36
COMMENTS ON BAKING
1. Ingredients
As each ingredient has a particular role in the success of bread-
making, the measuring is important as the correct order of adding
ingredients.
The important ingredients, such as liquid, flour , salt, sugar and
yeast (both dry and fresh yeast can be used) affect the successful
results in the preparation of bread and dough. Therefore always
use the appropriate quantities in the correct proportions to one
another .
Use lukewarm ingredients if you are immediately starting to bake.
If the TIME program is to be used, the ingredients must be cold
so that the yeast does not ferment too soon.
Margarine, butter and milk only affect the taste of the bread.
Sugar can be reduced by 20 % so that the crust will be lighter and
thinner without otherwise affecting the baking results. Should you
prefer a softer and lighter crust, you can replace the sugar with
honey.
Gluten, that is formed through kneading, provides the structure of
the bread. The ideal flour mixture contains 40% wholemeal flour
and 60% white flour .
Should you wish to add whole grains , soften them up overnight.
Appropriately reduce the quantity of flour and liquid (up to
1/5 less).
Leaven is indispensable in the making of rye flour bread. It contains
milk and vinegar acid bacteria that cause the bread to be light
and slightly sour . Making it up oneself takes up quite some time.
Therefore we use in the following recipes concentrated leaven-
dough powder which comes in packs of 15 g (for 1 kg of flour).
The quantities in the recipes (½ - ¾ - 1 bag) must be adhered to
cut down on bread crumbing.
If leaven-dough powder is used in other concentrations, (packs of
100 g for 1 kg flour), 1 kg flour must be reduced by 80 g or as
appropriate to suit the recipe.
Liquid leaven dough, available packed in bags, can also be used
well. As far as quantities are concerned adjust to the details on
the packing. Fill the leaven dough into a measuring jug and add
the appropriate quantity of liquid mentioned in the recipe.
Wheat leaven dough, that can also be bought dried, improves the
dough quality, the freshness and the taste. It is milder than rye
leaven dough.
Bake leaven bread in the BASIS or the VOLLKORN programs, so
that it rises and bakes properly.
Wheat bran should be added to the dough when a particularly
roughage-full and light bread is required. Use 1 ES for 500 g of
flour and raise the quantity of liquid by ½ ES.
Wheat germ is a natural helper out of grain protein. It makes the
bread lighter , gives a better volume, sinks less often and is more
wholesome. This is particularly the case with wholemeal breads
and pastries and those made from self-ground flour .
Colour malt, which we use in several recipes, is a dark-roasted
barley malt. It is used to obtain a darker crumb and crust (such as
black bread). A rye malt is also available and is not so dark. Such
malts are available in whole food shops.
Bread seasoning can be added to all mixed breads. The
quantity used depends on the taste and the information of the
manufacturer .
Pure lecithin powder is a natural emulsion that raises the baking
volume, makes the crumb tender and softer and prolongs the
freshness.
All the above boldly-printed baking substances and ingredients
are available in whole food, health food shops and the health food
departments of grocery stores or from flour mills.
2. Adjusting the ingredients
In cases where certain ingredients are increased or reduced,
ensure that the proportions in the original recipe are maintained.
In order to achieve a perfect result, take note of the following
basic rules on adjusting the ingredients:
Liquid/flour: The dough must be soft (not too soft), slightly sticky
and not stringy. Light dough is in a ball, whereas with heavier
dough, such as rye wholemeal or other wholemeal breads, this is
not the case. Check the dough 5 minutes after the first kneading.
Should it be too moist, add more flour until the correct consistency
is achieved. If the dough is too dry, knead in spoonful by spoonful
of water .
Replacing liquids: Should you replace ingredients in the recipes
which contain liquid (such as cream-cheese, yoghurt, etc.), the
appropriate liquid quantities must be adjusted accordingly. When
using eggs, break then into the measuring jug and fill up with
liquid to the required level.
If you live high up (above 2,500 ft.), the dough rises more quickly.
In such regions the amount of yeast can be reduced by ¼ to
½ TS, to avoid excessive rising. The same is the case in regions
where soft water is present.
3. Adding and measuring the ingredients and quantities
Always first add the liquid and then the yeast. Only in case of
very heavy dough such as rye bread, we recommend to fill in
first the flour and the dry yeast and to pour the liquid on top to
ensure proper kneading. However , if this is combined with the
TIME function, make sure, that any contact between yeast and
liquid is avoided until the program starts.
In order to prevent the yeast from fermenting too soon (in
particular using the time delay), contact between the yeast and
the liquid must be avoided.
Always use the same units in measuring, which means that
with the indication of tablespoon and teaspoons either use the
measuring spoon supplied with baking automatic or spoons which
are normally used in the household.
W eighing in grams is preferable due to their accuracy.
The supplied measuring jug can be used for millilitres
measurements.
Abbreviations in the recipes mean:
tbsp = tablespoon (or measuring spoon large)
tsp. = level tea spoon (or measuring spoon small)
g = grams
ml = millilitres
bag = bag package dry yeast of 7 g content for 500 g flour -
corresponds to 20 g fresh yeast
4. Adding of fruit, nuts or corn
Should you wish to include further ingredients, this can be done
in all programs (except jams) as soon as the peep sound is heard.
If the ingredients are added too soon, they can be ground up by
the kneader .
Should there be no sizes mentioned in the recipes because they
do not exist in the prescribed program, then the small and also
the large quantities will be successful for the appropriate type in
the mentioned program. The programs without size selection are
programmed appropriately.
5. Bread weights and volumes
In the following recipes you will find exact details of bread:
However , you will see that the weights for pure white bread are
less than those for wholemeal bread. This is because white flour
rises more and therefore is somewhat limited. In spite of these
exact weight details, certain differences may occur . The actual
bread weight is very much dependant on the humidity in the air
on preparation. All breads that have a high proportion of wheat will
achieve a greater volume and in the highest weight class will rise
above the pan edge after the last raising. Nevertheless, they do not
overflow . The bread bulging over the pan edge will be somewhat
lighter browned as the bread in the pan. It is recommended to