Tip: Whole-wheat pastry flour

I am all about whole grains, even when I'm baking. But I have found a way to sneak in the whole grains without turning muffins into my next doorstop. In fact, it's sometimes hard to tell there's even whole grains in there at all.

The secret? Whole-wheat pastry flour.

What is whole-wheat pastry flour, you ask? Let me tell you. It is whole-grain flour that is ground usually from soft white wheat into very fine flour. It has a lower protein content than regular bread flour, so it makes for softer baked goods.

There are a few ways you can secure this gem of baking success for yourself:

1) Just buy it. Lots of stores sell it in their baking aisles--look for Bob's Red Mill or other brands. You can also buy it in bulk in almost any health food store, or find it online.

2) Grind it--if you have a grinder, or maybe your neighbor. Look for white spring wheat, because this will give your flour milder flavor and softer texture. Wheat grinders can usually let you decide how fine of flour you want to grind, and for this you want the finest setting available. I often will toss some brown rice in with my flour while it's grinding, to further lower the gluten content and make baked goods even softer. Don't use more than about 1:3 or 1:4 ratio, though, or your cookies and muffins might start to get a little crumbly.

3) If you can't find whole-wheat pastry flour and don't have a wheat grinder, you can also buy some brown rice or oat flour and mix it in with your whole wheat flour. I highly recommend looking around for  white spring wheat flour. It is lighter in color, softer in texture, and much milder in flavor than regular whole wheat flour, but is about the same nutritional value. Many people are surprised when I tell them my bread is 100% whole wheat because it looks lighter and is softer than what you expect. You can buy it online here or here or here or here.