Bread Machines For Dummies (6 page)
Read Bread Machines For Dummies Online
Authors: Glenna Vance,Tom Lacalamita
Wheat isn't the only grain that's used to make flour. Some other bread flours that you've probably heard of follow.
Rye is grown primarily in northern Europe, often in conjunction with wheat. It is considered an inferior grain compared to wheat because it is harder to grow and has a lower gluten content. Just as France has white, fat-free, crusty breads, Russia and Poland traditionally serve heavy, dark rye breads. However, French bakers sometimes add small amounts of rye flour to their white breads. You may want to try this technique, because rye flour ferments easily. This means it increases the yeast activity in the bread and enhances the texture by strengthening the dough's honeycomb-like structure. A small amount of rye flour can also help to reduce the incidence of wrinkled tops that sometimes occur in bread machines. We recommend 2 teaspoons of rye flour per cup of bread flour or whole-wheat flour.
Did you know that your favorite rye bread is made primarily with wheat flour? That's right. Although rye flour has protein, it does not become elastic when kneaded. Therefore, it does not form an expandable structure in bread dough. So without wheat flour in the recipe, the loaf would rise very little. Rye flour does contribute some to the flavor of the bread, but most of the flavor we associate with rye bread comes from spices such as caraway, fennel, or anise.
Several grinds of rye flour exist; the most common found in supermarkets is medium rye. The color is very light gray. In a bread machine, the ratio of rye flour to bread flour is never more than 1:2 (1 cup of rye flour to 2 cups of bread flour).
The same ratio of rye to bread flour holds true for pumpernickel rye flour. However, pumpernickel rye flour is much coarser because it is ground from the whole kernel. Therefore, a loaf of pumpernickel bread is shorter and denser than one made with medium rye flour.
Italians love to use semolina flour to make pasta and noodles. It looks coarser than bread flour and has a yellowish cast. Although semolina flour is milled from the hardest wheat, known as durum wheat, it does not have the type of protein that becomes elastic when kneaded. Therefore, semolina flour can be used only in combination with bread flour in a bread machine. It makes the loaves golden brown and adds a nutty flavor to the bread.
Although oatmeal contains gluten, it does not become elastic when it's kneaded. So, oatmeal is always used in bread as an add-on. Put just a bit of dry oatmeal (1 or 2 tablespoons will do) in a whole-wheat dough and it will make the bread taste a bit sweeter with a mellow richness. If you ever have leftover oatmeal cereal, save it and use it in your next bread. You'll love the bread; it will be higher and lighter because of the cooked oatmeal. Be sure to deduct some of the liquid in the recipe because the cooked cereal contains liquid. For example, if you have about 1/2 cup leftover cooked oatmeal, deduct about 1/4 cup from the liquid amount called for in the recipe. Check the dough for consistency after your bread machine has been kneading for about five minutes. The dough should be in one slightly tacky ball, not stiff. You may have to add more liquid if it appears dry. If it seems too wet, add flour, one tablespoon at a time until the dough has the right degree of firmness.
When a recipe calls for oatmeal, it doesn't matter whether you use instant oatmeal or the old-fashioned rolled oats, and remember, it doesn't mean cooked unless it says cooked.
The name buckwheat is misleading because buckwheat is not a wheat product. Wheat, corn, rice, and rye are in the grass plant family, whereas buckwheat is related to the rhubarb family â go figure. Buckwheat seeds are ground into flour and commonly used in pancakes. Buckwheat flour has a strong flavor; used in small quantities, it gives a pleasant twist to bread.
Spelt, a grain mentioned in the Bible, has gained popularity because it can be grown without the use of chemical herbicides or pesticides. An ancestor of modern hybrid wheat, it has a good gluten content and is well suited for making yeast breads. You can use spelt as a substitute for whole-wheat flour in any bread recipe.
Whole-grain flours turn rancid over a short period of time. Keep all flours fresh by storing them in the refrigerator or freezer. Be sure to use airtight containers. If you use heavy, plastic, self-sealing freezer bags, the flour will not clump. Measure the amount you need and allow it to come to room temperature before making bread. If you're in a hurry, use the automatic defrost on your microwave.
Many alternative grains exist that you may want to try in your bread machine. We can guarantee a unique tasting experience, and you may find a new favorite. One thing these flours have in common is there is no gluten. Many supermarkets have these flours in their dietetic health food section. They are also available at health food stores.
If you have been reading through this book, you are probably wondering how these doughs expand without gluten. The answer is xanthan gum, a bonding agent that also becomes elastic and holds the ingredients together.
When we make yeast breads with alternative flours, their textures are closer to quick breads than yeast breads. However, the pizza crust is very close to pizza crust made with all-purpose flour.
The most common need for alternative flours comes with the diagnosis of Celiac Sprue Disease. It is a chronic digestive disorder caused by a toxic reaction to the gluten found in all forms of wheat, rye, oats, and barley. The only treatment is a lifelong dietary restriction of living without those grains. You can make delicious gluten-free breads in a bread machine by using combinations of the following alternative flours and ingredients. The recipes using these flours are in Chapter 18. You won't want to overlook them.
Rice flour:
When wheat, oats, barley, and rye have to be eliminated from the diet, rice flour is the most common flour used. Like white flour made from wheat, rice flour does not contain the outer layer (the bran) of the rice kernel. Don't confuse rice flour with sweet rice flour, which is primarily used for thickening.
Brown rice flour:
As the name implies, brown rice flour is milled from the whole rice kernel, as whole-wheat flour is milled from the whole wheat berry.
Potato starch or potato starch flour:
This is made from the starch in potatoes. Do not confuse this product with potato flour, which is used primarily for thickening.
Tapioca flour:
This extremely fine flour comes from the roots of the cassava plant and is used in combination with rice flours and/or potato flour.
Soy flour:
Although soy flour is very nutritious, it's also quite heavy and can be used only in small amounts in gluten-free breads.
Bean flours:
You can find many bean flours, which provide nutrients as well as good flavor to otherwise bland-tasting breads.
Xanthan gum:
Because alternative flours do not have the protein to create the gluten to hold moisture and support the structure of bread, xanthan gum is needed. In food science terminology, xanthan gum is known as a
structure builder
and a
binding agent.
Xanthan gum works great for gluten-free breads in a bread machine. We've tried other ingredients like gelatin, but they don't work nearly as well. Guar gum is equal to xanthan gum but sometimes has a laxative effect, so we do not recommend using it.
Some health food stores carry xanthan gum. Our most reliable source has been to mail-order it through Ener-G Foods in Seattle, Washington. It has a toll-free number, 1-800-331-5222.