unbromated flour vs. regular flour

[daisy1]

Any thoughts

I have been using Bouncer flour & just made a batch of dough with Fata’s Best Premium and noticed that it is brominated??

 

[Tom_Lehmann]

Potassium bromate at levels of around 12-ppm (parts per million) or less may be added to flour to strengthen the flour, especially after long periods of fermentation. There are some consumer concerns over the use of bromate so many companies have opted to discontinue its use in their products. The major flour manufacturers typically offer select flours both as bromated and non-bromated. Do you need bromated flour? I’ve always been able to use non-bromated flour in all but the most demanding situations, and then I can always turn to oxidative enzymes to replace the bromate. Unless you’re trying to hold your dough for up to 7-days under refrigeration you will most likely not see any real benefit from the bromate, and if you are holding your dough that long or longer, there are ways to formulate and manage the dough to get around it.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

 

[daisy1]

Thanks Tom… wasnt for sure about it. It did cost me an additional buck extra, just wanted to try the brand until I noticed it was brominated. Just trying to figure this dough situation out as to whats going on. I took your advise about raising the water and decreasing the sugar, but honestly it did not really seem to change anything. I did do a little research in regards to the sugars though, and read about brown sugar vs refined sugars. I do know for a fact that when my local supplier closed last yr and I had to start getting sugar elsewhere, I was using “Pioneer” for yrs, and had to switch to “Domino” sugar so Im almost guessing if that has been the issue, but could be wrong. Just cant figure out why moving 5 miles made such a difference in change in my dough though. I did start buying bottled water 2 days ago, because at the old location i was almost 6 miles from the water tower, here I am 2 blocks from it, so not sure if thats the issue either… Im just guessing at this point and trying to eliminate issues.

 

[Tom_Lehmann]

Daisy;
If both sugars are “sucrose” and you are weighing your ingredients, they should perform equally. If you are volumetrically portioning the sugar particle size will enter into the equation. Bottled water may not be as good for your dough as regular tap water in many cases due to the lack of minerals in some bottled water (like that from a Walmart bottled water station). If you must use bottled water, natural spring water with all the good stuff still in it will work best in your dough.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

 

[daisy1]

Tom. I am weighing all ingredients. Also I am getting natural spring water. Im testing the brown sugar with bottled water to see if any difference. I will break into that tonite during rush hrs and see how it performs. Thanks will let ya know