baking time and flour PL percentage

[Sussan Estela Olaya]

Hi Sami.

Welcome to the Scoolinary community, and thank you for your question.

Apologies for the delayed response, I missed your post, but here are the answers to your inquiries:

Baking Temperature: The 170°C (338°F) indicated in the recipe is correct for professional ovens that distribute heat evenly. If you’re using a conventional oven, you may need to adjust it slightly since heat distribution might not be the same. Using an internal oven thermometer is a great idea to ensure the oven is at the correct temperature. Also, the baking time might vary depending on the strength of your oven.

PL of Flour: PL (linked potential) is not the same as the protein percentage, though both are related. PL refers to the flour’s ability to form an elastic gluten network. While protein percentage affects gluten formation, PL is more specific and depends on the quality of the flour. The flour you’re using may have a good protein percentage (12.7%), but if it’s not specifically formulated for croissants, its PL may not be ideal. Chef Antonio Bachour’s recipe refers to the specific PL standards required for flour to ensure a good protein balance for the desired structure in croissants.

Non-elastic Dough: If after mixing the dough for 7-8 minutes on low speed and 8 more minutes on medium speed the dough isn’t achieving a fine and elastic texture, it may not have developed enough gluten. It’s important that the dough is well-hydrated and given enough kneading time, especially in a machine with less power. If the dough seems too sticky or isn’t coming together properly, you could try kneading a bit more or letting it rest to allow the gluten to relax and develop.

You may also need to adjust the kneading time and process depending on the machine you’re using, as the chef’s professional machine has more power, which helps develop the gluten faster. If the machine you’re using is less powerful, the process may take a bit longer to achieve the right texture.

We hope this information helps!

Best regards.

[samimuktar10]

to piggyback on the PL percentage, how can we know or calculate that because none of the flour I’ve seen at the stores mention it. Do you have any brand recommendations from here in the US?

Thanks again

[Sussan Estela Olaya]

Hi Sami.

croissants, the flour’s PL is key to achieving a balanced dough between elasticity and extensibility. Since PL is not usually indicated on commercial flour packaging, here’s a guide to help you:

▪️How to Identify or Approximate PL:

Focus on Protein Content and W:

Flours with 11-12.5% protein and a strength (W) between 200-300 tend to have a balanced PL of around 0.4 to 0.7, ideal for croissants.

If the PL is lower (more extensible), the dough might be hard to handle. If it’s higher (more elastic), the dough will be tougher to stretch.

▪️Check Technical Specifications:

Look for brands that provide technical sheets, like King Arthur, Central Milling, or specialized bakery suppliers. Ask if they perform alveograph tests.

▪️Conduct Manual Tests:

Although not precise, test medium-high strength flours and adjust hydration. If the dough tends to shrink back, the PL might be too high; if it stretches easily but tears, the PL is likely too low.

▪️Recommended Brands in the U.S.:

-King Arthur Flour Bread Flour:

Contains 12.7% protein, excellent for croissants. Its balance of elasticity and extensibility makes it a great choice.

-Central Milling Artisan Baker’s Craft Plus:

Contains 11.5-12% protein, offering good quality for laminating.

General Mills Gold Medal Harvest King:

Designed for professional baking, a solid option for laminated doughs.

-Caputo Manitoba Oro:

High strength with good extensibility, ideal for advanced techniques.

-Anson Mills French Mediterranean White Bread Flour:

A high-quality artisanal flour that may work well for your needs.

Additional Tips:

If you have access to a bakery or lab, an alveograph test will give you the exact PL value.

Make sure to use high-quality laminated butter to complement the results.

I hope this information helps you with your croissants!

Best regards.

[רות בביוף]

Thanks for your explanations!

If I want to use Manitoba flour, which has 17.5 grams protein, w- above 340.

Is it ok to use half amount regular flour with 10.8 protein?

I kneaded it for 20 minutes with my Kenwood on 1 speed

Still, it was too hard to roll.

Also, it’s very cold now, and I don’t have a proofer,even after 8 hours, it looked nice outside, but insideit wasn’tbakedenough.

Any ideas?

[Sussan Estela Olaya]

Hi רות בביוף

Yes, using half Manitoba flour with 17.5% protein and the other half regular flour with 10.8% protein is a valid way to adjust the protein content. However, keep in mind that Manitoba flour has a high protein content, which can make the dough denser and harder to work with. If the dough was too tough to stretch, the proportion of Manitoba flour may be a bit high for the type of product you’re aiming for, especially if you’re not using a high-capacity mixer or an adequate resting process.

If you want to reduce the dough’s toughness, try adjusting the amount of water or liquids in the recipe, as Manitoba flour absorbs more water due to its high protein content. You might also need to knead for a longer period or take breaks to allow the gluten to relax.

Fermentation response:

Regarding fermentation, if you don’t have a proofing cabinet and it’s very cold, the dough may take longer to ferment or not ferment properly.

Here are some options to improve fermentation in a cold environment:

Try an indirect fermentation technique: Place a container with hot water inside an off oven (with the door closed) to create a warmer environment, and put the dough in the container covered to ferment slowly.

Use a heating blanket or small space heater: Place the dough near a heat source (but not directly on it) to create a warm environment that encourages fermentation.

Conclusion about Manitoba flour:

As mentioned earlier, to reduce the protein content of Manitoba flour (17.5%) to a range of 12-13%, you can mix it with regular flour of lower protein content. In simple terms, you need to mix approximately:

1 part Manitoba flour (17.5%) with 2 parts regular flour (around 10-12% protein).

This will give you a mixture with a protein content close to 12-13%. If you prefer not to take risks, it’s best to use medium-protein flour (12-13%) as indicated in the recipe.

