Bread Machine Magic (2 page)

 

I
NGREDIENTS

As any good cook or baker will tell you, the secret to success lies in using the best possible ingredients. The same is true for breads. Always try to obtain the most recently milled flours, the freshest vegetables, the ripest fruit, the freshest yeast. You
will
notice a difference! Here are some guidelines that should help:

W
HITE
F
LOURS

Bread flour
is now sold in most grocery stores. (Gold Medal packages it as “Better for Bread” flour.) It has a higher gluten content than all-purpose flour. Gluten gives structure and height to each loaf, therefore bread flour will produce a higher loaf of bread (also, one with a coarser texture) and should be used in the recipes where it's indicated.

We switch to
all-purpose flour
(bleached or unbleached) for most dinner rolls, sweet rolls, and specialty breads, as well as for loaves that rise too high with bread flour. Both bleached and unbleached all-purpose white flours are refined; however, bleached flour has also been whitened with an oxidizing or bleaching agent such as chlorine dioxide.

W
HOLE
-G
RAIN
F
LOURS

Whole wheat flour
, unlike white flour, is ground from the complete wheat berry and thus contains the wheat germ as well as the wheat bran. Avoid using stoneground whole wheat in the bread machine. It is coarser in texture and does not rise as well as regular whole wheat flour in the machine.

Rye flour
is a heavy flour milled from the rye grain. It is low in gluten. You will need to combine it with white or whole wheat flour to produce an acceptable-size loaf. A rye dough is also stickier than other doughs.

Barley flour
is milled from barley kernels, which are very high in minerals. It contributes a slightly sweet taste and a cakelike texture to the dough.

Buckwheat flour
has a strong, tart, and earthy flavor and lends a grayish color to the finished product. We use it in small quantities because a little goes a long way.

Millet flour
is ground from whole millet, and when added to bread, gives it a crumbly, dry taste and texture.

Oats
have the highest protein and mineral content of all grains. They add that sweet and nutty “country” richness to bread.

Cracked wheat
and
bulgur
are pieces of the wheat kernel. Bulgur is cracked wheat that has been parboiled and dried for faster cooking. It will absorb liquids more readily than cracked wheat.

Bran
is the outer covering of the wheat kernel. It is added to bread recipes for texture, flavor, and fiber. Use it sparingly since too much bran (more than
¹
⁄
₃
cup in the small loaf, ½ cup in the medium loaf, or
²
⁄
₃
cup in the large loaf) can inhibit the yeast's growth. Most supermarkets now carry miller's wheat bran in a box. Check the cereal or health-food section of your market.

Wheat germ
is the tiny embryo of the wheat kernel. It contributes texture and a nutty flavor to whole-grain breads. If used in excess (more than ¼ cup per small or medium loaf or more than ½ cup per large loaf), it will inhibit the rising action of the yeast. Normally sold in jars, it's usually located in the cereal or health-food section of your grocery store.

Millet
is a yellowish, round grain that resembles a mustard seed. It adds a crunchy texture and extra nutrition to your breads.

We had no difficulty locating the various whole grains used in these recipes at local natural-foods stores. The larger stores offer them both packaged and in open bins. Compare prices and we think you'll discover that buying them in bulk from the bins is a better deal.

Whole-grain breads do not rise as quickly as white-flour breads and are normally shorter, denser loaves when made in a bread machine. Most machines, however, take that fact into account and allow a longer rising period in the whole wheat cycle. Only white, wheat, and rye flours contain gluten; therefore, all whole-grain recipes require white and/or whole wheat flour as a base.

Whole-grain breads also brown faster and have a more robust flavor. If they are too dark for your liking, switch to the Light Crust setting when baking whole-grain breads.

It's important to note that whole-grain flours and wheat germ contain natural oils and will soon go rancid if stored at room temperature. You should always store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator or freezer.

V
ITAL
W
HEAT
G
LUTEN

Vital wheat gluten is an additive that gives bread extra strength and increased height. Vital wheat gluten is not a flour (don't confuse it with something labeled “gluten flour”). It is almost pure gluten, which is the flour's protein, and it is isolated in a long process that involves washing out the starch and then drying, grinding, and packaging the pure gluten that remains. It's especially useful when baking heavy whole-grain breads that need a boost. Use 1 tablespoon per cup of flour.

L
IQUIDS

The very best water to use is bottled spring water. It has no chlorine and contains all the minerals the yeast needs to perform at its best. Avoid softened water. It's high in sodium.

When a recipe calls for buttermilk, fresh is best. If you don't use it that often, you can buy a small carton and store it in the freezer. Once defrosted, it will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month. Shake it well before using. Even more convenient is the powdered buttermilk found in cans, usually with the other powdered milks in your grocery or natural-foods store. It's best to store it in the refrigerator. There's no need to mix the buttermilk powder with water before adding it to the mix. Simply replace the buttermilk with water and add 1 tablespoon buttermilk powder to the other dry ingredients for every ¼ cup buttermilk called for in the recipe. For instance, if the recipe calls for ¾ cup buttermilk, substitute ¾ cup water and add 3 tablespoons buttermilk powder to the other dry ingredients.

A similar substitution can be made if you find yourself out of milk. Add ¾ to 1 tablespoon nonfat dry milk powder to the dry ingredients for each ¼ cup fresh milk called for in the recipe.

F
ATS

Fats add flavor and tenderness, and keep the bread from turning stale rapidly. (Note that the
Authentic French Bread
, has no fat in the recipe. As a result, it dries out and loses it fresh flavor in just a matter of hours.)

Margarine is fine to use but avoid the lower fat varieties because they contain more water than regular margarine and will affect the recipe. If you choose butter, select unsalted butter. It is usually fresher. Also, for your convenience, select a brand of butter or margarine that has tablespoon measurements marked on the wrapper.

