Hi Deborah, adding vital wheat gluten to a bread recipe that includes a high percentage of whole wheat flour can, indeed, make for a stronger dough and a better rise. Adding 1% (based on the weight of the flour) VWG to a recipe will increase the protein percentage by .6 %. So, if you added 1% vital wheat gluten to a bread recipe that contains 900g of flour, that would be 900 X .01 = 9g of VWG (1 tablespoon), and the protein percentage would go from 12.7% (for the bread flour) to 13.3%. Keep in mind that this ingredient also absorbs a lot of water, so you may want to add an equal amount of extra water as VWG added.

However, I don't think you necessarily need to add VWG to your recipe, because the bread flour will contribute good strength to your dough. Another step that can be helpful when making bread recipes with a significant percentage of whole wheat flour is to mix all the ingredients until the dough is fully moistened (no dry pockets of flour) and then cover the bowl and let the dough sit for 20-30 minutes before beginning the kneading process. This pause allows the whole wheat flour to fully hydrate and the bran to soften, so it doesn't cause as much damage to the gluten structure. Adding this pause will lead to a more productive kneading process and a better rise. 

• Reply