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BUTTER, MARGARINE, COOKING FAT AND OIL
These are interchangeable in bread making. Fats add flavor and help the keeping properties of
bread. If you wish to use margarine based on vegetable oil, ensure that you use the regular kind.
Avoid the “light” varieties as they contain quite large amounts of water which will adversely affect
the bread. If you are in doubt, read the small print on the container; this will indicate whether the
product is suitable for breadmaking.
When substituting oil for butter, margarine or solid cooking fat, reduce the amount of liquid by
around 3/4 tbs. to compensate for the extra liquid content of the oil.
As you will see from our recipes, it is good practice to cut butter and solid fats into small pieces
before using them. Low fat bread can be made by substituting natural low-fat yoghurt for some or
all the fat in the recipe, in equal amounts. Apple purée may also be used. Once again, monitor
the dough and adjust accordingly.
SUGAR
Sugar provides food for the yeast, helps bread to rise and improves flavor, structure and color.
Almost any kind of natural sweetener can be used, such as all the various sugars, corn and
maple syrup, honey, etc. Once again, when using liquid sweeteners to replace sugar, reduce the
amount of water slightly to compensate.
Artificial sweeteners are not suitable for bread making.
SALT
Salt in bread is NOT just a matter of taste! Salt restrains the growth of the yeast and improves
elasticity and structure. If you reduce or eliminate salt from the bread it will rise excessively. If
you use too much salt, the loaf will not rise enough. Use common table salt.
When adding salt to the bread pan, keep it away from the yeast by introducing it at one corner. If
the yeast comes into premature contact with salt, the bread will not rise properly. This situation is
obviously more important when using the delay timer.
YEAST
Yeast is a micro-organism which feeds on sugars and starches in the bread mix producing
carbon dioxide gas which in turn causes the bread to rise.
We recommend the use of dried fast-acting yeast which is intended for bread makers. The
instructions on the sachet will tell you if the yeast is suitable for bread makers. Easy-blend yeasts
are readily available from branches of Tesco and other good grocers.
When adding yeast, be especially careful to get the quantity correct. Otherwise, you could have a
disaster on your hands, especially if you added too much!
Note: Some ingredients, especially garlic and cinnamon, can spoil the quality of your bread if
added in excess. Never be over generous with such additions. Use the amounts recommended
in the recipes.
When baking items containing milk and onions, it is advisable not to use extended timer settings
