The role of ingredients in bread making – Panasonic SD-BT2P User Manual
Page 6
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The Role of Ingredients in Bread Making
The ingredients used in bread baking all play
an important part in the quality of the bread
produced.
Below we briefly discuss the role that each
ingredient plays in the bread baking process. It
is important to follow the recipes and weigh or
measure carefully to ensure the correct balance
of ingredients for successful bread baking.
FLOUR
Most bread is made from wheat flour. The
quantity and quality of the gluten forming
proteins in the flour determines its suitability for
good bread making.
High grade flours have a consistently higher
protein content than some of the lower grades
available and these will generally give a more
successful result.
If lower grade flours are used, the addition of
1 tablespoon of gluten flour will improve
performance.
All flour starts off as brown flour and is milled
and refined until it becomes white.
In wholemeal flour, the wheat grain has not
been removed so breads made with
wholemeal flour have a coarser more crumbly
texture.
Breads made with wholemeal flour only will
have a reduced volume due to the reduced
availability of gluten forming proteins. To
enhance the volume in these loaves a
proportion of white flour can be used and
additional gluten flour may also give improved
results.
Flours milled from cereals such as oats, rice,
barley and rye contain little or no gluten.
Therefore these loaves have a low rise and a
dense structure.
Panasonic recommend the use of HIGH
GRADE FLOUR.
SUGAR
Sugar used in bread making comes in a variety
of forms - these include white sugar, brown
sugar, molasses, treacle, honey and golden
syrup.
Sugar in some form is essential in all breads as
sugar provides food for yeast - it helps the
yeast to begin to ferment and then promotes
continued yeast action.
Sugar also provides sweetness and aids
browning during baking.
Artificial sweeteners cannot be successfully
used as a substitute for sugar - they do not
provide the carbohydrates required for
fermentation.
SALT
Salt is very important in bread making as it
gives the bread a more even texture.
It also controls the action of the yeast by
inhibiting enzyme activity, thus controlling the
amount of carbon dioxide produced. Bread
with reduced salt will have a weak gluten
structure and a more open texture, too much
salt inhibits fermentation.
Salt also contributes to the flavour.
FATS
The main purpose of fats in bread baking is to
tenderise and soften the bread and to
enhance the flavour and richness. Although
the addition of fat is not essential, breads
made without fat will have less flavour and will
not keep as well.
The best flavour is achieved when butter is
used - it should be softened to help mixing.
Other fats can be used. These include
vegetable oil, margarine or shortening.
Remember that these may alter the flavour and
texture.
LIQUIDS
Liquids are important in bread baking, a small
change in the quantity may affect the height
and the texture of the bread.
Liquid is needed to form the bread's gluten
framework.