5
Yeast
Yeast is actually a microscopic plant. Simply
stated, without yeast, your bread will not rise.
When moistened by a liquid, fed by sugar and
carefully warmed, yeast produces gasses that
power the dough to rise. If the temperature is
too cold, the yeast will not be activated; if it’s
too warm, it will die. Your Convection
Bakehouse takes care of this worry for you by
maintaining just the right temperature in the
baking chamber at all times.
Some yeast may require the use of a bread
improver. The bread improver will provide
additional gluten to the bread.
Refer to page 6 to see if you require the use of a
bread improver in your recipes.
Note: We do not recommend the use of fresh
compressed yeast in your breadmaker. Sunbeam
recommends the use of dry yeast. Always
ensure it is used within the use-by date, as stale
yeast will prevent the bread from rising.
Sugars
Sugars sweeten the bread, brown the crust, lend
tenderness to the texture and supply the yeast
with food. White or brown sugar, molasses,
maple or golden syrup, honeys, fruits and other
sweeteners can be used.
Artificial sweetener can be substituted in
equivalent amounts, however the results of your
bread may vary.
Flour
In order for the bread to rise, the flour has to
have a high protein content. Sunbeam
recommends the use of good quality plain or
bread flour. Recommended brands are listed on
page 6.
Do not use self-raising flour.
Unlike white flour, whole-wheat flour contains
bran and wheat germ which inhibit rising.
Wheat breads therefore, tend to be heavier in
texture and smaller in size. A lighter larger loaf
can be achieved by combining whole-wheat
flour with white flour for wheat bread recipes.
Liquids
When liquids are mixed with proteins in flour,
gluten is formed. Gluten is necessary for rising.
Many recipes use dry milk and water, but other
liquids, such as fruit juice and beer can also be
used. Experiment with quantities of these
liquids to obtain optimum results. Liquids
should be at room temperature.
A recipe with too much liquid may cause the
bread to fall during baking while a recipe with
too little liquid will not rise.
Salt
In small amounts, salt adds flavour and controls
yeast action. Too much salt inhibits rising, so be
careful when measuring. Any ordinary table salt
may be used.
Fats
Many breads use fats to enhance the flavour
and retain moisture. Typically, we use margarine
in the recipes. Butter or oil may be used in
equivalent quantities.
Role of the ingredients.
2961 Convection Bakehouse 30/5/02 2:50 PM Page 7