Chapter 1 Introduction

The "Secret" Ingredients for Success

INTRODUCTION

THE "SECRET" INGREDIENTS FOR SUCCESS

If baking bread has always been a mystery to you, youÕll be pleasantly surprised to find how easily the Home Bakery Super can make you a great baker! The recipes outlined in this book have been carefully tested, but there are few tips weÕd like to pass on to you to insure success every time.

The most important tip is to follow the direction in the recipes exactly. Use the ingredients specified in the recipes. Once you become familiar with what the Home Bakery Super can do, youÕll be able to invent your own delectable concoctions.

Breads will be only as good as the ingredients used; thatÕs why itÕs so important to avoid making substitutions. HereÕs a list of the most common ingredients youÕll find in our recipes:

¥ All Purpose Flour is a blend of refined wheat flour especially suitable for making croissants and pizza. For best results, lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup then level it off with a knife. (It is not necessary to sift flour for bread).

¥ Bread Flour is a type of wheat flour made from hard wheat that includes all of the gluten from the grain. Since bread flour has a higher gluten and protein content than all purpose flour, it is well-suited for use in yeast breads. Gluten gives structure and height to the loaf, thus bread flour rises better than other flours. It produces a higher loaf and bread that has a coarser texture.

¥ 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 flavor. They are also used to improve the texture of bread.

¥ Cornmeal & Oatmeal come from coarsely ground white or yellow corn and from rolled or steel-cut oats. They are used primarily to enhance the flavor and texture of breads.

¥ Cracked Wheat* is very coarse in texture. It comes from wheat kernels cut into angular fragments. It gives whole grain breads a nutty flavor and crunchy texture.

¥ Gluten is an elastic protein found mainly in wheat flour (all flour contains some gluten). Gluten is an important element in all yeast breads, as it gives bread its structure or framework. Flours with a high gluten content make the best bread flours.

¥ Vital Wheat Gluten (also called vital gluten or wheat gluten) is the dried gluten protein obtained from high protein, hard-wheat flour by rising off most of the starch. Adding gluten flour to bread recipes helps improve strength, texture height of the loaf. It is especially useful in recipes that call for wheat bread flour or low-gluten flours.

¥ Rye Flour is a dark flour made from grain of rye.

¥ Whole Wheat Flour, ground from the entire wheat kernel, is heavier, richer in nutrients, and more perishable than All Purpose Flour.

¥ Seven-Grain Cereal Blend** is a blend of cracked wheat, oats, bran, rye, corn meal, flax seeds, and hulled millet.

¥ Active Dry Yeast feeds on sugar and ferments it, thus causing dough to rise. Active dry yeast (simply dried granules of yeast) is made of tiny plants that change food (especially gluten and sugar) into bubbles of carbon dioxide. As these bubbles expand, the bread rises. Active dry yeast is best suited for use in bread machines. Note that "rapid rise", "quick rise" and "instant yeast" are not recommended for multiple rising, long fermentation periods or whole wheat bread machine cycles. The recipes developed for the Home Bakery used "FleischmannÕs Active Dry Yeast" or "FleischmannÕs Rapid Rise Yeast".

¥ The active dry yeast should be kept in the freezer of a refrigerator and please make it sure that the fresh yeast be used for baking a good quality bread. Using old yeast is not recommended as it may end up with adverse quality.

¥ Butter, Margarine, and Oil "shorten", or tenderize the texture of yeast breads. French bread gets its unique crust and texture from the lack of added oils. However, breads that call for oils stay fresh longer. Butter should be measured and cut into small pieces. The recipes developed for the Home Bakery Junior used unsalted butter; however, regular butter or margarine can be substitute for unsalted butter. ¥ Eggs add richness and velvety texture to bread doughs. Use large size eggs in these recipes.

¥ Homogenized Milk & Buttermilk add texture and flavor. You may substitute homogenized milk or buttermilk for dry milk, but the loaf may be come out shorter and the crust may be darker than dry milk breads.

¥ Salt is necessary when making yeast breads. It not only adds flavor but controls the growth of yeast, which helps the bread rise. Too much salt can kill the yeast, but too little lets the dough rise so fast it may fall before baking is complete. Salt also keeps bread from getting stale too quickly. Table salt and sea salt both work well in bread machines. Adjustment to the amount of salt will affect the action of the yeast.

¥ Sugar is important for the color and flavor of breads, as well as to feed the yeast. Recipes in this booklet that call for sugar requires granulated sugar. Do not substitute powdered sugar or brown sugar unless indicated.

¥ Fructose* is a naturally occurring sugar found in fruits, berries, and honey. The taste of fructose is identical to that of common sugar with the added benefit that it is 1-1/2times as sweet as sugar. Fructose is a carbohydrate, which must be accounted for in the diet.

* Available at health food stores.

** Available at health food stores or in your local supermarketÕs hot cereal department.

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