Breadmaking Hints
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The secret to making a classic, chewy bagel is to boil it before baking.

While bagels are rising, in a 12-inch skillet bring 6 cups of water to boiling. Preheat broiler.

Broil bagels 5 inches from heat 3 to 4 minutes, turning once (tops should not brown). Turn off broiler, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Lower 6 bagels, one at a time, into boiling water. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 7 minutes, turning once.

Remove bagels with slotted spatula; set on paper towels. Repeat with remaining bagels.

Sprinkle clean baking sheet with semolina or cornmeal. Place bagels on baking sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Biscuit Essentials

Use only chilled butter or margarine.

Stir dry ingredients well to distribute the leavening agent.

Mix the butter, margarine or shortening and flour only until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Stir in the liquid just until moistened.

Lightly knead the dough by folding and pressing; 10 to 12 strokes should be enough to distribute the moisture.

Cut out as many as possible from a single rolling of the dough (additional rolling and flour will make them tough and dry). Cutting the dough into squares will eliminate the need to reroll it.

Place biscuits or scones close together on the baking sheet for a soft crust; for a crispy crust, place them about 1 inch part.

Remove from the oven when top and bottom crusts are an even golden brown.

Storing and Reheating Biscuits

Store in foil or a sealed plastic bag at room temperature for 2 to 3 days; freeze in heavy foil or air-tight container up to 3 months.

Reheat foil wrapped biscuits in a 300 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes; reheat frozen biscuits for 20 to 25 minutes.

Converting Conventional Yeast Bread Recipes For Use In Bread Machines

Reduce the amount of flour to 2 cups for a 1 pound bread machine, 3 cups for a 1-½ pound machine, or 4 cups for a 2 pound machine.

Reduce all ingredients by the same proportion, including the yeast (one package equals 2-¼ teaspoons). If a range is given for flour, use the lower amount to figure the reduction proportion.

EXAMPLE: For a 1-½ pound bread machine, a recipe calling for 4-½ to 5 cups flour and 1 package yeast would be decreased by 1/3 to 3 cups flour and 1-½ teaspoons yeast.

If the bread used two or more types of flour, add the flour amounts together and use that total as the basis for reducing the recipe. The total amount of flour used should be only 2,3, or 4 cups, depending on the size of your machine.

Use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour or add 1 to 2 tablespoons gluten flour (available at health food stores) to the all-purpose flour. Rye breads usually need 1 tablespoon of gluten flour even when bread flour is used.

Measure the ingredients as you would for any other recipe, but add them in the order specified by the bread machine manufacturer.

Add dried fruits and nuts at the raisin-bread cycle, if your machine has one. If it does not, add them according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Do not use light-colored dried fruits, such as apricots and light raisins, because the preservatives added to them can inhibit yeast performance. Choose another fruit or use the dough cycle and lightly knead in the fruit by hand before shaping the loaves.

NOTE:  When making the dough only, it may be necessary to knead in a little more flour after removing the dough from the bread machine and before shaping it. Knead in just enough additional flour to make the dough easy to handle. If necessary, let the dough rest 5 minutes before shaping it. The dough is extremely elastic and letting it rest makes it easier to shape.

For breads containing whole wheat or rye flour, use the whole-wheat cycle, if your machine has one. For sweet or rich breads, use the light-color setting, if your machine has one.

The first time you try a new bread in your machine, watch and listen carefully. Check the dough after the first 3 to 5 minutes of kneading. If your machine works excessively hard during the mixing cycle, if the dough looks dry and crumbly, or if two or more balls of dough form, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of extra liquid. If the dough looks extremely soft and is unable to form a ball, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until a ball does form. For future reference, record how much additional liquid or flour was added.

Fat Used In Baking

With quick breads and coffee cakes, to ensure best results, use only butter, margarine, or a stick spread that contains at least 70% vegetable oil. DO NOT USE an “extra light” spread that contains only about 40% oil.

Flour

TYPES

When referring to flour, most people mean wheat flour unless they say otherwise. Flours made from other foods include amaranth, barley, buckwheat, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, rye, and triticale.

