Subject: Basic Bread FAQ 1/2

From: [email-masked] (Wolf)
Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 09:47:44 PST

Frequently Asked Questions on Bread Making
	     Prepared for David Adams's Sourdough Mailing List
		(For info, send e-mail to [email-masked])

			 LAST CHANGED 02/18/92

			Edited by John Trinterud
			([email-masked])

- Comprising an introductory and commentary on the manual method of
  bread making, with an emphasis on commercial yeast recipes. Once you
  feel comfortable with the basics of bread making, reveling in the
  successes and learning from typical mistakes, we'll turn you back
  over to the lore & mystique of the sourdough mailing list.

- All corrections, differing opinions and views are most welcome, but
  bread making is not a science, nor should it have rigid parameters.
  Much of the joy in bread making is the treat to the senses, the
  tactile feedback from a living thing, and the delight in sharing the
  results with friends and family.

			Table of Contents

	Section (I)	Raw Materials
	Section (II)	Beginning Tools
	Section (III)	Beginning Recipes and Suggested Techniques
	Section (IV)	Debugging Typical Problems
	Section (V)	Beginning Options, Additions and Variations
	Section (VI)	Reference Material & Resources
	Section (VII)	Beginning Toys for the Compleate Baker (sic)

___________________________________________________________________________

Section (I)	Raw Materials

At its simplest, bread consists of yeast, water and flour.  We've added and
subtracted ingredients over time to create everything from anadama and
brioche to lefse, naan and injera, but the basic materials remain the same.

Yeasts

Yeast is a living thing, a plant/fungus whose preferred food happens to be
gluten, the protein portion of wheat flour. It feeds and multiplies on the
gluten, starches and sugars you provide, and produces carbon dioxide.  This
gas becomes trapped in the stretchy gluten components of the flour, and
causes the entire mass to rise.  Some flours have high gluten content, and
work well for bread. Other brands, notably the so-called "pastry flour," is
more finely milled from softer wheat, and not intended for bread baking.  I
can't imagine a yeasty pie crust made from high gluten flour, rising nicely
over the top of the plate and pushing the apples out, or worse, chewy and
flat. Low gluten pastry flour works admirably for pie crusts and products
that don't need to rise - but not for our purposes.

In this FAQ, and for those of you starting out, I recommend buying
commercial yeast - strips of three envelopes are available in almost any
grocery store. Each envelope contains about 2/3 of a tablespoon of yeast,
one or two of these are just right for many bread recipes. You may also
find cakes of yeast in the cheese or lunchmeat section, but they're
probably more trouble to use than the envelopes. Typical brands are "Red
Star" and "Fleischmanns," and are usually grown commercially on molasses
substrates.

If you become serious about bread making, try and find a good 'health food'
store, or bulk food store nearby. You can usually find yeast in bulk, and
many types of flour and other ingredients at better prices. Mail order is
also available, but quite expensive.  Check the 'pull date' on the yeast
envelopes to make sure you're not buying old product - we'll "proof" it to
be on the safe side.

"Proofing yeast" is a simple process, and means just what the name implies.
You run a bit of warm water, usually about 1/4 cup, into a large warm bowl,
add a small amount of sweetener (white/brown sugar, molasses, honey, etc)
for the yeasties to feed on, and sprinkle the yeast into the mixture. Stir
gently with a wooden spoon to help the yeast dissolve - now wait 5 to 10
minutes.  The 'proof' the yeast is working will be obvious - the mixture
will thicken and tend to rise a bit - proving the yeast is viable.

If you use hot water, more than about 115 F, you'll kill the yeast and
prove the opposite. Too cold, and the yeast refuses to get up, just like
you'd like to do on cold mornings. To be safe, run the water over your
wrist like you'd do for a baby's bottle. If it's comfortably warm this way,
it should work just fine. Warm the bowl up the same way.

When you go back to sourdough starters and cultures, 'proofing' will be
similar - you're encouraging and verifying the vitality of your leavening
agent.

Flour

A wide range of flours are available commercially, white, whole wheat, oat,
triticale, rye, pumpernickle, soy, gluten, etc.  If you're beginning, try
and find an unbleached white flour such as Stone-Buhr, rather than simply
picking up a bag of Gold Medal. I've not had much luck with Gold Medal or
its ilk, the bread tends to come out soft and flavorless. Stone-Buhr comes
in 5 pound packages, in whole wheat and white, and makes good beginners
bread. You should also check for a good 'health food' store in your
vicinity, and ask what they have to offer.

