Know your ingredients
Understanding baking
It is often said that cooking is an art relying on the creativity of the chef while baking bread is much more of a science. This means that the process of combining flour, water and yeast results in a reaction that produces bread. You have to 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.
Important note on flours
Flours, while visibly similar, can be very different by virtue of how they were grown, milled, stored, etc. You may find that you will have to experiment with different brands of flour to help you make that perfect loaf.
Storage is also very important, as all flours should be kept in an airtight container.
All purpose flour/plain flour
All purpose Flour is a blend of refined hard and soft wheat flours especially suitable for making cake. This type of flour should be used for recipes in the cake/quick bread section.
Strong white flour/bread flour
Bread flour is a high gluten/protein flour that has been treated with conditioners that give dough a greater suitability for kneading. Bread Flour typically has a higher gluten concentration than All purpose flour; however, depending on different milling practices, this may vary. Strong plain flour or bread flour are recommended for use with this breadmaker.
Whole wheat flour/wholemeal flour
Whole wheat flour/wholemeal flour is milled from the entire wheat kernel which contains the bran and germ and makes it heavier and richer in nutrients than white flour. Breads made with this flour are usually smaller and heavier than white loaves. To overcome this whole wheat flour/wholemeal flour can be mixed with Bread flour or strong plain flour to produce a high light textured bread.
Self-raising flour
Bran
Bran (unprocessed) & Wheat Germ are the coarse outer portions of the wheat or rye grains separated from flour by sifting or bolting. They are often added in small quantities to bread for nutritional enrichment, heartiness and flavour. They are also used to enhance the texture of bread.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal comes from rolled or
Other ingredients
Yeasts (active dry yeast)
Yeast through a fermentation process produces gas (carbon dioxide) necessary to make the bread rise. Yeast must be able to feed on sugar and flour carbohydrates in order to produce this gas. Fast action granular yeast is used in all recipes that call for yeast. There are basically three different types of yeast available, fresh, traditional dry active and fast action. It is recommended that fast action type yeast be used. This type of yeast comes in sachets and are labelled fast action, easy bake or easyblend. Fresh or compressed cake yeast is not recommended as they will produce poor results. Store yeast according to manufacturers instructions. Ensure your yeast is fresh by checking its expiration date. Once a package of yeast is opened it is important that the remaining contents be immediately resealed and refrigerated as soon as possible for future use. Often bread or dough, which fails to rise, is due to stale yeast being used. The following test can be used to determine whether your yeast is stale and inactive:
1Place half a cup of lukewarm water into a small bowl or cup.
2Stir 1 tsp. of sugar into the water then sprinkle 2 tsp. of yeast over the surface.
3Place bowl or cup in a warm area and allow to sit for 10 minutes undisturbed.
4The mixture should foam and produce a strong yeast aroma. If this does not occur, discard mixture and start again with another packet of dried yeast.
Sugar
Sugar is important for the colour and flavour of breads. It is also food for the yeast as it is part of the fermentation process. Artificial sweeteners cannot be used as a substitute for sugar as the yeast will not react properly with them.
Salt
Salt is necessary to balance the flavour of breads and cakes, as well as for the crust colour that develops during baking. Salt also limits the growth of yeast so the amounts shown in the recipes should not be increased. For dietary reasons it may be reduced, however, your baking may suffer.
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