Storing Bread - Russell Hobbs Breadmaker Instructions Manual

butter/fat
These make the dough more tender and enhance the flavour, giving the finished loaf a richer
quality. They help to retain moisture, making the bread keep fresh longer. Margarine or olive oil
can be used instead of butter, but they are less effective.
low fat spread
Don't use low fat spread. Never mind what the manufacturer says, it's designed for spreading,
not for cooking. It's "low fat", where the recipe needs "fat". It's also likely to be full of the
additives, E-numbers and other gunge we've so far managed to avoid.
sugar
1 Sugar activates and feeds the yeast, allowing it to grow. It adds flavour and texture, and helps
with browning the crust. Many sachet yeasts do not need sugar to activate.
2 Honey, syrup, or molasses may be used instead of sugar, provided the liquid ingredient is
adjusted to compensate.
3 Don't use artificial sweeteners. None of these will feed the yeast, some of them will kill it.
salt
Salt helps to control the growth of the yeast. Without salt, the bread could rise too much, then
collapse. It also adds to the flavour. Keep it away from the yeast till the last minute, or it might
inhibit it.
eggs
Eggs will make your bread richer and more nutritious, add colour, and help with the structure
and texture. Eggs count as part of the liquid ingredient of the bread, so adjust the other liquid
ingredients if you are adding egg(s). Otherwise the dough may be too wet to rise properly.
herbs and spices
1 These can be added at the beginning, along with the main ingredients.
2 Dried herbs and spices like cinnamon, ginger, oregano, parsley, and basil will add flavour and
interest. Use small quantities (a teaspoon) to avoid overpowering the flavour of the bread.
3 Fresh herbs, like garlic and chives may contain enough liquid to upset the balance of the
recipe, so adjust the liquid content.
nuts and raisins
1 Dried fruit and nuts should be chopped finely; cheese should be grated; chocolate chips
should definitely be chips, not lumps. Don't add more than the recipe requires, otherwise the
bread may not rise properly.
2 Be careful with fresh fruit and nuts. These contain liquids (juices and oils), so you may need to
adjust the main liquid ingredient to compensate.
3 Add these only when the breadmaker beeps, early in the program.

storing bread

1 Commercial bread contains all sorts of additives (chlorine, chalk, coal-tar dye, sorbitol, soya,
etc.).
2 Your bread won't have any of these, so it won't keep like commercial bread, and it won't look
like commercial bread. On the plus side, it won't taste like commercial bread either – it'll taste
like bread should.
3 It's best eaten fresh, but you can store it for a couple of days at room temperature, in a
polythene bag with the air squeezed out.
4 To freeze bread, let it cool, put it in a polythene bag, suck all the air from the bag, then seal it.
5 Don't put bread in the fridge. Bread going stale is due to chemical reactions. Most chemical
reactions have an ideal temperature range, at which they work best. Guess what? – the
chemical reactions involved in bread going stale work best at fridge temperatures.
6 Remember – freezing bread is OK – just don't stick it in the fridge.
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