Mary Shafer, ([email-masked]) one of my favorite net-people, (and
NASA Dryden's best baker!) made another good point on flour selection
commenting on a recently posted biscuit recipe:

> Buttermilk Biscuits
> 4 cups all-purpose flour (I used high-gluten or sometimes sapphire)

" Don't use high-gluten flour for biscuits; it makes them a little tough.
Use all-purpose flour instead.  The national milling companies even make
the all-purpose flour sold in the South lower gluten than that sold
elsewhere, because so many Southerners use it for biscuits.  Also, don't
handle the dough any more than you have to, as this will also make them
tough.  You want just barely enough structure to hold the CO2 in. "

<end Mary's quoted material>

I buy hard-wheat high gluten white flour in bulk, 15 to 20 pounds at a
time, and grind my own whole wheat, rye, oat and triticale flours.  We'll
talk about mills in a later section, but they're unnecessary for a
beginner.  Your first task is to find good quality, high gluten content,
unbleached bread flour.

___________________________________________________________________________

Section (II)	Beginning Tools

Bowls for mixing and rising

For the beginner, metal or even plastic bowls work just fine. When you go
back to sourdough, you'll need to stay away from any type of metal
containers, measuring cups, spoons, and etc - you'll damage or kill the
culture.  One additional disadvantage of typical stainless steel bowls,
warm water tends to cool very quickly in them. I have used a large teflon
lined spagetti pot/stock pot many times for rising 3 loaves of whole wheat
bread, and a heavy duty plastic small washtub-like container for mixing.

Pottery bowls are best if you don't mind the investment, but beware of the
weight and handling them with wet or greasy hands. A good sized mixing and
rising bowl(s) will hold 3 to 4 quarts.

Mats Wichmann ([email-masked]) has another thought on mixing bowls:

"Regarding mixing bowls, the problem with plastic is that it scratches, and
as a result, becomes rather hard to keep clean.  I find Pyrex to be a nice
choice; it weighs less than a ceramic bowl of the same size, and it tends
to have a lip which makes it easier to hang onto with greasy hands (of
course, it's not that easy to find a *large* Pyrex bowl, and even it gets
heavy)."

Wooden spoons

Do yourself a favor now, and find some sturdy wooden spoons. If you skimp
and buy cheap and flimsy ones, they'll break when you apply a modest bit of
torque while mixing dough. You'll use them to begin the mixing process, and
then your hands to finish. Do remember to take your rings off before making
bread - you can't believe the mess you'll make of them otherwise!

Bread Knives

Try and find a serrated edge knife to slice bread - they work much better,
and you won't crush the slices or smush the loaf.

Baking Pans

You can find perfectly adequate loaf pans quite cheaply. Check in many
grocery and discount stores - glass is nice but expensive and fragile,
while aluminum or coated steel pans are easy to care for.  One particular
brand has a dark non-stick coating and works quite nicely, they also offer
cookie sheets and etc. You may find several sizes, let's stick with the
'standard' loaf pans measuring roughly 8 by 4, or 9 by 5 inches.

Stay out of Williams-Sonoma and the mail order wish books for now.  See the
section on beginning toys....

Measuring cups and spoons, and misc

Find yourself a set of simple nesting measuring spoons, and two types of
measuring cups, one for liquid, and one for dry ingredients. This may seem
petty, but its hard to measure flour in a typical pyrex glass measuring cup
that has the line well below the rim. A simple metal or even plastic cup
that holds exactly 1 cup, or 1/2 cup, etc when full to the rim works well
with dry ingredients.

Add a rubber spatula to scrape out the bowl, and a pastry brush or small 1
inch wide CLEAN, NEW :-) soft paintbrush and you're all set.

Work Surface

A large sized pull-out breadboard on a countertop works best, dampen a
kitchen towel and put it under the board to prevent sliding. If you don't
have a breadboard in your kitchen, you can also tape a pillowcase or a flat
textured dish towel (NOT terrycloth) down to your counter with lots of
masking tape around the perimeter, and rub an abundant amount of flour into
the weave of the fabric. If all else fails, make certain the countertop is
spotlessly clean, and use it!

