KNOW YOUR INGREDIENTS | Rise 2 Shape | Rise 3 Bake Total |
Course Crust Size Preheat Knead 1 Knead 2 Rise 1 Punch |
All-Purpose Flour
All-purpose flour is blend of refined hard and soft wheat flours ideally suited for making quick breads and cakes.
Bran
Bran (unprocessed) is coarse outer portion of wheat or rye grains that is separated from flour by sifting or bolting. It is often added to bread in small quantities for nutritional enrichment, heartiness and flavor. It is also used to enhance bread texture.
Bread Flour
Bread flour is a high gluten/protein flour that typically has higher gluten concentration than all-purpose flour. Using bread flour with will produce loaves with better volume and structure.
Cornmeal and Oatmeal
Cornmeal and oatmeal come from coarsely ground white or yellow corn and from rolled or steel-cut oats. They are used primarily to enhance flavor and texture of bread.
Cracked Wheat
Cracked wheat has very coarse texture. It comes from wheat kernels cut into angular fragments. It gives whole grain breads a nutty flavor and crunchy texture.
Rye Flour
Rye flour must always be mixed with high proportion of bread flour, as it does not contain enough gluten to develop structure for high, even-grained loaf.
Self-Rising Flour
Self-rising flour contains leavening ingredients that will interfere with bread and cake making. Self-Rising Flour is NOT RECOMMENDED for use.
7 Grain Cereal Blend
7 grain cereal blend is blend of cracked wheat, oats, bran, rye, cornmeal, flax seeds and hulled millet.
Vital Wheat Gluten
Gluten is manufactured from wheat flour that has been treated to remove nearly all of the starch to leave a very high protein content. (Gluten is the protein in
wheat that makes dough elastic.) Gluten is available at most health food stores and in baking aisle in many markets. It is sometimes used in small portions with dense, low-gluten flours (such as whole wheat) to increase volume and lighten texture.
Whole Wheat Flour
Whole wheat flour is milled from the entire wheat kernel, which contains the bran and germ. This high fiber flour is richer in nutrients than all-purpose or bread flour. Breads made with this flour are usually smaller and heavier than white loaves.
Many recipes mix whole wheat flour with bread flour or vital wheat gluten to produce high, light-textured bread.
Flour Storage
Keep flour in a secure, airtight container. Keep rye and whole wheat flours stored in a refrigerator, freezer or a cool area to prevent them from becoming rancid. Allow flour to come to room temperature before using.
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Note: Flours, while visibly similar, can be very different by virtue of how they were ground, milled, stored, etc. You may have to experiment with different brands
of flour to help you make the perfect loaf. See RECIPE TIPS to assist with these experiments.
Yeast
Active yeast, through a fermentation process, produces carbon dioxide gas necessary to make bread rise. Yeast feeds on carbohydrates in sugar and flour to produce this gas. Three different types of yeast are available: fresh (cake), active dry and quick-acting. Quick, rapid rise and breadmaker yeasts are quick-acting. Fresh (cake) yeast is NOT RECOMMENDED for use with your breadmaker.
Ensure your yeast is fresh by checking its expiration date. Once a package or jar of yeast is opened, it is important that the remaining contents be immediately resealed and refrigerated or frozen for future use. Often dough that fails to rise is due to stale yeast.
Note: Basic bread and dough recipes in this booklet were developed using active dry yeast. You may use chart below to substitute any quick-acting yeast (quick rise, fast rise or breadmaker yeast) for active dry yeast.
Conversion Chart for Quick Rise Yeast
¾tsp. active dry yeast = ½ tsp. quick-acting yeast 1 tsp. active dry yeast = ¾ tsp. quick-acting yeast 1½ tsp. active dry yeast = 1 tsp. quick-acting yeast 2¼ tsp. active dry yeast = 1½ tsp. quick-acting yeast 1 tbsp. active dry yeast = 2 tsp. quick-acting yeast
Rapid Course Yeast Addition
Rapid Course settings for White, French, Whole Wheat and Fruit & Nut decrease time for making your favorite bread by approximately 1 hour. Choose recipe, then
add an additional ½ tsp. of active dry or quick-acting yeast to the recipe. The bread may be shorter and denser.
Sugar
Sugar is important for color and flavor of breads. It also serves as food for yeast
since it supports fermentation process. Recipes in this book that call for sugar require granulated sugar.
Important: Do not substitute powdered sugar or artificial sweeteners cannot be used as substitute, as yeast will not react properly with them.
Salt
Salt is necessary to balance flavor in breads and cakes; it also limits growth of yeast. Do not increase or decrease amount of salt shown in recipes.
Liquids
All liquids should be warm 80ºF/27ºC for all recipes. Liquids, such as milk, water or a combination of powdered milk and water, can be used when making bread. Milk will improve flavor, provide velvety texture and soften the crust, while water alone will produce a crispier crust. Vegetable or fruit juices and potato water may be used for flavor variety.
Eggs
Eggs add richness and velvety texture to bread dough and cakes. When recipe calls for egg(s) at room temperature, large egg(s) should be used.
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