Wheat flours are classified by the amount of protein they contain. Wheat flours made from soft wheats are relatively low in protein and generally are used for making cakes, cookies, pastries, and crackers. Those flours made from hard wheats are high in protein and are generally used for quick and yeast breads.

MARKET FORMS

ALL-PURPOSE

A white flour that generally is a combination of soft and hard wheats, or medium-protein wheats. It works well for all types of home-baked products, including yeast breads, cakes, and quick breads.

BREAD

Made entirely from hard wheat. With its high gluten strength, bread flour is well-suited for making yeast breads.

CAKE

A soft wheat blend. Its low protein and gluten content makes it especially suitable for baking fine-textured cakes.

INSTANT

A patented process used to produce a quick-mixing flour for use in thickening gravies and sauces.

SELF-RISING

An all-purpose flour with salt and a leavener such as baking powder added. It is used for baking non-yeast products.

WHOLE WHEAT

A course-textured flour ground from the entire wheat kernel. Whole wheat flour, also called graham flour, is good in breads and some cookies, but generally is not the best choice for pastry or other delicate baked goods.

CAN WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR BE USED INTERCHANGEABLY WITH ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR?

You can replace part of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour. Use proportions of half all-purpose and half whole wheat in most baked goods. The end product will not look the same and may have less volume and a coarser texture.

STORING

Store all-purpose flour in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for 10 to 15 months; store whole grain flours for up to 5 months. For longer storage, refrigerate or freeze the flour in a moisture-and-vaporproof container. Before using a refrigerated flour in yeast breads, bring it to room temperature so it does not slow the rising of the bread.

TO SIFT OR NOT TO SIFT

You usually can skip the sifting of all-purpose flour. Even though most all-purpose flour is presifted, the flour settles in the bag during shipping. So, it’s a good idea to stir through the flour in the bag or canister before measuring to make it lighter. Then gently spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup and level it off with a spatula.

You will need to sift cake flour before measuring it.

Microwave Hints For Rising Breads

First, check your oven to see if proofing is recommended.

While preparing and kneading the dough, heat 3 cups water in a 4-cup glass measure on 100% power (high) for 6 to 8 ½ minutes or until boiling.

Carefully move the measure to the back of the microwave oven.

Place kneaded dough in a lightly greased microwave safe bowl; turn once. Cover with waxed paper; place in microwave oven with the glass measure containing the boiled water.

Heat dough and water on 10% power (low) for 13 to 15 minutes or until dough has nearly doubled.

Continue as your recipe directs.

Popovers

Steam that forms inside them when they bake is what causes popovers to rise.

TO MAKE SURE YOUR POPOVERS HAVE PLENTY OF PUFF

Use large eggs

Grease the pans properly to make the popovers easy to remove.

Stir the batter while filling the cups to keep it well mixed, and do not add more cheese or meat than the recipe directs.

Don’t open the oven door during baking. The cool air that gets in can cause the popovers to fall.

Prevent overbrowning by placing the oven shelf in the lower part of the oven so the tops of the custard cups(or popover pan) are in the center.

Prick each popover with a fork to let steam escape after removing them from the oven so they don’t get soggy. To crisp popovers, shut off the oven, return the popovers to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes more, and remove them from their pans while warm.

Serve popovers hot from the oven.

If there are leftovers, place in a freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months. Reheat frozen popovers in a shallow baking pan in a 400 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until warm.

Quick Breads

Always remember to avoid mixing the batter too much. Stir until the dry ingredients are just moistened; the batter will be lumpy. If you over mix, the baked product will be tough and have tunnels throughout.

If the texture of your bread is soggy and the middle has sunk, it means there was too much liquid in proportion to the dry ingredients, insufficient leavening, the batter stood too long before baking, or it’s underdone. A coarse texture indicates too much fat and leavening. Too much sugar will give you a thick, dark brown crust. Too much leavening will result in a bitter (baking powder) or soapy (baking soda) aftertaste.