I hope this information helps.

Best regards.

[ramihajj607]

Do you know any flour brand contains this percentage of protein in lebanon?

[Sussan Estela Olaya]

Hi Rami Hajj.

Welcome to the Scoolinary community! Thank you for your question.

Finding flour brands in Lebanon with a specific P/L index between 0.4 and 0.7 can be challenging, as this information is not always publicly available. However, some Italian flours recognized for their rheological properties within this range include:

Saccorosso 00 Flour: With a strength (W) of 300/320 and a P/L ratio of 0.50/0.60, it is suitable for pizzas and baked goods with fermentation times of 24 to 48 hours.

American 00 Flour: This flour has a strength (W) of 360/380 and a P/L ratio of 0.50/0.60, recommended for American-style pizzas with fermentation times longer than 48 hours.

To purchase these flours in Lebanon, you can reach out to local distributors of Italian products or stores specializing in bakery and pizzeria ingredients. Additionally, companies like Ets. Libra and Ets. Wafic Idriss Sarl in Lebanon specialize in distributing food products and might carry flours with the desired characteristics.

We recommend contacting these suppliers directly to obtain detailed information about the availability and specifications of the flours they offer.

I hope this information helps.

Best regards.

[ramihajj607]

Do you know any of these suppliers name or contact ?

[Sussan Estela Olaya]

Hi Rami.

At the moment, we don’t have that information, but you could check online to see if they have an email or contact number.

Best regards.

[samimuktar10]

thank you so much

[Sussan Estela Olaya]

Great, if you have any other questions I’ll be happy to help you resolve them.

[Sol Damiani]

Hey there Sami!👋

Welcome to the Scoolinary Community! 😊Join our awesome group of food lovers and share your love of cooking. Everyone’s invited!

I’m Sol Damiani, the Community Builder and I’m from Buenos Aires.

I´m glad Sussan’s answer helped you.

This is a Community that values your participation a lot: that’s why we created “Masters Game”

• Win Scoolipoints by sharing a pic of your own dishes in our Community > Cooking Feed section. If it is really cool you can snag a #ScooliStar: you’ll win 100 Scoolipoints and we’ll give you a shoutout on social media!🤩

• 🏆Check out our Challenges and score Scoolipoints! Right now we have the #PokeChallenge going on and you can win 250 scoolipoints. Make sure to join!

• You’ll see everything you need to know about how to win Scoolipoints here.

Let’s build a community of foodies together.

We hope you have a blast learning with Scoolinary!

[Plamena Petrova]

Regarding the PL of the flour and specifically using King Arthur flour, I have the same problem. Antonio Bachour says that we can mix 50:50 bread flour with all purpose flour to get to flour with 12-13% protein content. I am mixing 50% bread flour with 14.1% and all-purpose flour with is 11.7% for a result of 12.9%. The flours I am using are Sir Lancelot by King Arthur and Sir Gallahat by King Arthur.

I have also been unable to find anything online regarding PL, and despite the instructional video stating that the recipe book will have details on the theory of PL, there is nothing in it.

[Sussan Estela Olaya]

Hi Plamena.

The mixture you’re using, 50% bread flour (14.1% protein) and 50% all-purpose flour (11.7% protein), results in a flour with a protein content of 12.9%, which falls within the recommended 12-13% range mentioned by Antonio Bachour. So yes, your mixture is correct for achieving that protein content.

If you find that the combination isn’t yielding the desired results, you could try using a lower percentage of the 14% bread flour and increase the amount of all-purpose flour to better adjust it. For example, you could try 40% bread flour and 60% all-purpose flour, which would slightly reduce the total protein percentage, bringing it closer to around 12%.

Regarding the P/L, it’s true that many commercial flours, especially those from supermarkets, do not include this information on the packaging. The P/L ratio is typically a technical detail available only through the manufacturer or distributor, so I would recommend contacting them directly to get the precise P/L information for King Arthur’s Sir Lancelot and Sir Galahad flours.

I hope this information is helpful. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

Best regards.

[jelena sommer]

The P/L ratio is a standard information for flour intended for professional use therefore flour from the supermarked will not have this information available. You´ll need to contact the distributor or the manufacturer to get technical information for the flour.

As a rule of thumb wheat flour from supermarket with protein content 12-13% will likely have a suitable P/L ratio for croissants. Anything higher will be too tough to stretch and anything like spelt will be too elastic. Hope this helps.

[Sol Damiani]

Hey there Chef Jelena!👋

Welcome to the Scoolinary Community! 😊Join our awesome group of food lovers and share your love of cooking. Everyone’s invited!

I’m Sol Damiani, the Community Builder and I’m from Buenos Aires.

Thanks for participating on this conversation with your input. I hope you find the proper flour, Plamena. Please let us know if we an help with something else. FYI @sussan_scoolinaryteam

This is a Community that values your participation a lot. That’s why we created “Masters Game”, the game that could get you a FREE SUBSCRIPTION RENEWAL:

• Win Scoolipoints by sharing a pic of your own dishes in our Community > Cooking Feed section. If it is really cool you can snag a #ScooliStar: you’ll win 100 Scoolipoints and we’ll give you a shoutout on social media!🤩

• 🏆Check out our Challenges and score Scoolipoints! Right now we have the #EclairChallenge going on and you can win 250 scoolipoints. Make sure to join! The Judge is 🧑‍🍳Chef Fran Segura!

• You’ll see everything you need to know about how to win Scoolipoints and renew your subscription for FREE here.

Let’s build a community of foodies together.

We hope you have a blast learning with Scoolinary!

[Sussan Estela Olaya]

Thank you, Jelena! The information you provided is very helpful for our Scoolinar.

Best regards.