8
MIXING & KNEADING: The Gluten Development Stage
Place ingredients in bowl, except last 1 - 1
1
⁄
2
cups flour. Use the dough hook
at the beginning of the mixing stage to start the gluten development. Then
gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. The
dough should clean the sides of the bowl and form a soft ball around the
dough hook.
When adding wheat bran, wheat germ, bulgur or cracked wheat to a
bread recipe, leave the dough as moist as possible, because these
ingredients absorb liquid and tend to produce a drier loaf. Reduce the
amount of kneading to avoid cutting the gluten strands with the sharp edges
of these grains.
A recipe with a high percent of whole wheat flour may require a shorter
kneading time than a recipe with white flour. The rough texture of the bran
can be damaging to developing gluten.
DOUGH STRETCH TEST: Testing For Developed Gluten
After approximately 10 minutes of kneading, stop the mixer and check the
gluten development by performing the dough stretch test. Remove a small
piece of dough about the size of a small egg. Holding the dough up,
carefully stretch it into a flat circle with your fingers. When the dough is
properly developed, the structure will be smooth and stretchy; light should
pass through the stretched dough. If the stretched dough breaks, it needs a
few more minutes of kneading. The total time for kneading is
approximately 10 minutes.
YEAST: The Number One Ingredient
We used Red Star
®
Active Dry Yeast when we were developing the bread
recipes. A
1
⁄
4
ounce package of Red Star Yeast contains approximately
2
1
⁄
4
level teaspoons of yeast. When the yeast is exposed to oxygen,
moisture or warmth, the activity of it deteriorates. Therefore, we recommend
storing yeast in an airtight container and refrigerating or freezing it.
Measure out the amount you need and allow it to come to room
temperature before using — this takes about 15 minutes.
If you have any doubt regarding the activity of the yeast, you may use the
following test to determine its strength.
To test for one package (2
1
⁄
4
teaspoons) of Red Star Active Dry Yeast, use a
liquid measuring cup and fill it to the
1
⁄
2
cup level with 110°-115°F/43°-46°C
water. Stir in 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and 1 package (2
1
⁄
4
teaspoons) Red
Star Active Dry Yeast. Leave your stirring spoon in the cup. Set a timer for
10 minutes. As the yeast absorbs liquid, it will begin to activate and rise to the
surface. If at the end of the 10 minutes the yeast has multiplied to the 1 cup
mark, it is very active. The yeast mixture may be used in a recipe that calls for
