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LEMON JUICE: DOUGH ENHANCER
Lemon juice contains acidic acid, a natural dough enhancer. The addition of lemon juice (or
vinegar - which also contains acidic acid) may help improve the overall structure of your loaf of
bread.
SALT: REGULATES YEAST ACTIVITY
Salt is necessary to control the activity of yeast, disciplining it to work slow and steady. Without
salt yeast acts very rapidly and gives out too quickly. Salt also strengthens the structure of the
dough. If too little or no salt is used, the bread will rise rapidly and then fall either before the
baking or as soon as the baking begins; the texture will be coarse and uneve n . Some salt
s u b s t i t u t e s will work effectively.
FAT: DOUGH ENHANCER AND CONDITIONER
Shortening is an American term for fat used in recipes. The recipes in this book use vegetable
oil. Solid shortening, butter or margarine may be substituted. Divide into small pieces before
placing in the machine. There will not be any noticeable flavor difference. The crust may be a
little crisper with bu t t e r. M a r g a rine tends to make the crust a little tougher. Light or whipped
m a r g a ri n e does not work well.
LIQUIDS: ACTIVATE THE YEAST AND
BIND THE DOUGH
Liquids include all the wet ingredients used in the recipe. Traditional bread bakers have been
taught correctly that warm liquid (110-115°F) will activate dry yeast. However, when yeast is
used in a bread machine, the liquid temperature most likely to provide a good environment for
the yeast is 8 0 ° F. With this tempera t u r e, the yeast activates gradually to accommodate the
p r o gra m of the machine. When higher temperature of liquids are used, the yeast not only
a c t i va t e s too quickly, but also the entire dough becomes too warm. If the temperature of the
dough rises over 100°F during the rising times, the yeast does not die but becomes ve r y
l e t h a r g i c and is not able to work effectively.
Because climates and seasons of the year make for a wide variety of humidity levels, the liquid
amount called for in a recipe may have to be adjusted. Flour will not accept the same amount
of liquid in a moist humid climate as it will in a dry climate;i.e., Florida residents always use less
than Arizona residents. Wisconsin bakers will use less liquid in their machines in the summer
than in the winter. The difference may be as much as
1
⁄4 to
1
⁄2 cup of liquid. When bread is
k n e a d i n g , the dough should be a soft, tacky ball. More flour, one tablespoon at a time, may be
added after 5 minutes of kneading if the dough is too wet.More liquid may also be added, one
teaspoon at a time, if the dough is too dry.If the bread falls during the baking cycle and/or quite
coarse, reduce the total liquid amount.
When the machine is set on the delayed timer, reduce the amount of liquid by 1 teaspoon to 2
tablespoons depending on the recipe and size of loaf. Be sure the liquid is very cold.