using vital wheat gluten instead of flour?

I want to make Naan, but I am on the Keto diet and traditional wheat flour has too many carbohydrates. Can I make it with vital wheat gluten instead of flour? Do I have to add anything else?

Best Answer

"High" gluten flour has, at most 15% gluten. "Indian" white flour, or maida has 7.5%.

If you manage to pull it off, you basically end up with what's essentially a pan fried slab of mock meat, rather than a bread - basically seitan.

You typically add gluten to flour to modify its characteristics - the only way you're going to be able to make naan that approximates a real naan in any way is, well, adding flour.

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Quick Answer about "using vital wheat gluten instead of flour?"

Vital Wheat Gluten Same As Gluten Flour? Yes, vital wheat gluten and gluten flour are essentially the same things. The names are used interchangeably. But do remember that you cannot completely replace vital wheat flour in place of regular flour in any baking recipe.

Can I use vital wheat gluten instead of bread flour?

Doing a little bit of math, you can add vital wheat gluten to approximate bread flour, which should have at least about 11.5% protein."

How do I substitute flour for vital wheat gluten?

To use vital wheat gluten, substitute one third the amount of flour that is called for in the original recipe. Replace the other two thirds with other gluten free flours. If the recipe calls for 2 cups white or wheat flour then use 1 1/3 cup almond flour and 2/3 cup vital wheat gluten.

Is vital wheat gluten the same as flour?

Although it's not technically a flour, vital wheat gluten is a flour-like powder that contains nearly all gluten and minimal starch. It's made by hydrating wheat flour, which activates the gluten protein, and it's then processed to remove everything but the gluten.

How much vital wheat gluten do I add to all-purpose flour to make bread flour?

Because it's almost pure gluten, a little goes a long way to improving the elasticity and rise of the raw dough and the crumb and chewiness in the final loaves. Most baking sources recommend about one tablespoon for every 2-3 cups of flour.

More answers regarding using vital wheat gluten instead of flour?

Answer 2

No, I don't believe vital wheat gluten will work in this way for your recipe. When hydrated, vital wheat gluten is very sticky, and you can't roll or flatten it out very easily like you would need for naan -- and I'm not even sure it would cook and rise the same way as regular flour. There are gluten-free all-purpose flour that are made for baking. I would recommend using that instead of the flour called for in your recipe.

Answer 3

You couldn't use only vital wheat gluten, as that would produce a rubbery mass, that would be too elastic to stretch out to a flat shape (and stay there). Though it can still be tasty, it wouldn't really resemble naan or any other flatbread.

While I don't have an exact naan recipe, I do have a pizza recipe — which uses a large portion of Vital Wheat Gluten as part of its "flour" — that would serve as a very good starting point. It does require some special ingredients that may be harder to get where you're located, though I'm not sure. Even if you can't make it yourself, I hope this will prove that it is certainly possible.

While this pizza recipe is yeast-risen, it could likely be converted to just use baking powder as a leavener to simplify things.

Flour:
golden flaxseed meal (aka linseed)     24%       42.0 g
oat fiber                              24%       42.0 g
vital wheat gluten                     46%       80.0 g
raw wheat germ                          6%        9.0 g
1/8 tsp xanthan gum                   0.2%        0.4 g
¾ tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher salt     1.2%        2.1 g
1 ½ tsp instant dry yeast             2.7%        4.7 g
¾ tsp honey*                           3.0%        5.2 g
water                                  80%        138 g
1 ½ tsp olive oil                     3.9%          7 g

Total Yield: 331 g
Total Flour: 173 g

* while the honey does contains carbs from sugar, it is serving as the sole source of food for the yeast (since none of the other ingredients are fermentable), and most of it will be consumed during fermentation. As such, it isn't counted when calculating the net carbs.

Dry ingredients added to food processor and mixed well. Heat water to around 125º F. Dissolve the honey in the water and with food processor on low speed, add the water slowly until a dough forms. Knead (mix) in the food processor for 1 - 2 minutes until dough is smooth and resists tearing when stretched. Allow to ferment at room temperature till doubled in size. Then comes the hard part of stretching it out. Do so gradually, in stages, allowing it to rest for 15 minutes in between stretching outwards.

To adapt this for a flat bread like naan would be difficult, but should certainly be possible (I'm currently adapting this to a low-carb tortilla recipe which might be a step in that direction).

Nutrition Info

Calories: 620
Total Fat: 27 g
Total Carbs: 71 g
  Fiber:     56 g
Protein: 70 g

Net carbs = 71 - 56 == 15 net carbs.

Answer 4

Try this recipe?—I’ve played around and this works the best. Makes about 5 naans:

1/4 cup coconut flour
1 cup vital wheat gluten
2 Tbsp psyllium (or 1 tsp xanthan gum)
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1 Tbsp oil/ghee
1 cup warm water

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