bread (only starred)

ingredients - strong bread flour

• gives bulk to the bread

• different types of flour give different flavours

• flour can absorb a lot of water to make a dough

• strong flour has high protein content so will produce a good quality loaf that does not collapse

• provides starchy carbohydrate, protein and is fortified with vitamins and minerals

ingerdients - liquid

• moisture - it helps to create the right conditions for the yeast to grow. Liquid hydrates the flour, helping gluten formation

• warmth - just the right temp to encourage the yeast to grow. The ideal temp is 37 degrees

• steam - when the dough is baked, water turns to steam and helps it to rise

• binds - liquid binds everything together to make a dough

ingredients - yeast

• raising agent - yeast is a living microorganism. When it has the ideal conditions for growth, it respires and produces co2.

• the ideal conditions for growth are:

• warmth

• moisture

• food - sugar

• time - for yeast to ferment

ingredients - salt

• structure - helps with gluten formation

• taste - a small amount of salt improves the flavour of the bread

• too much - will stop the yeast from fermenting

ingerdients - fat

• lubrication - fat allows the other ingredients to slide over each other so the bread can rise

• shortening - fat coats the particles of flour and stops them from absorbing water, so only a small amount should be used

• taste

• shelf life - fat improves the texture of the bread, keeping it from going stale quickly

ingredients - sugar

• food for yeast - sugar provides food energy for the yeast so that it can respire and grow

• browning - sugar turns to caramel when it is cooked and makes the crust brown

• taste - sugar adds sweetness with the bread

• ascorbic acid - added mainly in the commercial manafacture of bread and it speeds up the time it takes to make the bread

nutritional value of bread

• starchy carbs

• protein

• b vits

• calcium

• iron

• wholemeal flour can make it have dietary fibre

chorley wood bread making process

this process was developed in 1961 to reduce the time taken using the traditional method. It is still used today in large bakeries where bread is mass produced.

the chorley wood process enables bakers to use lower protein wheat to produce bread. This means the bakeries can use uk grown wheat

asorbic acid (vit c) is added as an improver. Fast vigorous kneading of the dough using high speed mixers develops the gluten strcture more quickly and gives the dough its elasticity. The whole process from flour to a ready loaf can be done in approx 3.5 hrs.

the science of bread making

the next few cards are summary’s of the key stages of bread making and the food science relating to the chemical and physical reactions taking place in the bread.

1 - sifting the flour

it introduces air which acts as a raising agent and helps bread to rise in the oven

2 - adding warm liquid

water hydrates the flour. At 37 degrees the liquid provides the optimum temp for the yeast to ferment and produce co2. Moisture is needed for a soft dough

Sugars are produced by this fermentation which the yeast consumes. As it does so it creates alcohol and co2 gas as waste products

3 - mixing an kneading the dough

during mixing and kneading, two of the proteins present in flour (gliadin and glutenin) become hydrated and when the dough is kneaded an elastic protein complex called gluten is formed. This gluten gives bread its structure and prevents it collapsing

4 - proving dough

during this step, some of the starch present in flour is broken down and fermented by the yeast

co2 is produced which causes the gluten network to expand and therefore makes the dough rise, the gas produced is trapped in pockets

the quality of gluten is important - if it is too weak, bubbles can burst causing a lack of volume, if it is too strong the dough wont stretch enough

5 - knocking back proved dough (then go on to shape and give it a final prove)

the dough is ‘knocked back’ to remove the large co2 bubbles produced by the yeast. This ensures a more even texture and a better rise

large bubbles of gas would make large holes in the finished bread

6 - baking

the bread dough rises as the co2 produced by fermentation of yeast expands with heat

yeast activity increases at first, but as the temp of the dough rises, it slows down until eventually the heat will kill the yeast

the water absorbed by the starch granules in the flour, the starch grains swell and gelatinise. this suppourts the firm structure of the loaf

a gluten network forms a sort of skeleton which traps the co2 gas, During baking the gluten strands are stretched as the co2 gas (plus steam and air) expands. This together with the coagulation of the gluten protein results in the finished bread structure

steam, co2 and alcohol are released during baking

dextrin is formed on the outer parts of the bread giving it its colour

common problems in bread making

loaf is small and heavy:

• yeast is not active, not enough co2

• not enough liquid so dough cannot expand with steam

• proving time is too short

• protein in flour is too low

Poorly risen bread showing a hard, open texture:

• bread has over proved, gas pockets have collapsed

• yeast has died and failed to provide co2

• oven temp is too low

• not kneaded long enough (poor gluten formation)

bread rose but collapsed in the oven

• protein content in flour too low

• dough over proved

• oven temp is too low

unleavened bread

unlleavened bread has no raising agent and consists of flour and water. Other ingredients can be added such as fats, herbs, spices etc to improve the flavour. Examples include tortillas, roti, matzo.

leavened bread

made from flour, water, salt and yeast. It has a honeycomb structure that is often referred to as being a solid foam. This honeycomb structure is due to the formation of co2 gas, due to the yeast fermentation.

what are sourdough starters

sourdough is a bread that is leavened with a sourdough starter. The starter is made from wild yeast which are obtained from natural sources (such as the air and flour). A portion of the starter is mixed with the flour and other ingredients while the remainder is kept and fed with more flour and water to use in future batches.

bread makers

bread makers can be used for making small batches of bread at home. Bread makers have a series of pre set prgrammes which can be used to knead, prove, shape and bake bread. They can be set to work overnight resulting in freshly baked bread in the morning