KNOW YOUR INGREDIENTS
It has been said that cooking is an art that relies on the creativity of the chef. Baking bread is much more of a science, since the process of combining flour, water and yeast results in a chemical reaction that produces bread. You must remember that when the ingredients combine with each other, they produce a specific result. Read the following information carefully to gain a better understanding of the importance each ingredient plays in the breadmaking process. There are several Bread Baker recipe books available that may use these ingredients.
Bran: Bran (unprocessed) is the coarse outer portion of the wheat or rye grains that is separated from flour by sifting or bolting. They are often added to bread in small quanti- ties for nutritional enrichment, heartiness and flavor. They are also used to enhance bread texture.
Bread Flour: Bread flour is a high gluten/protein flour that typically has a higher gluten concentration than
Corn meal and Oatmeal: Corn meal and oatmeal come from coarsely ground white or yellow corn and from rolled or
Cracked Wheat: Cracked wheat has a 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 a high proportion of bread flour, as it does not contain enough gluten to develop the structure for a high,
Seven Grain Cereal Blend: Seven grain cereal blend is a blend of cracked wheat, oats, bran, rye, cornmeal, flax seeds and hulled millet.
Vital Wheat Gluten: Gluten manufactured from wheat flour that has been treated to remove nearly all of the starch, which leaves a very high protein content. (Gluten is the protein in the wheat that makes the dough elastic.) Gluten is available at most health food stores and in the baking aisle in many markets. It is sometimes used in small por- tions with dense,
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