What Is the Vital Wheat Gluten Calculator?

Vital wheat gluten (VWG) is pure gluten protein extracted and dried from wheat flour. Adding it to lower-protein flours raises their protein content — turning plain flour into something closer to bread flour, or bread flour into high-gluten flour suitable for chewy bagels and pizza. DoughRise's free Vital Wheat Gluten Calculator tells you exactly how many grams of VWG to add to hit your target protein percentage.

When Should You Add Vital Wheat Gluten?

VWG is most useful when you only have low-protein all-purpose flour (10–11% protein) but need strong bread flour (12–13%) or high-gluten flour (14%+) for a specific recipe. It's also valuable for whole wheat loaves, where bran cuts gluten strands and weakens structure.

Open the Free Vital Wheat Gluten Calculator →

Frequently Asked Questions

How much vital wheat gluten should I add per 100g of flour?

As a rough guide, 1 teaspoon (about 3g) of VWG per 100g of flour raises protein by approximately 1.5–2%. The calculator gives a precise amount based on your starting flour protein and target.

Can I use vital wheat gluten with whole wheat flour?

Yes — this is one of the most common uses. Adding 1–2% VWG by flour weight significantly improves structure and oven spring in whole wheat loaves where bran has weakened the gluten network.

Does vital wheat gluten change the flavour of bread?

In small amounts (under 3% of flour weight), VWG has minimal flavour impact. At higher additions it can give a slightly wheaty or astringent flavour. Add only what you need to hit your protein target.