Olive Oil vs Butter - Resulting Bread color
Hi,
New User specifically to ask on this topic. I have searched the internet (somewhat diligently) trying to find an answer, but have not - so i am hoping this forum can help me.
I have a relatively simple bread machine recipe that i have evolved from a online recipe starting point (current recipe below). And now i have started trying to swap out the butter with Olive Oil (ostensibly for "health" benefits). One thing i have noticed in making it, is the resulting bread seems "gray-er" than it does with butter. Is this because i am doing something wrong in the way i am adding the olive oil? (use pouring it in with all the wet ingredients at the end) or something to do with the cooking time? or ingredient combination? or is this just an artifact of using olive oil?
My current process is - put all the dry ingredients in, put all the wet ingredients in, put the bread machine (sunbeam 5891) on "dough" and and let it go for it's scheduled 90 minutes. Then i take the dough out, roll it in flour, shape and transfer to a greased bread pan, let it rise a bit, then into a convection oven at 375, for about 40 minutes. occasionally splashing water into a tray at the bottom to create some steam to hopefully create a crustier load.
Recipe:
3 cups Flour, 1 cup Instant Oatmeal, 0.25 cups chia seed, 0.25 cups flax seed, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons yeast, 2 tablespoon honey, 1.5 teaspoons olive oil, 1.5 cups warm water
Previously, with butter, it was 2 teaspoons of butter (using what seems to be a generally accepted 3/4 of the amount of olive oil compared to butter, in internet research)
thanks in advance
c
The milk solids in butter will change things a bit. In addition, butter is solid at room temperature, and oil is not. This will change the crumb. As to the color change, are you using extra virgin?
Yes, Extra Virgin
I do not have a definitive answer for you. I have noticed that if my olive oil is very green in color, the dough is more "gray" than butter doughs are (that pale golden yellow warm color). I also avoid butter for hoped for health benefits. I now mostly use canola (also known as rapeseed) oil as a replacement for butter in breads. Most often, I use a combination of canola oil and applesauce (I purchase the small individual tubs that come in six packs. I freeze leftovers freeze in portioned plastic wrap twisted "purses" to use in future recipes) . For example, in a recipe that calls for two tablespoons of butter, I will substitute one tablepoon canola oil and one tablespoon of plain applesauce. I have had great results with sandwich type breads.
Canola, like all fats including olive oil, has controversy re: health. Here is one point of view: http://www.rd.com/health/the-great-olive-oil-misconception-dr-ornish-responds/2/
It is interesting, your bread machine calls for loading ingredients in a different order than mine. Mine is liquids first, then dry on top of that, with the yeast in a small dry indentation made in the flour. I doubt that affects color at all, though.