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Re: window pane test

"Mike Avery" <mavery@mail.otherwhen.com>
Sun, 31 Aug 2003 11:38:06 -0600
v103.n038.4
On Sun, 24 Aug, 2003, lfc@juno.com wrote:

>In response to: Brown_D@kids.wustl.edu

>>The window pane test doesn't seem to work for whole wheat doughs, at 
>>least not in my hands. My father theorized that the bran will tend to 
>>"cut" the gluten strands as you stretch it out for the test. I don't know 
>>if that really makes sense or not, but it seemed a reasonable enough 
>>explanation that I stopped worrying about the windowpane test and went 
>>back to baking bread.

>I make whole wheat and wondered why I could knead and knead and not get a 
>window pane!  Hallelujah for that explanation.  My bread turns out fine 
>when it is even textured, a little less sticky and I can make a nice ball 
>out of it.  It just 'feels right.'  So why did I chastise myself for not 
>kneading long enough to get a good window pane?  Oh well, thanks so much 
>for your info.


In the end, we don't eat our technique, we don't eat a windowpane. What we 
eat is bread.  And it comes it two varieties, good enough, and not good 
enough.  We select where the line is.

However, as to not being able to produce a windowpane with whole wheat 
flour, I have no trouble doing so.  Get a copy of Laurel Robertson's 
"Breads from Laurel's Kitchen" and follow the directions for her "Loaf for 
learning".  They work.

I have four probable reasons you can't produce a windowpane. 1. Low quality 
flour.  Try another, less coarse, flour.

2. Adding too much flour.  Whole wheat will get less sticky as you knead it 
- each time you add flour, you are starting the kneading over from ground zero.

3.  Not kneading long enough - remember, each time you add flour, the clock 
starts over with more flour that needs to be kneaded.

4.  Kneading technique.  Everyone I know kneads differently, and no two 
books have the same approach to kneading.  Some insist you be gentle, 
others slam the bread against a counter for 10 minutes.  Still, some 
techniques seem to be better than others.  Kneading, even gentle kneading, 
should result in some physical exertion.

Can you make good bread without kneading until you have a windowpane?  Of 
course.  Is it necessary to have a windowpane?  Of course not.

But - it can be done, and I feel that whole wheat breads benefit from the 
long kneading that results in a good windowpane test.

Mike

PS - John - "windowpane whiner"?  I'd call you a bone lazy baker, except 
you already call yourself that.....  Mike
-- 
Mike Avery
MAvery@mail.otherwhen.com