Methods Of Making Bread

Straight dough process, or short process

1. In this process, all the ingredients are mixed together at one time and the dough is allowed to rise. Yeast is always used.

Sponge dough process, or long process

1. Only half of the amount of flour is used at first with practically all the liquid and the leavening agent (yeast, or cereal or vegetable water).
2. The dough is allowed to rise very slowly and for a long time (6 to 10 hours).
3. With the remainder of the flour and liquid, another dough is made and mixed with the raised dough.
4. The mixture is then handled as in the straight dough or short process.
5. Baking powder cannot be used in either the straight dough or sponge dough process.
6. Yeast or its substitute only can be used.

Baking powder process, or quick process

1. All ingredients are mixed together at one time, baking powder included, and the dough is baked without kneading or raising.
2. This is possible because of the quick leavening action of the baking powder.

Bread Making Process

The dough, before it is turned into edible bread, passes through eight different steps known as:

Mixing

1. Flour must be sifted.
2. Dissolve yeast with lukewarm water.
3. Put sifted flour in a bowl or on a pastry board.
4. Dissolve salt, sugar (if used), and fat (if used) with lukewarm water and add gently to the flour.
5. Put the mixture in a bowl and add the dissolved yeast.
6. Mix as thoroughly as possible, adding more water little by little until a soft dough is obtained.
7. If dough is too soft to be handled, add more flour. If too hard, add more liquid.

Kneading

Beat and knead the mixture for about 10 minutes until smooth and shining, or until the dough does not stick any more to the bowl, finger, knife, palette, or pastry board.

Rising

1. Take the dough and place it in a floured or greased bowl, cover with a floured cloth, and let stand in a warm place (80 to 88 degrees F.) at uniform temperature and away from drafts.
2. Let rise until about double its original bulk and full of bubbles, or until a slight touch of the finger leaves an impression.
3. This should happen, if all materials are in good condition and the temperature is right, in about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Kneading Again

1. Kneading is required to mix all materials together and to distribute the yeast thoroughly throughout the dough, and also to equalize the distribution of the gas bubbles so the big bubbles will be broken up and the bread will have a fine texture.
2. The best results in kneading are obtained by using the hands only.
3. Remove dough from bowl or pastry board and dredge pastry board with flour. Flour lightly hands and dough.
4. Fold the farther edge of the dough toward the front without pressing the fingers into it.
5. With the ball of the hand, lightly pressed into the dough and roll it slightly away from you.
6. Make your strokes light and even. After each stroke, turn the dough a quarter of the way around the board with a second stroke.
7. Repeat this, adding a little flour or water if necessary.
8. No amount of time for kneading can be given, as this depends on the quality of the ingredients, and the temperature and moisture of the atmosphere.
9. The dough, when kneaded enough, will keep its shape on the board, and is spongy, elastic, and smooth. It will also have a velvety surface.

Molding or Shaping

1. Take the dough and divide it into equal parts, according to the sizes of bread desired.
2. Grease pans or molds.
3. The pans or molds should be only half filled with the dough.
4. Mold quickly.
5. Each portion of dough should have an even surface and should be smooth.
6. Pat the dough well into the corners of the molds.

Rising

1. Cover with a thick cloth and place where the dough will be warm (80 to 88 degrees F.) as for first rising, until the size of the dough doubles in bulk.
2. The dough will then begin to follow the shape of the pan.
3. The time required for this second rising is between 40 and 55 minutes.
4. The bread is then ready to be baked.

Baking

Bread is baked for the following reasons:

• To kill ferment
• To make the starch soluble
• To drive off alcohol fermentation and carbon dioxide
• To form a brown crust of good flavor

1. When the bread dough is ready to be baked, it should be put in a fairly hot oven at first (400 to 425 degrees F.) to allow it to form a crust and then stop rising.
2. Then, after the first 15 to 20 minutes, let the temperature of the oven decrease to 380 degrees F until the bread is cooked.
3. The bread should start to brown at the end of the first 20 minutes.
4. Place the pans or molds in the oven in such a way that they do not touch each other, in order that the air may circulate around them and the temperature be evenly distributed.
5. An ordinary bread loaf requires from 50 to 60 minutes for baking.
6. Small loaves require a hotter oven than large ones, as the heat penetrates the small loaves more readily and cooks them quickly.

Bread is done when:

• It shrinks from the mold or pan.
• It makes a singing sound perceptible if the ear is placed very close to the loaf.
• The under crust and the edges of the upper crust rebound if pressed back by the finger.

Cooling

After the bread loaves are removed from the pans, put them uncovered in such a place and position that the air can circulate freely around them.

Let cool off entirely before storing or eating.

Care of Bread after Baking

• If a soft crust is desired, brush crust slightly with melted butter while the bread is still warm.
• Milk applied to the crust while it is still hot gives a smooth and shining appearance.
• Bread should never be wrapped while hot.
• There is a large amount of steam in the loaf of bread which must escape.
• If anything interferes with the escape of the steam, the bread will sour very easily.
• When the bread is cold, place it in a tin box or jar.
• Never wrap bread in a cloth because the cloth will absorb moisture and give an unpleasant taste to the bread.

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