Hamilton Beach 29888 Use and Care Manual - Page 12

Tips: Bread Basics Ingredients Two things can ensure a perfect loaf of bread: using fresh, quality ingredients and measuring them accurately. Flour Other Ingredients All-Purpose Flour Flour that contains no baking powder, suitable for "quick" breads. Bread flour is better suited for yeast breads. Egg Eggs can improve bread texture and make bread larger in size. The egg must be whisked in with other liquid ingredients. Bread Flour Bread flour is the most important ingredient of making bread and is recommended in most yeast-bread recipes. It has a high gluten content and can keep size of bread from collapsing after rising. Flour varies by region. For example, American flour is milled from hard spring wheat; Canadian flour is milled from hard winter wheat. Self-Rising Flour Flour that contains baking powder, used especially for making cakes. Do not use self-rising flour in combination with yeast. Whole-Wheat Flour Whole-wheat flour is ground from the entire wheat kernel. Bread made with all or part whole-wheat flour will have higher fiber and nutritional content. Whole-wheat flour is heavier and, as a result, loaves may be smaller in size and have a heavier texture. Tip: To check whether yeast is fresh and active: • Pour 1 cup (237 ml) hot tap water into a measuring cup. • Add 1 teaspoon (5 ml) white sugar and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) yeast. • Place measuring cup in a warm place for about 5 minutes. • Fresh, active yeast will begin to bubble or "grow." If it does not, the yeast is dead or inactive. 12 Salt Salt is necessary to improve bread flavor and crust color. It is also used to restrain yeast activity. Shortening, Butter, and Vegetable Oil Shortening and butter should be cut into small pieces before adding to liquid. Sugar Sugar is "food" for yeast and also increases sweet taste and color of bread. It is a very important element of making bread rise. White sugar is normally used; however, brown sugar or powdered sugar may also be called for in some recipes. Water and Other Liquids (always added first) Water is an essential ingredient for making bread. See recipe recommendations for liquid temperatures. Some recipes may call for milk or other liquids. Never use dairy with the Delay option. Yeast Yeast is a living organism and should be kept in the refrigerator to remain fresh. It needs carbohydrates found in sugar and flour as nourishment. Yeast used in Bread Maker recipes will be sold under several different names: Bread machine yeast (preferred), active-dry yeast, and instant yeast. Before using, check expiration date of the yeast. Return to refrigerator immediately after each use.