3
BREAD MAKING INGREDIENTS
An understanding of ingredients and their interaction is essential to good breadmaking. This
short guide will help you understand some of the processes and the materials used.
FLOUR
It is the essential ingredient. It should be fresh, and stored in cool, dry conditions, preferably in an
airtight jar. Use only breadmaking flour. General-purpose flours do not contain enough gluten to
produce well-structured bread.
Whole meal flour contains the whole wheat grain. This results in heaver denser loaves than
bread made with white bread flour and takes longer to rise.
Other flours such as rye are often added to bread flours to make specialty loaves. As these flours
do not produce as much gluten as wheat flour, they cannot be used entirely on their own.
Flours vary, as millers all have their own special methods, and age and storage play their part.
Although you should always follow the recipe carefully, there are occasions when you may have
to adjust the dough. You may do this a few minutes into the kneading cycle. Open the Bread
Maker lid and gently touch the dough. It should feel slightly sticky. If it is sloppy, add a little flour
(1/2 - 1 tablespoon). Allow this to work in and re-check if necessary. If the dough is too dry, add
the same amount of lukewarm water. Re-check if necessary.
As you gain experience, you will get to know the feel of good dough. It should be soft and smooth
with the faintest sticky feel, but should leave no residue when turned out of the pan, as in our
recipes for doughnuts and other recipes blended on the Dough program.
The only time you can adjust the quality of the dough is during the kneading cycle. Once baking
commences do not lift the lid or the bread may spoil.
MILK
Whole, semi-skimmed or skimmed milk can be used in bread making but it should always be
added lukewarm. Refrigerated milk must be heated to around 27
º
C (80
º
F). Never heat milk
above 37
º
C (98
º
F) as this can cause problems with yeast.
Milk can usually be substituted for water in most recipes, but the quantity may need to be
adjusted, usually slightly higher. If dried milk is featured in the recipe, leave it out when
substituting milk for water.
LIQUID QUANTITIES
Flour is absorbent. Its texture will vary to some extent with the prevailing atmospheric conditions.
The amount of liquid may have to be adjusted if the conditions in your kitchen are excessively dry
or humid. If there is too much water in the bread, it will not rise properly, even to the point of
collapse. Insufficient liquid will result in a poorly structured, lumpy loaf.
If you are in any way unsure, it is good policy to monitor the dough while it is kneading, using the
notes above.
