Vital Wheat Gluten Flour (2024)

FAQs

What is vital wheat gluten flour? ›

Vital Wheat Gluten might look similar to flour, but it is slightly different in that it is a form of almost pure gluten, the stretchy protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and other grains. It is made by hydrating the wheat flour to activate the gluten and then processed to extract everything from it.

Finding a vital wheat gluten substitute can seem daunting, but with so many options available, it's easy to find one that works for your recipe. Chickpea flour, soy flour, xanthan gum, psyllium husk, almond flour, guar gum, and potato starch are all great substitutes that can be used in a variety of baking recipes.

Lots of baking sites disagree about how to turn all-purpose flour into bread flour. Some people recommend adding just 1 teaspoon of vital wheat gluten per cup of all-purpose, while others recommend 1 to 3 tablespoons per recipe.

Since it's a concentrated wheat protein, just a tablespoon or two of vital wheat gluten in your next loaf of bread can improve its elasticity and create a better crumb and chewiness in the final product. The recommended ratio is one tablespoon of vital wheat gluten per two cups of flour.

But if eating gluten causes you unpleasant side effects such as gas, bloating, diarrhea, or joint pain, you may want to try removing it from your diet for 30 days to see whether your symptoms improve. That would include refraining from eating seitan ( 12 ).

When bread dough contains too much gluten it loses its extensibility and springs back too much, making it difficult to work with and resulting in a bread that is tough and has lower volume and a compact crumb.

A bread recipe specifically calls for 'Vital Wheat Gluten. ' My neighborhood mill only has 'Wheat Gluten'. They could not tell me if there is a difference. Editor: Yes, the two names are used interchangeably.

Moreover, people commonly use vital wheat gluten as an ingredient in baking to improve the texture and elasticity of dough. Bakers frequently add it to bread dough to increase its ability to rise, create a chewy texture, and improve its crumb structure.

Even better, only a tiny amount is needed per recipe. Unfortunately, vital wheat gluten can be tricky to find (usually in health food stores) and pricy. However, it's remarkably simple to make the gluten powder at home, low-cost, and it can be stored for months to come.

If a recipe calls for whole wheat flour and vital wheat gluten, you can leave out the gluten. Your whole wheat bread will not rise quite as high and tall or taste quite as soft as it will if you add in the wheat gluten, but it shouldn't stop you from making a delicious loaf.

Does vital wheat gluten go bad? ›

Shelf Life Fundamentals

The expiration or best-by date is not an absolute marker of safety, but rather the manufacturer's estimate of product integrity. Vital Wheat Gluten: Unopened: Typically lasts 7-10 years. Opened: Should ideally be used within 6-12 months.

soy sauce or tamari - Adds saltiness, umami, and depth of flavor. balsamic and apple cider vinegar - Vinegar rounds out the flavor profile and helps disguise the subtle bitterness of vital wheat gluten. fat - Including a little bit of oil or other fat improves the overall flavor and tenderizes the seitan.

Be sure to use a flour made from hard wheat, which means it's high in protein, and therefore high in gluten. The gluten combines with water to form the elastic strands that trap carbon dioxide given off by yeast, allowing bread to rise.

Cons: It's a highly processed food. May be bad for your gut. Unsuitable if you have a gluten sensitivity.

Vital Wheat Gluten is an additive made from the protein (aka gluten) found in wheat. Vital Wheat Gluten basically looks like flour but it is 100% gluten with little to no starch.