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Breads come in
many different types, shapes and sizes. This is a compendium of them
for quick reference.
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Decriptions of Common
Homemade Bread Types: |
Bread is one of the
traditional staple foods which has fed people for centuries. It was called the
"Staff of Life" in biblical times. It has always been made in various forms
using a variety of ingredients and methods throughout the world.
| Sliced bread was
introduced by the Wonder Bread Company in 1930. |
 #1.
Homemade Yeast Breads:
(For details, go to Bread 101)
Homemade yeast bread recipes
are varied, but they all have something in common -- the yeast is not
pre-fermented in them, called the direct or straight yeast method. Here
packaged yeast,
either dry or fresh, is first dissolved or proofed in warm water or liquid and
is then added to the rest of the ingredients. Now, a newer
type of yeast,
allows you to add it directly to the dry ingredients, without being proofed.
In either case, the dough is kneaded, allowed to before shaping, then it is
shaped and allowed to rise again. Finally the bread is baked. Homemade yeast
breads have crusts that tend to be more soft and cracker-like with the insides
being fluffy and homogenous. Some examples are:
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White bread is made with milled
flour from which the bran has been removed, and the flour then bleached.
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Whole wheat bread uses the
entire grain, including the bran, and has a coarser texture and darker
color. |
 #2.
Basic Batter Breads: (For
details, go to Batter Breads 101)
Batter breads are a quick and easy
way to make yeasted recipes, and do not require kneading, Here the
ingredients, including the yeast, and are simply stirred together to
create a batter rather than a stiff dough. The batter may vary in
thickness, depending on the recipe, and they come in all different varieties and
flavors such as those for classic brioche and
Sally Lunn Bread.
The preparation of
Basic Batter Bread dough is different from other yeasted breads; the
ingredients are vigorously stirred or beaten rather than being kneaded by hand.
Recipes can call for one or two rises. Here's what happens with two:
first, the batter rises once in the mixing bowl. Then the raised batter is
stirred until the air bubbles are released and the batter is almost back to its
original volume. It is placed in a baking pan for a second rise and then baked.
| Rye bread is second only
to white bread in popularity.
The darkest bread is pumpernickel, a
German bread. The addition of molasses, and sometimes beer or unsweetened
chocolate, are what give pumpernickel its rich, deep color. |
 #3.
Sourdough Starter Breads: (For
details, go to Sourdough Starters 101)
A starter, made at home, is a fermented wild yeast
and bacteria mixture made with
Sourdough Starter Recipe of flour and water. It takes the place of
packaged yeast in bread recipes, and as a result, breads are more complex in
flavor (tangy) and texture, and very delicious ! In fact, it is thought that all
bread used to be made with a sourdough starter. The most well known one today is
the San Francisco Sourdough Bread, by Rye Bread, made with rye flour and rye
seeds, is another popular one.
To make a starter, a
soft batter of flour and water (or milk) is first mixed together in a bowl or
crock and then put in a warm place, to "catch" the natural or wild yeast and
bacteria. Both are invisible and naturally exist all around us, especially in
the Summer and Fall. They are attracted to the flour's starches to feed on,
subsequently releasing carbon dioxide, alcohol and acids, necessary to
leaven and flavor a bread recipe. During a scheduled five day "feeding" of more
flour and water, the starter is fully fermented and ready to be used in a bread
recipe.
When baking with a
starter, recipes use a portion of it added to the rest of the bread's
ingredients. The remainder saved to begin the next batch, and is similarly kept
alive by continuing the regularly scheduled "feedings" of flour and water. A
piece is used in the next recipe, and on and on. There are stories of bread
starters being kept alive for years, and passed down from generation to
generation. It is not unheard of to hear of a starter being kept alive for 30
years or more.
Depending upon where
the starter is made, each place on the planet has different strains of yeast and
bacteria which in turn, produce differently textured and flavored bread. San
Francisco Sourdough Bread gets its famous and distinct flavor and texture from
the yeast and bacteria its area, which can't be duplicated successfully in other
parts of the country.
