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A guide to Ingredients
The major ingredient in bread making is flour, so it is important to use the correct one for a good loaf.
Bread flour
Bread flour has a high gluten and protein content. As the gluten content is higher than most common flours, it
is good for making larger loaves and has a better inner fibre.
Plain flour
This flour contains no baking powder and is only suitable for making quick bread.
Whole-wheat flour
Whole-wheat flour is ground from grain. It contains wheat skin and gluten, is heavier and more nutritious. The
bread made using whole-wheat flour is usually smaller in size; so many recipes usually combine whole-wheat
flour and bread flour to achieve the best results.
Self-rising flour
This is a type of flour that contains baking powder. It is usually used for baking cakes.
Cornflour and oatmeal flour
Cornflour and oatmeal flour are ground from corn and oatmeal separately. It is added to rough bread as it is
great for enhancing flavour and texture.
Sugar
Sugar is an important ingredient as it increases the sweetness and colour of bread. Sugar also provides food
for the yeast, although it is not entirely essential as modern types of dried yeast are able to feed on the natural
sugars and starches found in the flour.
Yeast
For most bread machine recipes, we recommend active dry, easy blend, instant or bread machine yeast. The
‘instant’ types of yeasts are milled slightly finer and produced at lower temperatures resulting in fewer ‘dead’
cells. It gives very good results in the bread machine. Rapid rise yeast or quick rise yeast is specifically for the
shorter/rapid cycles, as it helps to shorten the rising cycle – adding vital gluten as well as aiding in its rise.
Yeast must be stored in the refrigerator as the fungus in it will be killed at high temperatures.
Before using, check the use by date. Store it back in the refrigerator as soon as possible after each use. Usually
the failure of bread rising is caused by bad yeast.
The following ways describe how to check whether yeast is fresh and active: