Morphy Richards BM48268SMEE Know your ingredients, Understanding baking, Important note on flours

BM48268SMEE-SSBreadmaker 27/3/07 09:43 Page 10

Know your ingredients		The following test can be used to determine
Understanding baking		whether your yeast is stale and inactive:
	1	Place half a cup of lukewarm water into a small
		bowl or cup.
It is often said that cooking is an art relying on the
creativity of the chef while baking bread is much	2	Stir 1 tsp. of sugar into the water then sprinkle
more of a science. This means that the process of		2 tsp. of yeast over the surface.
combining flour, water and yeast results in a
reaction that produces bread. You have to	3	Place bowl or cup in a warm area and allow to sit
remember that when the ingredients combine with		for 10 minutes undisturbed.
each other they produce a specific result. Read the
following information carefully to gain a better	4	The mixture should foam and produce a strong
understanding of the importance each ingredient		yeast aroma. If this does not occur, discard mixture
plays in the breadmaking process.		and start again with another packet of dried yeast.
Important note on flours		Sugar
		Sugar is important for the colour and flavour of
		breads. It is also food for the yeast as it is part of
Flours, while visibly similar, can be very different by		the fermentation process. Artificial sweeteners
virtue of how they were grown, milled, stored, etc.		cannot be used as a substitute for sugar as the
You may find that you will have to experiment with		yeast will not react properly with them.
different brands of flour to help you make that
perfect loaf. Storage is also very important, as all		Salt
flours should be kept in an airtight container.		Salt is necessary to balance the flavour of breads
		and cakes, as well as for the crust colour that
All purpose flour/plain flour		develops during baking. Salt also limits the growth
All purpose Flour is a blend of refined hard and soft		of yeast so the amounts shown in the recipes
wheat flours especially suitable for making cake.		should not be increased. For dietary reasons it may
This type of flour should be used for recipes in the		be reduced, however, your baking may suffer.
cake/quick bread section.
		Liquids/milk
Strong white flour/bread flour		Liquids such as milk or a combination of powdered
Bread flour is a high gluten/protein flour that has		milk and water, can be used when making bread.
been treated with conditioners that give dough a		Milk will improve flavour, provide a velvety texture
greater suitability for kneading. Bread Flour typically		and soften the crust, while water alone will produce
has a higher gluten concentration than All purpose		a crispier crust. Some liquids call for juice (orange,
flour; however, depending on different milling		apple, etc) to be added as a flavour enhancer.
practices, this may vary. Strong plain flour or bread		Note: For most recipes we suggest the use of dry
flour are recommended for use with this		skimmed milk.
breadmaker.
		Eggs
Whole wheat flour/wholemeal flour		Eggs add richness and a velvety texture to bread
Whole wheat flour/wholemeal flour is milled from		doughs and cakes.
the entire wheat kernel which contains the bran and
germ and makes it heavier and richer in nutrients		Sunflower oil
than white flour. Breads made with this flour are		‘Shortens’ or tenderises the texture of yeast breads.
usually smaller and heavier than white loaves. To		Butter or margarine can be used as a substitute.
overcome this whole wheat flour/wholemeal flour		If butter or margarine is used direct from the
can be mixed with Bread flour or strong plain flour		refrigerator it should be softened for easier blending
to produce a high light textured bread.		during the mixing cycle.
Self-raising flour		Baking powder
Self-raising Flour contains unnecessary leavening		Baking powder is a raising agent used in cakes.
ingredients that will interfere with bread and cake		This type of raising agent does not require rising
making. It is not recommended for use.		time before baking as the chemical reaction works
		when liquid ingredients are added.
Bran
Bran (unprocessed) & Wheat Germ are the coarse		Bicarbonate of soda
outer portions of the wheat or rye grains separated		Bicarbonate of soda is another raising agent not to
from flour by sifting or bolting. They are often added		be confused or substituted for baking powder.
in small quantities to bread for nutritional		It also does not require rising time before baking as
enrichment, heartiness and flavour. They are also		the chemical reaction works during the baking
used to enhance the texture of bread.		process.
Oatmeal		Vitamin C - Ascorbic acid
Oatmeal comes from rolled or steel-cut oats. They		Ascorbic acid helps improve the volume of the loaf.
are used primarily to enhance flavour and texture.		Vitamin C powder or tablets should be used.
		You can also use the orange flavour vitamin C
Other ingredients		supplement tablet. These are usually marked in mg
		(milligrams) strength. If they are 200mg tablets, use
Yeasts (active dry yeast)		1/2 tablet for 100mg dose. The tablet must be
		crushed between 2 spoons to create a powder. If
Yeast through a fermentation process produces gas		using powder refer to the packet instructions but a
(carbon dioxide) necessary to make the bread rise.		1/4 of a teaspoon is usually recommended.
Yeast must be able to feed on sugar and flour
carbohydrates in order to produce this gas. Fast		Measuring ingredients
action granular yeast is used in all recipes that call
for yeast. There are basically three different types of		The key and most important step when using your
yeast available, fresh, traditional dry active and fast
action.		breadmaker is measuring your ingredients precisely
		and accurately. It is extremely important to measure
It is recommended that fast action yeast be		each liquid and dry ingredient properly or it could
used.		result in a poor or unacceptable baking result. The
		ingredients must also be added into the baking pan
Fresh or compressed cake yeast is not		in the order in which they are given in each recipe.
recommended as they will produce poor results.		Liquid and dry measurements are done somewhat
Store yeast according to manufacturers instructions.		differently and are as follows:
Ensure your yeast is fresh by checking its expiration
date. Once a package or can of yeast is opened it is		Liquid measurements
important that the remaining contents be		Use the cup provided. When reading amounts, the
immediately resealed and refrigerated as soon as		measuring cup must be placed on a horizontal flat
possible for future use. Often bread or dough, which		surface and viewed at eye level (not on an angle).
fails to rise, is due to stale yeast being used.		The liquid level line must be aligned to the mark of

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