#4.
Sponge Starter Breads:
(For details, go
to Sponge
 Starters
101)
(See Sourdough, above). A sponge is made from a starter, like a
sourdough, but this time with added yeast to give it a boost. It is not
fermented as long as a sourdough, but is fermented longer than a yeast bread.
Breads made with it are milder in flavor and softer in texture than a sourdough.
Once the sponge has fermented, the remaining recipe's ingredients are added to a
piece of it, with the remainder being kept alive until the next recipe.
| from
safyeast.com |
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1.
Using milk in place of water will produce a
softer crust.
2. Olive Oil will prevent the bread from drying out too quickly.
3. You can cut back on the salt and sugar but do not omit them.
4. Do not use Lite or tub margarines. If the first ingredient is water they
will not work. The bread will over rise.
5. Be sure to spoon the flour and not dip the measuring cup into the flour.
Fill the cup over the top and then level off with a straight edge.
6. Vital Gluten is the dried protein taken from the flour by getting rid of
the starch. It is a good dough conditioner or enhancement for yeast breads
especially for whole grain breads or when using all-purpose flour.
7. If making 100% whole wheat bread use 1 1/2 teaspoons vital gluten per cup
of flour.
8. Lite salt can be used if it has both potassium chloride and sodium.
9. One 1/4 ounce packet of yeast equals 2 1/4 teaspoons. |
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10. During the winter or drier
months the amount of water may need to be increased.
11. During the warmer or more humid months the amount of water may need to
be reduced.
12. Before measuring molasses or honey, oil the measuring spoon to help it
run better.
13. Using water that potatoes have been cooked in produces a higher loaf of
bread.
14. If using fresh fruit in a bagel or bread recipe you will need to reduce
the amount of liquid used. The fresh fruit like blueberries will add extra
liquid.
15. If your bread is falling or is wrinkling on top, too much liquid was
used. If your bread did not rise it could be a number of causes: you forgot
the yeast or the yeast was old; you forgot to put in the kneading blade; or
you forgot the salt.
16. Fruit juices, beer and purees can be used in place of the liquid called
for in a recipe.
17. Measure the liquid ingredients into a glass measuring cup.
18. Let your bread cool completely before putting it in a storage bag or
container.
19. Breads with the oatmeal tend to stay fresher longer.
20. Oat Bran can be substitute for up to 1/4 cup of oatmeal called for
in a recipe. |
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21. Quick Cook Oats or Old
Fashioned Oats work best in the bread machine.
22. Too much garlic in a recipe can cause the bread not to rise. Add garlic
with the liquid to limit any contact with the yeast.
23. Too much cinnamon in a recipe can cause the bread not to rise. Use only
1/2 teaspoon per cup of flour in a recipe.
24. Using room-temperature ingredients speed rising and baking times. Bring
milk, juices or other liquids to room-temperature before adding to other
ingredients.
25. Dry ingredients that have been refrigerated or frozen should also be
brought to room temperature before using, for best results.
26. Measure accurately - using too little or too much yeast can have
negative effects on bread baking. Too little yeast causes a heavy, dense
loaf of bread, but too much yeast produces a loaf with a porous texture and
overly yeasty flavor.
27. Dough rich in sugar (or other sweeteners), fruits or nuts often requires
more yeast.
28. Dense, low-gluten dough like those made with rye flour will rise better
and faster if you increase the amount of yeast slightly.
29. A dough that is mixed properly, that develops the gluten in the flour,
will yield a lighter loaf of bread; too much flour results in bread that it
is dry and dense.
30. Baking breads at lower temperatures (325° to 350° F.) creates thicker,
chewier crusts, while baking breads at higher temperatures (375° to 425° F)
produces thinner, crisper crust.
31. Correct liquid temperature is the most critical variable when baking
bread. The ideal liquid temperature is 110 - 115 F
degree liquid, preferably water; no more and no less otherwise, as
measured by an Instant Read or Candy Thermometer. |
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