NUT BREADS

Unlike other quick breads that are best served warm from the oven, nut breads actually improve with age. Store them overnight before slicing so the flavors mellow and the slices are easier to cut.

Check nut breads 10 to 15 minutes before baking is finished, and cover lightly with foil if they are browning too quickly. A crack down the top is typical of nut breads and shows that the batter has expanded properly.

STORING QUICK BREADS

Store them in the refrigerator up to 1 week. To freeze up to 3 months, place completely cooled loaves in freezer containers or bags. Thaw the wrapped loaves overnight in the refrigerator.

TIPS FOR QUICK BREAD LOAVES

After add the liquid measure to the flour mixture, stir the ingredients just until they are moistened. If you stir out all the lumps, your loaves will have peaks, tunnels and a tough texture.

Avoid getting rims around the edges of quick bread loaves by greasing the baking pan on the bottom and only ½-inch up the sides.

Check the bread 10 to 15 minutes before the baking time is completed. Cover with foil if it browning too fast.

Quick breads are done when a wooden toothpick inserted in near the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Don’t consider your quick bread loaf a failure if it has a crack on top. This is characteristic of quick breads.

Storing Sourdough Starter

By feeding your sourdough starter regularly, you can keep it on hand indefinitely to add tang to your baked favorites. If you do not use your sourdough starter for a period of 10 days, stir in 1 teaspoon brown sugar. Add more brown sugar every 10 days until you use the starter.

You may notice that your starter becomes thicker over time. You will not need to adjust your recipes to compensate for the extra thickness; however, you may find yourself needing the lesser amount of flour when a range is given in yeast bread recipes.

Tips For Yeast Breads

Remember that yeast is a living organism. Too much heat will kill it. Too cold a temperature keeps the yeast from making the bread rise.

Always start by adding the smallest amount of flour listed. Then, knead in as much additional flour as you can. Don’t go over the maximum amount listed; too much flour will make your bread heavy, dry, and compact.

The best place to let a yeast dough proof or rise is a draft-free spot that is between 80 degrees and 85 degrees. Avoid very hot areas as too much heat will kill the yeast. But a place too cold will keep bread from rising. An unheated oven is an ideal place to proof a yeast dough.

Let doughs rise only until they are doubled in size. You can tell if the dough has risen enough by pressing 2 fingers about ½-inch into the dough. If the indentation remains, the dough is ready to shape.

Yeast breads are completely baked if the loaves sound hollow when tapped with your finger.

Remove loaf pan as soon as it’s baked. If you allow the bread to cool in the pan, the bottom will get soggy. Cool on a wire rack instead.

Freeze bread when completely cool. To reheat, wrap in foil and heat in a 350 degree oven until warm.

For soft, shiny crusts, brush your bread loaves with margarine or butter. Use milk, water, or beaten egg for glossy, crisp crusts.

Batter bread has a more open texture than kneaded bread, and the top probably will have a rough, pebbly appearance and not a smooth crust.

BAKING HINTS

Once your bread has baked for the time specified in the recipe and has turned golden brown, test it for doneness by tapping the top of it with your finger. A hollow sounds means the bread is done.

Remove baked bread from the loaf pan or baking sheet as soon as you take it out of the oven so it doesn’t get soggy on the bottom. Place it on a wire rack to cool.

Use a serrated knife and a sawing motion to slice bread without squashing it.

STORING

Once they yeast dough is completely cool, wrap it in foil or plastic wrap, or place in a plastic bag. Store in a cool, dry place, for up to 3 days.

To freeze yeast bread, place the completely cooled, unfrosted bread in a freezer bag or container, or tightly wrap in heavy foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the wrapped bread at room temperature for 1 hour (or, wrap in foil and heat in a 300 degree oven about 20 minutes) Frost sweet breads, if desired.

Always check expiration date on the yeast package before using it. Dough made with yeast that is inactive because it is old will not rise.

If you live more than 3,000 feet above sea level, expect your dough to rise faster.

ENJOY!