Expert: Elyse Grau - 1/3/2009

Question
QUESTION: I live in Bolivia where the corn flour has the same consistency as white flour.  Do you have a good recipe that I can use to make yeast bread using the corn flour?

Thank you

ANSWER: Dear Ellen:

Even though your corn flour may have the same consistency as all-purpose flour in the US, it is lacking in gluten which is necessary for making yeast breads. You could try making a quick bread recipe with it, perhaps try some biscuits - they would probably be quite good.

Elyse

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Would it be possible to use 1/2 corn flour and 1/2 all purpose flour to make yeast bread?  I have made corn bread and muffins using the corn flour and they came out fine but that was using baking powder, not yeast.

Thank you so much for your help.  Ellen Oroza

Answer
Ellen:

You could use some corn flour in a yeast bread, but I wouldn't use more than 20-25%, not half. I recommended biscuits because it relies on baking powder for the rise, perhaps that wasn't clear. Any "quick bread" recipe relies on baking powder/baking soda. Yeast makes a bread rise, but it is the gluten in the flour that gives it structure. Without the gluten, the dough may rise in the bowl, but would deflate in baking because there is nothing there to support the air bubbles. That may not be the "scientific" explanation, but hopefully you get what I mean.

Another suggestion I have would be to talk to some locals you may know.What kind of breads do they make there? My guess is they have some kind of flatbread that is the local staple. These sometimes use a little yeast, but they don't rise very much. They're usually very good, too!

I'm sorry I can't be of more help. If you're willing to risk wasting some flour and time, there's nothing wrong with experimenting!

Elyse