Bread Machines For Dummies (11 page)
Read Bread Machines For Dummies Online
Authors: Glenna Vance,Tom Lacalamita
Sugar 'n' Spice and All Things Nice
In This Chapter
Sweetening for fermentation and flavor
Salting for structure and seasoning
Spicing things up
Using herbs for extra flavor
Adding fruits and nuts
B
read is the warmest and kindest word in any language. It means life, hope, and comfort. Throughout literature one can find endless metaphors and analogies that use bread as their object of comparison. Because bread is regarded as necessary for sustaining life, you commonly hear of one's monetary means of support referred to as
my bread and butter.
The one who works and supports a family is regarded as the
bread winner.
We not only sustain our life by including bread in our diet, we also enjoy abundant living when we discover the fabulous flavors that can enhance bread. When we delicately use sugars and spices, fruits and nuts, herbs and dried vegetables we can transform ordinary breads into delights of the palate â hallmarks of prosperity on our table.
Sugar furnishes food for the yeast, tenderizes the dough, promotes a good crust color, aids in the retention of moisture in the baked bread (thus prolonging freshness), and, of course, adds flavor. One can hardly eliminate sugar from bread and still say, “Umm, this bread is sooo good.”
Unless, of course, it's French bread, which uses no sugar. That's right, there is no sugar in French bread. While it is true that as yeast ferments sugar, gases are formed that cause the bread to rise; it is also true that yeast will ferment the starch in flour. However, it takes a longer time for yeast to ferment the starch than it does for yeast to ferment sugar. That's why most bread machines have a French Bread cycle with a longer rising time. Also, the baking temperature is higher on a French Bread cycle because without sugar the crust will not get too dark with a higher heat.
Sugar browns easily and gives the crust a golden-brown color. For this reason, most bread machines have a Sweet Bread cycle with a lower baking temperature. Always use this cycle if the ratio of sugar to flour is higher than 1 tablespoon of sugar for each cup of flour or if you've added dried or candied fruits.
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If a little sugar is good, a lot of sugar must be better â
wrong.
Don't overwhelm your yeast with too much food. The yeast will get sluggish, just like we do when we overeat, and you will end up with a small bread. Adding more sugar to your recipes is not the way to get creative; you will just upset the important balance among the ingredients.
Store all sugars in airtight containers to prevent them from absorbing water from the environment or drying out.
Common table sugar has fine, granulated crystals that dissolve easily into the bread dough. Although it has little nutritive value (no vitamins, minerals, or fiber), it is the most commonly used sugar in breads.
Sugar cane stalks are the chief source of the world's sugar. They resemble a corn stalk and grow about 15 feet high and 2 inches thick. Sugar beets are also a source of sugar.
A sugar mill removes the juice from the stalks or beets, heats the juice, and then runs it through clarifiers and filters to remove impurities. Next, the juice is reduced to a heavy mixture of crystals and syrup. After the crystals and syrup are separated, the syrup is made into molasses and the crystals are refined into sugar.
Confectionery sugar is also called powdered sugar. It contains approximately 3 percent cornstarch to retard lumping or crystallization. The fineness of this sugar lends itself to blending, and it's used primarily in frostings, icings, and glazes.
Do not use confectionery sugar in bread dough. The small amount of cornstarch it contains is enough to give bread a peculiar taste.
Originally brown sugar was not as refined as white sugar â it had not been purified of molasses and moisture. Today, brown sugar is refined white sugar with a bit of molasses added; the darker the sugar, the more molasses was re-added to the sugar. This bit of molasses has no significant effect on the nutritional value of the sugar. However, the molasses in the sugar changes the flavor of bread and adds color. It's especially desirable in fillings and toppings, and blends well with spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg.
Always measure brown sugar by packing it into the measuring spoon or cup.
Although honeys may vary in their sweetness depending on the bees' source of food, it takes a very trained palate to detect the difference once the honey has been used in bread. Ounce-for-ounce, the nutrient content of honey is about the same as table sugar, although honey may taste a bit sweeter. It's been our experience that we can exchange an equal amount of honey for table sugar or brown sugar and still have the recipe ingredients in balance.
We choose honey for whole-wheat breads because the flavor harmonizes well the wheat. See the recipes for Granola Wheat and Light Wheat (in Chapter 11).
When honey crystallizes in the jar, you can return it to the liquid state by placing it in a container of hot water or using the Automatic Defrost setting on your microwave. (Be sure to remove the metal cap before putting the jar in the microwave.)
White sugar, brown sugar, honey, molasses, and maple syrup may be substituted for each other in a recipe with fairly equal results. Always remember to check the dough after five minutes of kneading for dough consistency. At that time, the dough should be in a soft, tacky ball with none left on the sides or bottom of the pan.
Pure maple syrup is one of the most delicious sweeteners. The sap from maple trees is boiled down to a sweet syrup. Opened bottles should be stored in the refrigerator. Don't panic if you find mold on the top of your maple syrup. Even though you won't want to eat the mold (of course), the syrup is still good. Simply strain the syrup and bring it to a boil, and then put the syrup back into a clean container.
A greased spoon will allow molasses, honey, or maple syrup to glide off without leaving a residue.
Most sugar substitutes on the market are proteins. Although there are some sugar substitutes that claim they can be used for baking, they are not food for yeast. Therefore, you can't use them in bread to perform the same function that a sugar does.
You can use fructose, found naturally in fruit and corn, in bread. But the truth is, it's not any more healthy to eat fructose than white sugar. Fructose, like table sugar, is a simple carbohydrate that nourishes your body in the same way. It is usually manufactured from corn syrup, which is as highly refined a sugar as that from the sugar cane. Teaspoon for teaspoon, fructose has 3 calories less than table sugar.