Questions & Answers.
Why do I have to vary the amount of flour and water in my recipes so often?
The characteristics of flour will vary from season to season, be affected by how its stored and the humidity in the air. Flour absorbs moisture and so each batch is different because it has been exposed to different conditions. Check your dough after 10 minutes kneading, if it apears ‘sticky’ add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. If your dough appears ‘dry’ or ‘too firm’ add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time.
A well balanced bread dough will look smooth and elastic and should be soft to the touch.
Can I use my Turbo setting for any recipe?
The turbo setting of your bread maker can be used for any of the white, wholewheat, sweet or french bread recipes. However the volume will be reduced and the texture more dense, the results are not optimal. Experiment with this function of your breadmaker by increasing the yeast by 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon in your standard recipe. Make notes of your successes so you can reproduce your turbo loaf.
What if I don’t have a scale?
We recommend that for optimum results you weigh your flour (1 cup = 160g). You can still bake delicious bread successfully at home without scales if you follow the measuring instructions on page ??
Can I make program (10) Bake start faster?
No. The
One way to over come this is to check your bread when the 5 minute beeper sounds. If you feel the loaf needs longer, use the MODIFY button (hold down for 2 seconds) and adjust the time. Press MODIFY again when you are finished to restart the machine.
How can I make White bread more nutritous?
You can change any of the recipes in this book to 50/50, 1/2 plain flour and 1/2 wholemeal. Thus adding more fibre to a white loaf or lightening the texture of a wholewheat. Just check your dough after 10 minutes kneading and adjust water if necessary. Remember to note your successes.
Why do you use dry milk powder, can I use fresh milk?
Skim milk powder is used in bread recipes because it is a more stable ingredient than fresh milk, that is it won’t spoil. This allows you’re to use the delay function.
You can substitute fresh milk for the water in any recipe, just omit the milk powder.
Is butter the same as margarine?
In terms of your bread recipes, yes. You can substitute butter or oil for margarine in your recipes using the same measurements.
My kids love honey, can I use it instead of sugar?
As long as you make equal measurements you can use honey, golden syrup, treacle, molasses or brown sugar in place of sugar. We don’t recommend the use of artificial sweeteners in bread recipes.
Can I make salt free bread?
Salt plays an important role in the breadmaking process. It controls the yeast fermentation and affects the structure of the bread adding strength to the gluten. Omitting salt from the recipes is not recommended. Without salt, the bread will be an inconsistent shape, colour and crumb. It will also have a shorter shelf life.
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