have available to powder it. That’s all there is to it. Except you know exactly what’s in it and what’s not. Plus, after making the wheat meat, you have bran to dry and starch to use. Costs a lot less too.

49. 

    I bought my gluten from healthyharvest.com it comes in # 10 and #2 sized cans.

50. 

    I am curious if you can use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar. I wouldn’t imagine your adding enough to change the flavor of the bread too much, but am not sure!

51. 

    Author

    Give it a try and let me know. Thanks!

52. 

    hi dude

53. 

    B h + K e

54. 

    B h + K e

55. 

    B h + K e

56. 

    B h + K e

57. 

    am so glad i learned to make good bread after i found your site. it came handy last week when we got hit by a terrible storm here in the phil. we are lucky that the flood waters rose to just knee level and so we were still able to move around our home. some friends and relatives had to stay on the roof of their home and evacuate to escape the flood which competely covered 2 storey houses

58. 

    Thanks so much for explaining dough enhancers. Many of my friends use them in their bread making but no one could ever explain to me why. I am a why question person so this helps me understand why I am doing what I am doing.

59. 

    Have you tried Shirley J dough enhancer? It's cheap, works wonders, and has been around for 30 years!

60. 

    Do you ever make french bread with the crispy crust and big bubbles inside?

61. 

    Yes, do a search on my blog for french bread.

62. 

    Do you ever make french bread with the crispy crust and big bubbles inside?

63. 

    Yes, do a search on my blog for french bread.

64. 

    I have never bought gluten and wondering where you buy yours from? Thanks for the help!

65. 

    Can I use these three enhancers using a regular bread flour?

    Thank you

    1. 

       Bread flour already has gluten in it.

66. 

    I am new to food storage products.
    Where can gluten be purchased?
    Can it be bought in bulk?
    What is the shelf life of gluten?
    Is gluten kept in the refrig?
    Is gluten necessary to use or can the other items you show be substituted?
    I really have enjoyed your “show me how” videos; I find them very helpful.

67. Best Buy Dough Enhancer
    

    November 27, 2010

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68. 

    Loved the videos. I made some great bread and did the kneeding with my hand crank mixer. Please explain more about potato flakes. The only thing I find is potato flour. Do you mean instant potato?

    Thanks for a great set of videos……………Gary

    1. 

       potato flakes are instant potatoes that you would buy from the store to make
       mashed potatoes.

69. 

    This video explained a lot for me, thank you. It also made me think. Basically as I understand it there are basically 3 things for a dough enhancer; protein, starch and acid. You used gluten for the protein. I have been reading recently about the Ezekiel 4:9 bread and the highly increased protein contents from the sprouted grains and legumes. You used potato buds (which I get from the cannery every chance I get) for the starch. I know that potato and corn are great sources of starch. Often potato is used as a feeder for sour doughs. Your comment about using the water from cooking potatoes is great. Legumes are also a great source of starch. I wonder if the additional starch from the legumes in the Ezekiel bread would be sufficient? For the vinegar, I have recently been studying bees and plan to start a couple of hives this spring. This would give me my source for the sugars (honey). But also I have been studying of producing vinegar from Honey. What are your thoughts?

    1. 

       Wow! Sounds like great things to try! Please let me know how it all turns
       out.

70. 

    This was so helpful.  Locally, I can only find dough enhancer at the health food store and a tiny bottle is expensive.  Now that I understand what dough enhancer is, I can make it myself!

    1. 

       Its a great feeling, right? 😛 You can also get powdered ascetic acid (vinegar) but I haven’t had a lot of luck finding it locally – it would be handy for pre-mixing with vital wheat gluten for a nice dough enhancer ready to go.

71. 

    I have a question, if I use asorbic acid vs. white vinegar, how much do I use? Can I use apple cider vinegar vs. white vinegar?

72. 

    Crystal … I’ve been following your blog and testing your recipes … you are AMAZING!  I love your work … literally, you have changed how I buy, store, cook and serve my meals.  Forever grateful!

    1. 

       Yes! That is what I love to hear!

73. 

    Thanks so much for the information and videos you post. I bought your book and it should be arriving any day now, I’m very excited about it. You really have changed how I think about food and I can’t wait to make my first loaf of bread using my own milled hard red wheat from the cannery. Do you have recommendations on where to buy the gluten at a good price? Thanks again!! 

74. 

    I don’t have potato flakes so what can I use instead? I have powdered milk?

75. 

    I haven’t been able to find the answer to this on your site yet- where can I buy gluten? And how do I store it, and what’s the shelf life? Thanks 🙂

    1. 

       I get gluten at the grocery store, although if you have a specialty baking store in town you will probably be able to find more variety. I did have to go to 3 different stores until I found it though, as gluten is a “bad word” now thanks to pseudoscience. On the West Coast you can usually find it with the other Red Mill products.

76. 

    hey-I cook. and i think this girl is cool. she is easy to understand and all her explanations make sense. the fact that she is nice looking only adds to the overall experience and keeps guys like me focused. very nice video. I make bread and pizza all the time and I recently started adding extra gluten to my flour mix to get a better rise. keep up the good work there girly. you have one more dependable food making watcher you can count on. gu-bye…

77. Non Gluten Where To Buy Dough Enhancer | my gluten free diet
    

    August 30, 2014

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