White Bread - DeLonghi Oven Manual

Baking bread: an art and a science
Baking bread is both an art and a science.
The appliance does most of the work, but there are some
things you need to know about each of the basic ingredients
and the bread baking process.
The ingredients of classic bread are the simplest: flour, sugar,
salt, liquid (water or milk), possibly a fat (butter or oil) and
yeast.
Each of these ingredients has a particular function and gives a
particular taste to the end product.
It is therefore important to use the ingredients in exactly the
right proportions to guarantee the best results.
Yeast
Yeast is an active microorganism which encourages the fer-
mentation process known as rising.
Once moistened with a liquid, nourished with sugar and
correctly warmed, the yeast produces the gases which make
the dough grow when kept at the right temperature (about
25°C).
The most common yeast is brewer's yeast, available fresh or
dried.
For cakes, pastries and desserts, baking powder made from
bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar is more suitable.
Flour
Flour is the basic ingredient used to make bread and it is the-
refore important for you to know the characteristics of the
products available on the market.
• Strong flour:
Strong flour is gluten-rich and consists of general purpo-
se plain flour (type 0) and extra strong "Manitoba" high
protein flour.
It is ideal for coarser doughs and making bread.
• Fine flour 00:
Fine flour (type 00) is ground for longer and is therefore
more refined. It is more suitable for making cakes and
pastries or other more delicate doughs.
Wholemeal flour:
•
This fibre-rich flour usually rises less than the above
flours.
It can be mixed with other flours to dilute the fibre con-
tent and improve rising.
Wholemeal bread tends to be denser and smaller than

white bread.

• Durum wheat flour:
This is obtained from wheat usually grown on more arid
soils.
The flour is more granular and straw yellow. It is easily
digestible and tasty.
Spelt flour:
•
Obtained by grinding spelt, the oldest form of cereal in
the bread-making tradition.
The resulting bread has a high fibre content and is there-
fore laxative and refreshing.
It tastes very similar to white bread.
Gluten-free flour:
•
These flours are mixtures of such raw materials as maize,
rice, potato flakes, etc. which are naturally gluten-free,
unlike wheat.
Sugar
Sugar sweetens the bread, makes the crust darker and gives it
a softer texture by feeding the yeast.
You can use equivalent quantities of white or brown sugar,
treacle, maple syrup, honey or other sweetener.
You can also use equivalent quantities of artificial sweeteners,
but the taste and texture of the bread will be different.
Liquids
When the liquids are mixed with the flour protein, they form
the gluten, necessary to make the bread rise.
The majority of recipes use water, but other liquids can be used
such as milk or fruit juice.
You should therefore experiment with the amount of these li-
quids needed to obtain optimum results as a recipe containing
excessive liquid may cause the bread to collapse during ba-
king, while too little liquid prevents it from rising. Use liquids
at room temperature.
Salt
Used in small quantities, salt makes the bread tasty and con-
trols the action of the yeast.
In excessive quantities, it prevents the bread from rising, so
make sure you use the right amount.
You can use any table salt.
Eggs
Eggs are used in some bread recipes. They add liquid, stimula-
te rising and improve the nutritional qualities and taste of the
bread. They are therefore contained in the sweeter recipes.
Fats
Many types of bread use fats for a stronger taste and to retain
moisture.
You can use oil or softened butter in equivalent quantities.
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