How To Make Bread

If you are just learning how to make bread it is important to start with simple recipes first. Below are some of the simple recipes and advice on how to bake or make bread.

The Flour

• Use hard-wheat flour. Its high gluten content makes it the best for bread-making.
• The addition of soy flour gives a more moist product that keeps fresh a long time; it is a rich source of vitamin B.
• Develop the gluten in the wheat flour by beating batter thoroughly before adding soy flour or any other flour that has no gluten or low gluten.

The Kneading And Shaping.

• It is important to knead bread well
• When it is kneaded enough in indentation in the dough springs back.
• To shape loaf, flatten dough to a rectangle about 12 inches long and as wide as the bread pan; roll up; pinch edges to seal.

The Rising

• Salt and fat both retard the growth of the yeast and should not be added to a yeast mixture until it is has grown strong and lively by feeding on sugar and starch.
• Yeast plants grow best at a temperature of 80° to 85° F. An off-flavor develops in bread that is allowed to get too warm while rising.
• Covering dough during rising prevents a dry crust forming and loss of heat.
• Clean plastic wrap can cover dough or bowl, and is a good see-through.
• A large plastic bag is a convinient cover for refrigerator storage of dough in bread pans or as a ball of dough. Before putting dough in a bag, put a few drops of oil inside bag (rub sides together to spread oil); tuck open end under or tie loosely at the top to leave plenty of space for dough to rise.
• When dough has risen sufficiently. an indentation will remain when dough is lightly pressed with fingers.

The Pans.

Prepare bread pans by using one of these methods:

1. Coat with vegetable release coating-either pressurized can or liquid lecithin (for the latter method, warm the pan, pour on a few drops, then use a paper towel to spread and to remove excess lecithin).
2. Coat with a vegetable shortening.

The Ovens

Always follow the directions for the oven carefully; some loaves go into a cold oven, others into a preheated oven. Check your oven temperature.

If the bread brown too fast, cover with foil during the last twenty minutes of baking.

"Just out of the oven" bread is difficult to digest; it should be at least 12 to 24 hours old before it is eaten. Fresh bread tends to "ball up" in your stomach. If you want hot bread, heat it a little in the oven.