Seeds that include bran, germ and endosperm layers are called whole grains. Whole grains are sold as grains, meals and flours such as brown rice, kamut, quinoa, barley, bulgur, oatmeal, whole-wheat flour, cornmeal, rye flour and soy flour. Whole grains are packed with dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. Including whole grains in your diet can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes. You can use whole grains in baking to add fiber and texture to your foods. However, there are few steps you need to take when baking with whole grains.
Step 1
Use gluten containing wheat flour together with whole-grain flour or grain when baking bread. Gluten gives baked goods the typical airy and light structure, and it cannot be fully replaced with low-gluten or gluten-free whole-grain flours such as whole wheat, rye, oat and barley.
Step 2
Replace 50 percent of all-purpose flour with whole-wheat pastry or whole-wheat flour when baking breads with yeast. For example, instead of 1 cup of all-purpose flour, use ½ cup of all-purpose and ½ cup of whole-wheat flour when baking breads, cookies and cakes.
Step 3
Substitute 25 percent of all-purpose flour with nonwheat whole-grain flour such as soy, rye, oats or barley as another option when baking breads with yeast. Instead of 1 cup of all-purpose flour, use only ¾ cup and ¼ cup of nonwheat whole-grain flour. Or use ½ cup of whole-wheat flour, ¼ cup of all-purpose flour and ¼ cup of nonwheat whole-grain flour.
Step 4
Try whole-grain flour, baking powder and baking soda when making cakes, muffins, cookies and pie crusts. You do not need high-gluten flour to make these baked goods. Make muffins with a flour mixture containing 1½ cups of whole-wheat flour, ½ cup of oat bran, ½ cup of pecan meal, 2 tsp. of baking powder, 1 tsp. of baking soda and ½ tsp of salt.
Step 5
Add whole-grain flours, meals or grains to your baking batter without replacing any other ingredients. Add rolled oats, rye flour, cornmeal or cooked barley, quinoa or farro to give your baked goods texture and fiber. When using grains instead of flours, cook them before adding to your baking batter.
Step 6
Put whole grains in the casseroles, breaded meat and other meals you bake in the oven. Replace bread crumbs with rolled oats or bran cereal when making breaded dishes and add farro, quinoa or kamut to your casseroles.
Step 7
Use brown rice or whole-wheat pasta instead of white rice or regular enriched pasta when making baked pasta or rice dishes.
Tips and Warnings
- Store whole-grain flours in freezer bags because of their high protein, fat and vitamin content. Bring the frozen flour to room temperature before baking. You can heat whole-grain flour slightly before baking bread to improve yeast function.
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