Serves: 5

All that is needed to make bread is flour, water, yeast and sometimes a little salt. Many of us also like sweeter and richer breads and coffee cakes, so we add sugar, fat, milk and eggs to those basic ingredients. Read on to familiarize yourself with the roles of the different ingredients used to make bread.

Flour

Flour is the primary ingredient, by amount, in bread making. When wheat flour is mixed with liquid and then kneaded, the proteins in the flour go together and form sheets of gluten. Gluten is important because it allows the dough to stretch like elastic, trapping the bubbles of gas given off by the yeast.

Other grains - including corn, rye, barley, rice and millet, to name a few - can be ground into flour. They don't have enough protein to make the gluten necessary for the dough to rise. However, these grain flours can be mixed with wheat flour to make yeast doughs. We recommend using at least half wheat flour and half of a low- or no-gluten-producing flour. Check "Flour Power!" to learn more about flour.

Measuring Flour

All flour is sifted many times during the milling process and some flours are labeled "presifted". If a recipe calls for sifted flour but you do not want to sift it, there is no need to adjust the amount of flour in the recipe. To obtain the most accurate measurement of flour, spoon flour into a standard dry ingredient measuring cup and level the top with a knife or spatula.

Storing Flour

Store all flours in airtight canisters in a cool, dry place. Use all-purpose flour, unbleached flour, and bread flour within fifteen months, self-rising flour within nine months and whole wheat and wheat blend flours within six to eight months. If flour is to be kept for an extended period of time, store it in a moisture-proof bag in the refrigerator or freezer. Allow flour to come to room temperature before using it.

Humidity and Flour

Because flour picks up and loses moisture over a period of time, humidity will affect the use of flour in recipes. When making a recipe, you may need to use less or more flour, but do not change the liquid measurement in the recipe. Gradually add more flour as needed, a tablespoon at a time, if the dough is too wet, or add a little more liquid, a teaspoon at a time, if it is too dry. Check "The Proof Is in the Dough" to see how your dough should look.

Yeast

Yeast is a leavening agent that is made up of thousands of tiny living plants. When given moisture, warmth and "food", yeast will grow and release tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide gas this process makes dough rise. Yeast is very sensitive too mush heat will kill it, and cold will stunt its growth. Always check the expiration date of the yeast you are using. Basically, three forms of yeast are readily available in supermarkets for home baking.

Bread Machine and Quick Active Dry Yeast are highly active strains of dry yeast that make dough rise faster than regular active dry yeast. Bread machine yeast was introduced in 1993. It is a special strain of instant yeast, packaged in jars, to end consumer confusion about what kind of yeast works best in bread machines. Because of its finer granulation, the yeast is dispersed more thoroughly during mixing and kneading. Quick active dry yeast can be purchased in pre-measured packets and jars.

Regular Active Dry Yeast is yeast that has been dried and then packaged in a granular form. It can be purchased in pre-measured packets in jars.

These three types of dry yeast are generally interchangeable, although adjustments sometimes are required. We recommend using bread machine yeast or quick active dry yeast makes bread rise too high fro your bread machine, decrease the amount by 1/4 teaspoon at a time when you make the recipe again.

Compressed Cake or Fresh Active Yeast is also available in cake form. Generally, fresh yeast is not used in bread machines because measuring it accurately is difficult.

If you Don't Have Bread Machine Yeast:

Here is how much regular active dry yeast you should use instead:
Bread Machine or Quick Active Dry Yeast
3/4 teaspoon
1 teaspoon
1 1/2 teaspoon

Regular Active Dry Yeast
1 teaspoon
1 1/2 teaspoons
2 teaspoons

Sweeteners

Sweeteners, including sugar, honey and molasses, provide food for the yeast to grow. They also add flavor and help the crust to brown. Sweeteners vary in flavor intensity and dissolving rate, so it is important to use the sweetener called for in the recipe.

Some ingredients such as fruits and some vegetables contain natural sugars. Too must sugar may interfere with the development of the gluten, and the baked product could collapse. Too much sugar also can inhibit the growth of the yeast. So if you are adding fruits or vegetables to your favorite white bread, you may have to increase the amount of yeast. We don't recommend using artificial sweeteners because they do not properly "feed" the yeast.

