There is a wonderful personal satisfaction in baking bread. You feel magic in your hands as you knead the simple ingredients to a bouncy round of dough. And you know the real thrill of creative cooking when you take the beautiful, fragrant loaves from the oven.
A perfect loaf of yeast bread is pretty and plump. It has a tender, golden brown crust which may be crisp; or it may be shiny and soft from a swish of butter over the top while the loaf is still hot.
Look for an even “shred” or “break” along the sides, just below the rust. The texture should be fine grained. A slice feels soft and springy, and just a bit moist.
Most breads are made by the straight dough process, in which all ingredients are combined at one time. Bread may also be made by the sponge process, in which the yeast is allowed to work in a thin, batter like mixture before being combined with the other ingredients in the recipe.
Flours most used for bread baking are all purpose flours made from a combination of hard wheat and soft wheat.
Always buy enriched flour. This is wheat flour to which iron and some of the B-vitamins have been added. Therefore, enriched flour has the essential iron and vitamin value of whole wheat flour.
When you use all purpose flour for baking you will get a more accurate measure (and a better product) if you sift the flour before measuring. If you do measure by simply spooning unsifted flour, remove 2 level tablespoons of flour from each measured cup. Then the weight of the cup of unsifted flour will be more equal to the weight of a cup of sifted flour.
Whether you sift or don't sift before measuring, you should sift all the dry ingredients together after measuring. By doing this, you get a more uniform blending of the dry ingredients.
Choose active dry yeast, or compressed yeast. Either may be used successfully.
Yeasts is a living plant. The growth of yeast in the bread dough produces a gas which forms bubbles. These bubbles expand and cause the dough to rise. Yeast grows best at a temperature between 80 degrees and 85 degrees. A high temperature will kill yeast; a low temperature retards growth.
Soften active dry yeast in warm water (110 degrees) and compressed yeast in lukewarm water (85 degrees). Both take 5 to 10 minutes.
Active dry yeast should always be softened in water. To soften compressed yeast, use water, milk, diluted evaporated milk, potato water, or a mixture of these. On a chilly day the liquid may be slightly warmer; or cooler on a warm summer day.
Sugar is the raw material from which yeast manufactures the leavening gas; it also adds flavor and aids in browning.
You add the salt to give flavor, but is also helps control the fermentation.
All the flour necessary to keep dough from sticking to your hands should be added at time of mixing or kneading. If you add it after it has risen, it may make dark streaks in the bread and coarsen its texture.
To knead, turn dough out on lightly floured surface. Curve your fingers over dough and push down with heel of palm. Give dough a quarter turn; fold over and push down again. Knead until smooth.
Place dough in lightly greased bowl; turn once to grease surface. Cover to prevent crust from forming. Let rise in a warm, not hot, place till double.
Punch down by plunging hand into dough, folding edges toward center, and turning dough over. Let rise again until double and dough retains a dent when pressed lightly.
