•BUTTER, MARGARINE, SHORTENING and OILS serve several purposes 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 accuracy is critical.
Butter, margarine and solid shortening are interchangeable in recipes. You may wish to cut butter and margarine into four (4) pieces for faster blending during the knead cycle. Do not use reduced fat margarines as they contain more water and can affect the size of the loaf.
If substituting oil for a solid fat, reduce the amount of liquid in recipe by ½ to 1 tablespoon, making any minor adjustment during the knead cycle to obtain the right dough consistency.
•EGGS add color, richness and leavening to bread. Use large eggs. No premixing is needed. Egg substitutes can be used in place of fresh eggs. One egg equals ¼ cup of egg substitute. To reduce cholesterol, you can substitute two (2) egg whites for each large egg in the recipes without affecting the end result. Watch the dough during the knead cycle for any needed adjustments. A special tip when using eggs is to run them under warm water for about one minute before cracking, as this helps the egg slide out of the 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 the dough to
•YEAST is a living organism, which, through fermentation, feeds 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 recipe. Using a little more can cause the dough to
Keep yeast stored in the refrigerator. You may find it handy to purchase yeast in glass jars so as to measure the exact amount without having to waste any. If using yeast packed in a
ALWAYS MAKE SURE YEAST IS FRESH AND HAS NOT EXPIRED THE “USE BY “ DATE PRINTED ON THE 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 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 dough during kneading; you may need to add a little water as the vital gluten absorbs liquid. Vital gluten can be obtained at most health food stores. Do not use gluten flour, as this contains less protein and is less effective.
Or, to increase the protein content, you can use a large egg as a substitute for vital gluten. Just add it to the liquid in the 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.
•CINNAMON AND GARLIC: Adding too much cinnamon or garlic can affect the texture and size of the loaf. Cinnamon can break down the structure of the dough, affecting height and texture, and garlic can inhibit the yeast activity. Use only the amount of cinnamon and garlic recommended in the recipe; don’t be generous.
MEASURING INGREDIENTS: THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL BREAD MAKING - The most important
part of bread making is to MEASURE THE INGREDIENTS PRECISELY AND ACCURATELY. You may need to adjust your measuring habits, but the rewards for doing so will be great. Follow these very important tips:
•READ the recipe first and organize the ingredients in the order in which they are added to the pan. Many bread disasters occur because an ingredient was left out or added twice.
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