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Know your ingredients
Understanding baking
It is often said that cooking is an art relying on the
c
reativity of the chef while baking bread is much
m
ore of a science. This means that the process of
combining flour, water and yeast results in a
reaction that produces bread. You have to
r
emember that when the ingredients combine with
e
ach other they produce a specific result. Read the
f
ollowing information carefully to gain a better
understanding of the importance each ingredient
p
lays in the breadmaking process.
Important note on flours
F
lours, while visibly similar, can be very different by
v
irtue of how they were grown, milled, stored, etc.
You may find that you will have to experiment with
d
ifferent brands of flour to help you make that
p
erfect loaf. Storage is also very important, as all
f
lours should be kept in an airtight container.
All purpose flour/plain flour
A
ll 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.
S
trong white flour/bread flour
Bread flour is a high gluten/protein flour that has
b
een treated with conditioners that give dough a
g
reater suitability for kneading. Bread Flour typically
h
as a higher gluten concentration than All purpose
flour; however, depending on different milling
practices, this may vary. Strong plain flour or bread
f
lour 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
t
han 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
Self-raising Flour contains unnecessary leavening
ingredients that will interfere with bread and cake
making. It is not recommended for use.
Bran
Bran (unprocessed) & Wheat Germ are the coarse
outer portions of the wheat or rye grains separated
fr
om 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 steel-cut oats. They
are used primarily to enhance flavour and texture.
Other ingredients
Y
easts (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 r
ecipes that call
for yeast. Ther
e ar
e basically thr
ee dif
fer
ent types of
yeast available, fresh, traditional dry active and fast
action.
It is recommended that fast action yeast be
used.
Fresh or compressed cake yeast is not
recommended as they will pr
oduce poor results.
Store yeast accor
ding to manufactur
ers instructions.
Ensure your yeast is fresh by checking its expiration
date. Once a package or can 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.
T
he following test can be used to determine
whether your yeast is stale and inactive:
1 P
lace half a cup of lukewarm water into a small
b
owl or cup.
2 S
tir 1 tsp. of sugar into the water then sprinkle
2
tsp. of yeast over the surface.
3 Place bowl or cup in a warm area and allow to sit
f
or 10 minutes undisturbed.
4 T
he mixture should foam and produce a strong
yeast aroma. If this does not occur, discard mixture
a
nd start again with another packet of dried yeast.
Sugar
Sugar is important for the colour and flavour of
b
reads. It is also food for the yeast as it is part of
t
he fermentation process. Artificial sweeteners
c
annot be used as a substitute for sugar as the
yeast will not react properly with them.
S
alt
S
alt 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
o
f yeast so the amounts shown in the recipes
should not be increased. For dietary reasons it may
be reduced, however, your baking may suffer.
L
iquids/milk
L
iquids such as milk or a combination of powdered
milk and water, can be used when making bread.
M
ilk will improve flavour, provide a velvety texture
a
nd soften the crust, while water alone will produce
a
crispier crust. Some liquids call for juice (orange,
apple, etc) to be added as a flavour enhancer.
Note: For most recipes we suggest the use of dry
s
kimmed milk.
Eggs
Eggs add richness and a velvety texture to bread
doughs and cakes.
Sunflower oil
‘
Shortens’ or tenderises the texture of yeast breads.
Butter or marg
arine can be used as a substitute.
If butter or margarine is used direct from the
refrigerator it should be softened for easier blending
during the mixing cycle.
Baking powder
Baking powder is a raising agent used in cakes.
This type of raising agent does not require rising
time before baking as the chemical reaction works
when liquid ingredients are added.
Bicarbonate of soda
Bicarbonate of soda is another raising agent not to
be confused or substituted for baking powder
.
It also does not require rising time before baking as
the chemical reaction works during the baking
process.
Vitamin C - Ascorbic acid
Ascorbic acid helps improve the volume of the loaf.
Vitamin C powder or tablets should be used.
Y
ou can also use the orange flavour vitamin C
supplement tablet. These are usually marked in mg
(milligrams) strength. If they are 200mg tablets, use
1/2 tablet for 100mg dose. The tablet must be
crushed between 2 spoons to cr
eate a powder. If
using powder refer to the packet instructions but a
1/4 of a teaspoon is usually recommended.
Measuring ingredients
The key and most important step when using your
breadmaker is measuring your ingredients precisely
and accurately
. It is extremely important to measure
each liquid and dry ingredient properly or it could
result in a poor or unacceptable baking result. The
ingredients must also be added into the baking pan
in the or
der in which they are given in each recipe.
Liquid and dry measur
ements ar
e done somewhat
dif
fer
ently and ar
e as follows:
Liquid measurements
Use the cup provided. When reading amounts, the
measuring cup must be placed on a horizontal flat
surface and viewed at eye level (not on an angle).
The liquid level line must be aligned to the mark of
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