INGREDIENTS
Fats and oils: fats make the bread softer and
tastier. It also stores better and longer. Too
much fat slows down rising. If you use butter,
cut it into tiny pieces so that it is distributed
evenly throughout the preparation, or soften
it. You can substitute 15g butter for 1 tables-
poon of oil. Do not add hot butter. Keep the
fat from coming into contact with the yeast,
as fat can prevent yeast from rehydrating. Do
not use low fat spreads or butter substitutes.
Eggs: eggs make the dough richer, improve
the colour of the bread and encourage the
development of the soft, white part. If you
use eggs, reduce the quantity of liquid you
use proportionally. Break the egg and top up
with the liquid until you reach the quantity
of liquid indicated in the recipe. Recipes are
designed for one 50 g size egg; if your eggs
are bigger, add a little flour; if they are smal-
ler, use less flour.
Milk: recipes use either fresh or powdered
milk. If using powdered milk, add the quantity
of water stated in the recipe. It enhances the
flavour and improves the keeping qualities of
the bread. For recipes using fresh milk, you can
substitute some of it with water but the total
volume must equal the quantity stated in the
recipe. Semi-skimmed or skimmed milk is best
to avoid bread having a close texture. Milk also
has an emulsifying effect which evens out its
airiness, giving the soft, white part a better
aspect.
Water: water rehydrates and activates the
yeast. It also hydrates the starch in the flour
and helps the soft, white part to form. Water
can be totally or partially replaced with milk or
other liquids. Use liquids at room temperature.
Flour: the weight of the flour varies signifi-
cantly depending on the type of flour used.
Depending on the quality of the flour, baking
results may also vary. Keep flour in a her-
metically sealed container, as flour reacts
to fluctuations in atmospheric conditions,
absorbing moisture or losing it. Use "strong
flour", "bread flour" or "baker's flour" rather
than standard flour. Adding oats, bran, wheat
germ, rye or whole grains to the bread dough
will give a smaller, heavier loaf of bread.
Using T55 flour is recommended unless
otherwise specified in the recipe. If you are
using special flour blends for bread, brioche
or rolls, do not exceed 750 g of dough in
total.
Sifting the flour also affects the results: the
more the flour is whole (i.e. the more of the
outer envelope of the wheat it contains), the
less the dough will rise and the denser the
bread. You can also find ready-to-use bread
preparations on the market. Follow the ma-
nufacturer's instructions when using these
preparations. Usually, the choice of the pro-
gramme will depend on the preparation used.
For example: Wholemeal bread - Programme 4.
Sugar: use white sugar, brown sugar or honey.
Do not use sugar lumps. Sugar acts as food
for the yeast, gives the bread its good taste
and improves browning of the crust. Artificial
sweeteners cannot be substituted for sugar as
the yeast will not react with them.
Salt: salt gives taste to food and regulates
the yeast's activity. It should not come into
contact with the yeast. Thanks to salt, the
dough is firm, compact and does not rise too
quickly. It also improves the structure of the
dough. Use ordinary table salt. Do not use
coarse salt or salt substitutes.
Yeast: baker's yeast exists in several forms:
fresh in small cubes, dried and active to be
rehydrated or dried and instant. Fresh yeast is
sold in supermarkets (bakery or fresh produce
departments), but you can also buy fresh yeast
from your local baker's. In its fresh or instant
dried form, yeast should be added directly to
the baking pan of your breadmaker with the
other ingredients.
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