Wednesday, July 14, 2010

The Science of Bread

My family used to tease me mercilessly when I was younger because I was so horrible in the kitchen. I burned microwave popcorn. I turned boxed Mac N Cheese into mush. I couldn't even butter bread without tearing it to pieces. My parents were sure my only chance for survival was to marry a good cook... which I didn't. Luckily over the years I have become a much better cook. There are two reasons for this. One- I have practiced and practiced... then practiced some more. And two: Understanding. I have made it a goal to not only try things to see if they work, but to also learn why when things don't work the way I had hoped.
One of the latest skills I've been developing is bread making. Over the years I've made plenty of bricks, but a good soft, moist loaf of fresh bread has only been in my skill set for about 12 months. Since that time I've come up with several original recipes based on the information that I've finally learned. Here are a few things I've learned:

Humidity- I live in a high, dry climate so flour tends to be drier and absorbs more liquid. A little less flour, or slightly more liquid, may be needed to maintain the proper dough consistency. So a basic rule to follow? There isn't one! Changes in humidity will affect the flour's dryness and the amount needed in the same recipe on different days. (This is true of cakes & cookies as well.) A good method to follow is to add 1/3 of the flour at a time until you have a soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Altitude- affects the rising time of doughs. Here in the higher elevations your bread will double faster than at lower altitudes. The higher the altitude, the shorter the time required for dough to rise. Is this a good thing? It can be if you know how to make it work for you, but it can also cause problems.
A certain rising time is necessary for good flavor and a light-texture bread. Using less yeast, or letting the dough rise twice before shaping into loaves or rolls usually allows enough rising time for good flavor. Although letting bread rise too long may cause over-fermentation and result in a course, open-textured bread with a yeast-like flavor.

Temperature- At altitudes over 3,500 feet, it is sugested to increase baking temperature by 25 F. Most recipes require baking temperatures between 375 and 400 F, so here the best temperature is between 400 and 425 F. This higher temperature sets the cell walls quickly  and stop further rising, preventing the dough from becoming too light.

Kneading- Seriously, you NEED to knead. Kneading is so important in making good bread for several reasons. First of all kneading helps the gluten to form and gain strength allowing the loaf to take on a cohesive texture that will allow the substance to not fall apart during baking. (Think of gluten as the glue that holds the bread together.) Secondly, as the gluten is forming it is also helping to create small air pockets of bubbles in the dough. This is very important, as these bubbles are necessary to allow for the formation of small pockets of carbon dioxide as the dough is rising. The carbon dioxide is created by the interaction of the yeast with the other ingredients in the recipe. By filling the small air pockets in the structure of the dough, the bread has a chance to rise and become supple enough to result in a loaf of bread that is light, flavorful, and airy. Most recipes call for kneading to be done for 8-10 minutes. Don't skip it! Or your loaves will suffer...  Also, all you Bosch and Kitchen Aid people out there- you are seriously missing out on some really fine exercise. Bakers have a chance to work their upper body muscles, and gain some mental satisfaction from the process as well. While that has nothing to do with the quality of the bread, it really can improve the temperment of the baker!


Yeast - There are several different types of yeast...
Cake (moist) - the traditional live yeast; needs to be dissolved in water

Active dry - the traditional dry yeast; needs to be dissolved in water, usually with a bit of sugar
Instant - possibly more concentrated than active dry; does not need to be dissolved
Bread Machine - exactly the same as instant in a different package
Rapid Rise - may contain yeast enhancers and other packaging changes to the granules. Does not have to be dissolved.
An important thing to remember when dealing with yeast is that it is ALIVE. Active dry yeast is yeast that has been so severely dried that all the live yeast have formed a hard, dry outer layer of dead yeast cells. The reason you have to soak this yeast in warm water is to sluff off those dead cells and rehydrate the yeast and wake them from their dormant state. Instant yeast is dried in a gentle method that leaves more of the yeast spores alive than with other drying methods. While it is the same yeast, as a species, it will rise faster because you are starting with more live spores.

If you are using Instant Yeast in lieu of Active Dry- just use 25% less. So if a recipe calls for 2 tsp Active Dry yeast, you'd use 1.5 tsp Instant, Rapid Rise, or Bread Machine yeast. (Round up if necessary.)
 
*A note about my One Hour Bread.. The reason you are cooking this bread at only 350 F is because this lower temperature helps the bread continue to rise while baking at the same time.
 
Ok, enough spewing information for one day. Back to some recipes!

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