S
WEETENERS

Sweeteners such as granulated sugar, brown sugar, honey, molasses, corn syrup, maple syrup, and fructose add flavor and color to the bread crust and provide food for the yeast.

E
GGS

Use only large eggs. One large egg is equivalent to a scant ¼ cup liquid and it will add a golden color and a cakelike texture to the loaf. To eliminate cholesterol, you can substitute ¼ cup water, ¼ cup liquid egg substitute, or 2 egg whites for each whole egg. For vegans, there's a non-animal product called Egg Replacer. Look for it in health-food stores.

S
ALT

You can omit the salt in recipes if you are on a salt-restricted diet. However, the salt affects both the time it takes the dough to rise and the strength of the gluten formed. Your salt-free loaf will rise more rapidly and probably collapse during baking. Reducing the amount of liquid and yeast slightly might help. If not, try a Rapid Bake setting. Or consider using a “lite salt,” such as Morton's, as long as it contains both potassium chloride and sodium. The easiest option of all: Cut the amount of salt in half in the recipes. Your bread will most likely still rise well, not sink too much, and taste almost the same as the original.

Y
EAST

Yeast is a live fungus that feeds on sugar, ferments it, and produces carbon dioxide. Small bubbles of carbon dioxide are trapped in the gluten, the bread's weblike structure, and when they expand, the bread rises. To avoid killing the yeast, do not use liquids that are extremely cold or hot (over 115˚ F).

Since the yeast is often the most expensive ingredient in the bread, here's a money-saving tip: Buy your yeast in 1-pound or 2-pound bulk packages at one of those warehouse discount stores, such as Costco or Sam's Club, or at a wholesale restaurant-supply store. The savings are remarkable! Open the brick-hard, vacuum-packed bag of yeast and pour a little into a small, baby food–sized jar. Close the package, seal it well, and store inside a freezer bag in your freezer. It will keep for at least a year that way. Or share it with friends if you don't think you'll be using that much yeast in a year's time.

Not sure your yeast is still active? There's an easy way to test its potency. Place 1 teaspoon yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 cup warm water (105 to 115˚ F) and wait 5 minutes. If the mixture doesn't start to foam in that time, it's time to replace your yeast.

M
ISCELLANEOUS
I
NGREDIENTS

Again, we recommend using only the freshest ingredients. This is especially true when it comes to Parmesan cheese, as noted in the recipe for
Anita's Italian Herb Bread
.

Several recipes call for sunflower seeds. We found that the raw unsalted seeds from the natural-food store bins were best. If you use salted seeds, reduce the amount of salt called for in the recipe. Always store seeds and whole grains in the refrigerator or freezer to avoid rancidity.

Potatoes, buttermilk, eggs, and oats add a wonderful rich flavor and moist texture to breads and rolls. Keep them in mind when you want to vary a recipe.

A N
OTE
FOR
T
HOSE
ON
S
PECIAL
D
IETS

If you are concerned about your cholesterol intake, you can substitute nonfat milk for whole milk and 2 egg whites or ¼ cup water or ¼ cup liquid egg substitute for each egg.

If you are a vegetarian who eats no dairy products, you can substitute water or soy milk for the milk or buttermilk, ¼ cup water for each egg, and vegetable shortening or oil for the butter or margarine in these recipes.

M
EASUREMENTS

B
ASIC
M
EASUREMENTS

1½ teaspoons = ½ tablespoon

3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon

4 tablespoons = ¼ cup

5
¹
⁄
₃
tablespoons =
¹
⁄
₃
cup

16 tablespoons = 1 cup

You'll find that eighth-cup measurements are frequently used for measuring liquids. The measuring cup that came with your machine is probably marked in eighths. If not, use the following equivalents:

¹
⁄
₈
cup = 2 tablespoons

Therefore:

³
⁄
₈
cup = ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons

⁵
⁄
₈
cup = ½ cup + 2 tablespoons

⁷
⁄
₈
cup = ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons

1
¹
⁄
₈
cups = 1 cup + 2 tablespoons

T
IPS
FOR
B
AKING
THE
P
ERFECT
L
OAF

There are so many things we've learned along the way about bread machines and baking bread. Most are contained in our second book,
The Bread Machine Magic Book of Helpful Hints,
but here are some we'd like to pass along to you now:

G
REAT
B
READS
S
TART
WITH
THE
P
ROPER
D
OUGH
C
ONSISTENCY

• Experience will be your best teacher. If you're new at the bread-baking business, take time to look at and touch the dough several times during the mixing/kneading process. You'll soon develop a sense of the proper consistency for the perfect loaf. You're looking for a dough that forms a smooth, pliable ball after about 10 minutes of kneading. It will be slightly tacky to the touch. It shouldn't be crumbly. It shouldn't be sticky. It shouldn't leave traces of dough in the bottom of the pan as the mixing blade rotates. And it shouldn't be so stiff that the bread machine sounds like it's straining to knead it or about to stall. Some doughs can look perfect but have no give to them. Doughs that are stiff will invariably bake up into short, dense loaves. Think sensuous! What you're looking for is a dough that is warm, soft, alive—one that makes you want to pull it out of the machine and work with it for hours because it feels so wonderful.

• Once in a while there are exceptions, when a dough should be wetter than normal or will take quite a while to pull moisture from various ingredients, but we let you know which recipes will produce an atypical dough. Read the “blurbs” at the start of the recipes. By the way, rye bread doughs will normally be on the wet side, so you need to allow for a moister dough in all rye bread recipes.

• If the dough feels too dry or wet during mixing, add more liquid or flour to correct it, 1 tablespoon at a time. Often, all it takes is a tablespoon or two to correct it. If the mixing cycle is almost over, you can make the addition, stop the machine, and then restart it.