Salt

Salt enhances the flavor of bread and strengthens the dough by tightening and improving the gluten. It also controls yeast growth, so the flavors have time to develop. Too much salt, however, can kill the yeast, so it is important to measure accurately. Salt also acts as a preservative, which helps keep the bread fresher longer. A salt-free loaf will be high and light with a coarser texture, but it will lack in flavor.

We use table salt for our recipe testing because it is a staple in most homes. Coarse or kosher salt is not sued in the recipes but sometimes is used for sprinkling on top of bread doughs before baking, since it adds both flavor and a nice appearance to baked breads. We don't recommend using reduced- or low-sodium salt because it results in a poorer-quality baked product.

Fats and Oils

Fats, such as shortening, margarine, butter and oil tenderize baked goods, help bind ingredients together, aid in browning and add richness and flavor to yeast doughs.

Liquids

Liquid is used to rehydrate and activate the yeast and to blend with the flour to make a soft, elastic dough. Water and milk are the most commonly used liquids. Water givers bread a crisper crust, and milk gives bread a velvety texture and added nutrients. Buttermilk or sour milk can be substituted for fresh milk if you like a tangy flavor. Do not use delay cycles with recipes that contain fresh milk because the milk can spoil and possibly cause bacteria growth and food poisoning.

Dry milk (in its dry form) often is used in bread machine recipes so that the delay cycles can be used. Only the recipes that use dry milk and have no perishable ingredients, such as meats, eggs, dairy products or honey, can be used with the delay cycles. Dry buttermilk can be substituted for dry milk in recipes. If dry milk is not available, fresh milk can be substituted for the amount of water and dry milk called for in the recipe, but remember not to use the delay cycles.

Other than water and milk, room-temperature beer, wine and fruit and vegetables juices can also be used in bread making. And that's not the only source of liquid! Any ingredient that becomes soft or melts in the dough will add liquid, including cheese, sour cream, cream cheese and yogurt. Ingredients such as freash fruits and vegetables also can add liquid to doughs. Ingredients that have been soaked before being added to the dough will add liquid, including raisins, dried fruit or dried mushrooms.

Eggs

Eggs are added to bread doughs for taste, richness and color. They also act as emulsifiers and will slow the staling process and help keep bread stay fresh a little longer. Do not use delay cycles with recipes that contain eggs because the eggs can spoil and possibly cause bacteria growth and food poisoning.

Egg washes can be made with beaten egg, egg whites or a mixture of water and egg. This is brushed on the shaped dough before baking to give bread a beautiful golden brown crust.

High-Altitude

High-altitude areas (areas that are 3,500 feet or higher about sea level) will require some changes in the bread machine recipe. Air pressure is lower, so the bread will rise higher. Start by reducing the amount of yeast by 1/4 teaspoon if the loaf is still too high, reduce the yeast more the next time.

Flour dries out more quickly at high altitude, so check the dough during the knweading cycle to be sure it isn't too dry. Add water, about a teaspoon at a time, until the dough forms a smooth ball. You may want to check the Proof Is in the Dough on pages 16 and 17 to see how the dough should look during the kneading cycle.

Check your bread machine's use-and-care book for more high-altitude adjustments, or call your local United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Extension Service office. You will find the Extension Service office listed in the phone book under "County Government."

More Recipes from the Betty Crocker's Best Bread Machine Cookbook Cookbook:
Any Way You Want to Slice It
Basic Cycle Features
Betty's Tips for Shaping Dough
Bread Baking Glossary
Five Steps to Great Bread
Flour Power!
Freezing Bread
Helpful Nutrition and Baking Information
Here's How We Test the Recipes
Keeping Bread Fresh
Know Your Bread Ingredients
Let's Make a Great Bread Machine Loaf
Measuring Your Bread Machine Pan Size
Metric Conversion Guide
Mystery Punch
Refrigerating Dough
Some Like It Hot: Reheating Your Bread
The Proof Is in the Dough
Your Bread Machine Baking Questions