You WILL make a mess, you WILL have flour on the floor, the tip of your
left ear will always itch when you have both hands full of sticky dough,
and if you wear glasses, they WILL slide down your nose at the most
inopportune time. Relax and enjoy the process, and be patient - it will
rise, and it will taste wonderful.

___________________________________________________________________________

Section (III)	Beginning Recipes and Suggested Techniques

I'm going to suggest you follow the basic approach outlined in the
Tassajara Bread Book, and we'll work from Beard on Bread's basic white
bread recipe.

Basic White Bread (From Beard on Bread)

(1 large loaf 9x5 pan, or 2 8x4 loaves)

Ingredients 

1 package yeast
1 3/4 Cups warm water
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt (I use less salt in any recipe)
3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups flour, or just over 1 pound
softened margerine for bowl and loaf pans

In a 2 to 3 quart bowl, sprinkle the yeast into the warm water, add the
sugar and stir gently for a minute or so. Remember how I described yeast
proofing? OK, wait for the yeast to proof and then proceed.

Mix in about half of the flour with a wooden spoon one cup at a time, but
don't add the salt yet. Take your time and make certain the flour is well
incorporated, don't leave lumps.

Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and put in a warm place till doubled in
size and nice & bubbly. This will usually take about an hour - don't rush
things - this is a relaxed thing you're doing!!

Sprinkle the salt around the top, and add another cup of flour with your
hands (you DID remember to take your rings off??) mixing until the dough
holds together.

Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto your floured work surface

Sprinkle a few tablespoons of flour over the dough and we'll begin the
kneading process. Knead with the heels of your floured hands, not your
fingertips. Try and push the dough away from you, then fold the back half
over the front, turn a quarter turn in either direction and continue. This
cannot be easily described in text, so refer to the books we've
recommended, and learn by doing. Try not to add too much flour, but don't
treat the dough gently, you're trying to encourage the gluten and make
certain the ingredients are throughly mixed. Put your weight into it, not
your just your arm muscles, put on some music with a good beat and get with
the program! If you have small hands, try using both to knead.

Kneading times and the amount of extra flour needed will vary by recipe,
temperature and humidity, experience level and phases of the moon ( :-) )
The dough will take on a suppleness and elasticity, loosing the sticky
texture you started with - the process is quite magical. When it's 'done',
push your finger tips into the mass, it will spring back - that's the
effect of gluten.

Coat the dough with a bit of margerine, and put it in a bowl. Cover as
before, and place in a warm spot - on top of the refrigerator, or in a
draft-free space on your counter. I have good luck placing the bowl in our
electric oven(s), I just turn the interior light on.

Allow the dough to double in size, usually 1 to 2 hours. If you don't
understand the concept of doubling, pour 4 cups of water in the bowl first,
then add another 4 cups and note the difference.  Dump the water out, dry
and butter the bowl, then let the dough rise till doubled in size.  It will
be ready when you push your fingertips in and the dough DOES NOT spring
back.

Butter one or two of your loaf pans, then take the dough out, marveling at
the changed texture and feel of it, and put it back on the floured work
surface. Punch it down, flattening it and knead it for a few minutes as you
did previously. Shape it into a rough cylinder about as long as your bread
pan, and let it rest for a few minutes. Transfer it carefully into the pan,
smooth the top out.  Cover the loaf pan(s) as you did before, and let it
double in size again. The second rising will usually take less time, keep
an eye on it every half hour or so. Preheat the oven - 350 degrees.

Brush the dough gently with cold water, and make 2 or 3 diagonal slashes
about 1/2 inch deep across its surface with a sharp knife.  When the oven
is ready, place the pan in the middle of rack, in the lower third of the
oven. Set a timer for 35 minutes, but be aware it may take a bit longer. To
test doneness, rap the loaf with your knuckles, it should sound hollow.
Turn the loaf out into a towel in your hand, and rap the bottom. You can
put the bread directly back on the rack and continue baking, but watch it
carefully. When the bottom seems done (sounds hollow) take the loaf out and
allow it to cool.

Defend yourself from the throng of "Fiendish Butter Slathers" that
magically appeared in the kitchen just when you took the bread out of the
oven.  Honest, it will taste just as good when it's had time to cool a bit,
and it will slice cleanly. Congratulate yourself!  You did it! Now, for
heaven's sakes, clean up the flour and the mess you made of the kitchen!

___________________________________________________________________________

Section (IV)	Debugging Typical Problems

If the bread sags, and is soggy, you probably had too much liquid and not
enough kneading. Work in a bit more flour and knead longer.

