Bread Ingredients

Flour

1. Bread can be made from many kinds of flour, but the best flour is from wheat grain since it contains a large amount of gluten.
2. Gluten is the substance in the flour which, when mixed or combined with water, yields a sticky, elastic material, making possible the formation of the dough.
3. It is essential in bread making because gluten forms the frame that enables the loaf to keep its shape and retain its lightness.
4. There are two different kinds of commercially sold wheat flour: winter flour is a starchy, soft flour; spring flour is a hard flour and contains a larger percentage of gluten.
5. The wheat flour, including pastry flour, sold in groceries is usually made from a mixture of wheats.

Yeast

1. Yeast is a microscopic plant that cannot be seen with the naked eye.
2. It consists of masses of tiny colorless oval shaped plants.
3. Remember that yeast is a plant that grows in darkness or in light as soon as given proper food, moisture, and temperature.
4. Under the most favorable conditions, it rapidly increases by budding.
5. The amount of yeast to be used in bread making is determined by the time given for the process.
6. There are many varieties of yeast on the market, but the most commonly used in bread making are dry yeast cake and compressed yeast cake.
7. Liquid yeast is not recommended for household use because it grows too rapidly, it produces acid, and it does not keep.

Liquid

1. Moisture is necessary in bread making.
2. The kind of moisture or liquid used is not as important as the amount, and the way in which the bread is baked and cooled.
3. The liquid used in the bread dough may be water, milk, half water and half milk, whey, potato water, or barley water.
4. Water alone makes a bread of good flavor and texture and is generally white.

Fat

1. Butter, butter substitute, shortening, or any two mixed half and half may be used in making bread.
2. Fat is not a necessary ingredient but it does make the crumb a little more tender.

Baking Powder

1. Baking powders are used in bread making to make "quick" bread.
2. All baking powders are chemical preparations that, when brought in contact with moisture, liberate carbon dioxide gas.
3. Baking powder, in producing this gas, lets the gas expand and escape.
4. In doing so, it causes the dough to become light and porous, the water being driven off in the form of steam.

Salt

1. Salt is added to bread dough to improve the flavor.
2. Common table salt is generally used in bread making.

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