BUTTER, MARGARINE and OTHER FATS AND OILS serve several purposes in bread making as they tenderize the bread, add flavor and richness and contribute to the storage life of bread by retaining moisture. An excess of fat, however, can inhibit rising, so measure accurately.
Butter, margarine and solid shortening are interchangeable in the recipes. Butter and margarine can be used right from the refrigerator. You may wish to cut cold butter or margarine into 4 pieces for faster blending, placing them into the corners of the pan. Low-fat or fat-free bread can be made by substituting equal amounts of unsweetened applesauce or plain nonfat yogurt for the amount of fat recommended in the recipe. Watch dough as it kneads for any minor adjustments, which may be necessary.
EGGS add color, richness and leavening to bread. Use large eggs. No premixing is needed. Egg substitute can be used in place of fresh eggs. One egg equals ¼ cup of egg substitute. To reduce cholesterol, you can substitute 2 egg whites for each large egg in the recipes without affecting the end result. Watch the dough during the knead cycle as some minor adjustments may be necessary to get the dough to the right consistency. See “Special Notes on Flour” section for adjusting dough.
A special tip when using eggs is to run under warm water or place in a bowl of warm water about 1 minute before cracking as this helps the egg slide out of shell better.
SALT has several functions in making bread. It inhibits the yeast growth while strengthening the gluten structure to make the dough more elastic, plus it adds flavor. Use ordinary table salt in your bread maker. Using too little or eliminating the salt will cause dough to over rise; using too much can prevent the dough from rising as high as it should. Light salt can be used as a substitute for ordinary table salt providing it contains both potassium chloride and sodium. Use the same amount as recommended for table salt. When adding salt to pan, add to one corner to keep it away from yeast, especially when using time delay as the salt can retard its growth.
YEAST is a living organism, which through fermentation, feed on carbohydrates in flour and sugar to produce carbon dioxide gas that makes the bread rise. Active dry, fast rising or bread machine yeast can be used in your bread maker. Use only the amount stated in the recipes. Using a little more can cause the dough to over rise and bake into the cover. Fast rising yeast and bread machine yeast are virtually the same and are interchangeable with one another. DO NOT USE COMPRESSED CAKE YEAST IN YOUR BREAD MAKER. RECIPES IN THIS BOOK WERE TESTED USING ONLY ACTIVE DRY, FAST RISING AND BREAD MACHINE YEAST.
Keep yeast stored in the refrigerator. You may find it handy to purchase yeast in glass jars so you can measure the exact amount you need without having to waste any. If using yeast packed in a ¼-ounce foil envelope, it is best to open a fresh envelope every time you bake. If you do save the unused amount from the open envelope, store in a dry, airtight container in the refrigerator. Date the container and use promptly. Do not mix old and new yeast in a recipe. A ¼-ounce foil envelope of yeast contains 2¼ teaspoons. ALWAYS MAKE SURE YEAST IS FRESH AND HAS NOT EXPIRED THE “USE BY” DATE PRINTED ON JAR OR ENVELOPE.
VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN is the gluten protein, which has been rinsed from wheat flour and then dried. Vital gluten will increase the protein content in flour to produce a higher loaf of bread with lighter texture. About the only time you may wish to consider adding vital gluten to recipes is for 100% whole wheat bread or recipes containing a high percentage of whole wheat or other whole grain flours or cereals. As a guideline, add one (1) teaspoon vital gluten per cup of flour used in the recipe. Check the condition of the dough during kneading as you may need to add a little water, as the vital gluten will absorb liquid. Vital gluten can be obtained at most health food stores. Do not use gluten flour, as this is not as effective as vital gluten as it contains less protein.
Or you can use a large egg as a substitute for vital gluten as it too will increase the protein content. If using an egg, add to the liquid in bottom of pan and reduce the recommended amount of liquid in recipe by two (2) ounces (¼ cup). Again, check the condition of the dough during the knead cycle for any minor adjustment that may be needed.
SPECIAL NOTE ON CINNAMON AND GARLIC: Adding too much cinnamon or garlic can affect the texture and size of the loaf obtained. Cinnamon can break down the structure of the dough, affecting height and texture, whereas, garlic can inhibit the yeast activity. Use only the amount of cinnamon and garlic recommended in the recipe, don’t be generous.
IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT - MEASURE INGREDIENTS PRECISELY AND ACCURATELY.
THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP IN USING YIUR BREAD MAKER IS TO MEASURE THE INGREDIENTS PRECISELY AND ACCURATELY. A mismeasured tablespoon of water or teaspoon of salt can make a BIG difference in
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