If it tastes damp, it may have not baked long enough. Check your oven
temperature, or start with a lower setting and let it cook longer.

If it's REALLY flat and doughy tasting, or you see streaks of raw dough in
the slices, the second rising was probably too long and the bread collapsed
under the heat. Watch the second rising, don't let the loaves rise so high
before baking.

If your slices seem doughy or have small lumps, it wasn't mixed properly.
Try holding back on the flour and knead more throughly.

___________________________________________________________________________

Section (V)	Beginning Options, Additions and Variations

If you're the type that likes raisins, why not knead in a half cup or so
just as you're finishing the initial kneading process?

Another variation is to add shortening and milk to improve the texture and
make the bread richer in taste. Notice M'Linda Taylor's procedures are
simpler (she's another beginner!,) and will work just fine when you gain
confidence in your techniques.

Basic Milk-based Bread (adapted from Fanny Farmer)
M'Linda Taylor  [email-masked]

Gently heat 1 cup milk, 1 cup water, 2 tablespoons butter/margarine, ~1
teaspoon salt ~1 tablespoon sugar. (I don't use measuring spoons).  You
should still be able to stick your finger in this without burning yourself.

Put this in a large mixing bowl and stir in 3 or 4 cups of flour and 1
packet of yeast (I use quick rise).  Stir in more flour to make up to a
total of 6 cups.  You want a somewhat soft dough at this point.  Turn this
out into a buttered (oiled or whatever) bowl (large enough for the dough to
double in size) turn once to coat the top of the dough, cover with plastic
wrap and set somewhere warm to rise.  (I turn on my oven to low while I get
it to this stage, then turn it off so it doesn't get too hot)

When doubled, "punch" down and turn out onto well floured surface to
knead...incorporating more flour as needed.  (You want a somewhat "soft"
dough to get a nice light texture).  Divide into two loafs, place in oiled
pans and let rise until doubled in size (at least to the top of the pans)
turn oven on to 350 and let bake for about a 1/2 hour or until brown.

Turn out on cooling racks and avoid temptation of slicing until cool
(otherwise it will be gummy and you will think you haven't baked them long
enough...I KNOW about this part!)

You could probably use 2 cups of milk and no water in this recipe.

Here's a few more variations, with increasing complexity

************
Sesame Bread
************

[adapted from a recipe on the back of a Pillsbury Flour package]

Golden Sesame Loaves

5 cups bread flour
1/2 cup instant dry milk
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup toasted sesame seed
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. active dry yeast
1 3/4 cup water
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1 beaten egg white
1 tbsp. untoasted sesame seed

Combine 2 cups flour, dry milk, oat bran. toasted sesame seed, salt,
sugar, and yeast in mixing bowl, blend well.

In small saucepan, mix water, oil, and honey and heat until very warm.
Add to flour mixture along with egg. Blend until mixed, then gradually
add remaining flour until dough pulls cleanly from sides of bowl.

On floured countertop, knead dough until elastic, about 10 minutes.
Place dough in greased bowl, and cover loosely with towel. Let sit in
warm area until doubled, about 1 hour.

Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. Punch down dough several times to remove
air bubbles. Divide dough and shape into balls. Let sit covered for 15
minutes. Roll out dough into rectangles with the shortest side slightly
shorter than the longer dimension of the loaf pan. Roll up the dough,
pinching edges to seal, and place in loaf pan. Set in warm place until
dough has risen enough to fill pan, about 45 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 F. Brush tops of dough with egg white, and sprinkle on
untoasted sesame seed. Place in oven, and bake until loaves sound
hollow when tapped, about 35 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on wire
racks.

aem
-- 
[email-masked] .......................................................
You are what you watch.				- The Media Foundation

***********
squaw.bread
***********

1 package yeast
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 cups bread flour
1 cup rye flour
0.25 cup nonfat dry milk
1.5 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients:
1.25 cup warm water
2.75 Tablespoon oil
2 Tablespoon honey
2 Tablespoon raisins
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
 
To make in a bread machine:
combine wet ingredients in a bowl. stir. Put dry ingredients in machine in
order. Put in wet ingredient mix. select "white bread" setting. press start.

To make by hand:
Mix ingredients. knead. let rise. punch down. knead. put in two medium
loaf pans (about 8x4x2) bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until done.

Source: DAK Bread machine advertising pamphlet.