Baking tips

EGGS

Eggs enrich the bread and give it a softer structure. Use eggs of the largest size class when baking the recipes given in this recipe book.

FATS: BAKING FAT, BUTTER OR OIL

Baking fats, butter and oil make the yeast-based bread mellow. The unique form of crust and structure in French-style breads is due to its fat-free ingredients. However, bread stays fresh longer if fat has been used in its making. If you use butter directly from the refrigerator, cut it into small bits to optimise mixing with the dough during the kneading phase.

GLUTEN-FREE

Celiac disease, in adults also called sprue, is a chronic disease that is triggered by eating foods that contain gluten. The protein gluten (gliadin) contained in wheat and spelt and similar proteins in rye, barley and oats cause damage to the mucous membrane of the small intestine. Only special bread from health food shops or from one's own kitchen that has been prepared with gluten-free flours may be eaten. However, baking bread and cake with gluten-free flour takes some practice. Such flours require lon- ger for the uptake of liquids and have different rising properties. Gluten-free flours must also be thickened or fluffed with gluten-free thickening agents. These are for example cream of tartar, yeast, sourdough from maize or rice flour, baking agents with a maize basis or binding agents such as guar flour, carob corn flour, kudzu, pectin, arrowroot starch or carrageen. It is also necessary to give up the familiar taste of bread. The consistency of gluten-free breads is also different to that of wheat meal breads.

MEASURING THE INGREDIENTS

Along with our Automatic Bread Maker, you will receive the following measuring cups, which make the task of measuring the ingredients easier for you: 1 Measuring cup with quantity level markings

1 Large measuring spoon corresponding to one tablespoon (tbsp.)

1 Small measuring spoon corresponding to one teaspoon (tsp.)

Place the measuring cup on a flat surface. Make sure that the quantities reach the measuring lines correctly. When measuring dry ingredients, make sure that the measuring cup is dry.

Baking in different climatic regions

In areas located at higher altitudes, the lower atmo- spheric pressure causes yeast to ferment faster. Hence, less yeast is required here.

In dry regions, the flour will be drier and requires more liquids.

In humid regions, the flour will be more moist and thus absorbs a lesser amount of liquids. In such areas, more flour is required.

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