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amounts specified in the recipes. While some ingredients are interchangeable, others will produce
poor results in bread.
Ingredients
White flour
White flour contains enough protein (gluten) to give a lot of volume and texture to bread. It is
gluten that forms the cell wall structure, traps and holds the air bubbles and allows the bread to rise.
Most flour is bleached. This does not affect the baking performance or the shelf life.
Wholewheat flour
Wholewheat flour is a coarsely ground type of flour milled from the entire wheat kernel - brand,
germ and endosperm. The brand and germ provide the brown colour and nutty flavour while
increasing fibre. Baking with wholewheat flour results in shorter, denser loaves.
rye flour
Rye flour is made by finely grinding rye kernels. Only flours made from wheat and rye contain
gluten-forming proteins. The gluten in rye flour is not very elastic, therefore rye flour must be used
in combination with wheat flour.
cereals, grains and seeds
Cereals, grains and seeds provide variety in texture, flavour and appearance of breads. They increase
fibre content. Three, five, seven or twelve-grain cereals can be substituted in a recipe for any multi-
grain cereal. Cracked wheat is the wholewheat kernel that is cracked into particles of different sizes
from coarse to fine. Bulgur is the wheat kernel with the bran removed, which is steamed, dried and
ground. Natural bran, both wheat and oats, cuts the gluten strands. Therefore do not use more bran
than is stated in the recipe.
gluten-free flour
Gluten is present in many cereals, such as wheat, rye, barley, oats, etc. Gluten-free bread is to be
made exclusively from gluten-free flour or gluten-free bread mixes.
semolina flour
Semolina, a creamy yellow coarsely ground flour milled from hard durum wheat, is high in protein. It
is used to make fresh pasta. Pasta dough made of semolina is easier to knead and holds its shape
better during baking than pasta dough made with all-purpose flour. You can replace part of the all-
purpose or wholewheat flour by semolina.
Fats
Fats tenderise, add flavour and extend shelf life of bread by retaining moisture. Shortening,
margarine, butter or oil can be interchanged in recipes. Loaves baked with these fats will vary slightly.
Avoid low-calorie soft margarine as the higher water content can greatly affect loaf size and texture.
salt
Salt controls the action of the yeast and adds flavour. Never omit salt from the dough. The amounts
used are small but necessary. Without salt, the bread may overrise or collapse.
sugars
Sugars provide food for the yeast as well as sweetness for the loaf and colour for the crust. Unless
indicated in the recipe, use granulated white sugar. Honey, brown sugar and molasses give bread a
unique flavour and colour. Substituting one for the other may affect the final result.
Aspartame-based (not saccharin-based) granular sugar substitutes can be used. Substitute equal
amounts for sugar in the recipe.
liquids
Liquids blend with the flour to produce an elastic dough. Milk gives a tender texture while water
results in a crisper crust. Skimmed milk powder and buttermilk powder increase the nutritional value
while softening the texture. There is no need to reconstitute skimmed milk powder or buttermilk