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Baking
Tips on preparation
Types of flour
Different types of flour contain varying
amounts of whole grain.
The different types of flour are
categorised by how finely they have
been ground and whether they contain
baking powder or not.
– Plain flour and Self-raising flour
Plain flour is a fine white flour which
is equally suitable for cooking and
baking. It consists primarily of starch
and gluten. Self-raising is similar, but
has raising agents added. It is used
in recipes where the mixture needs to
rise during cooking to give light
results.
– Strong white flour and Strong
brown flour
These flours are generally used for
baking bread and other items that
need the addition of yeast as the
raising agent.
– Wholemeal flour
This flour consists of almost all the
wheat germ. For a lighter dough it
can be mixed 50:50 with strong white
flour and is excellent for baking
bread.
– Mixed grain and wholegrain flour
This is a dark flour that contains
almost all the wheat germ. Again
excellent for baking bread.
– Strong wholemeal flour
This flour is made from the whole
grain and contains maximum
goodness. It can be ground finely or
coarsely and is particularly good for
bread.
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Raising agents
Raising agents are used to make the
dough rise and help it keep light and
airy after kneading or mixing.
Yeast
Yeast is available either in dried form or
fresh. It is particularly suitable for baked
goods made with wheat flour. It needs
to be mixed with a liquid (e.g. water),
starch (e.g. flour) and sugar and then
needs to be kept warm at a
temperature between 35 °C and 50 °C
to help it rise.
Baking powder
Baking powder is generally used as the
raising agent in cake mixes. Together
with liquid and warmth, baking powder
helps cakes become light and airy.
Sourdough
Sourdough is available in liquid form or
dry form. The typical strong but
pleasantly sour taste comes from
converting the glucose into lactic acid
bacteria. Sourdough is used for heavy
dough such as those used for
wholegrain and rye bread. It is easy to
make liquid sourdough by mixing 250 g
of rye flour with approx. 200 ml of
lukewarm water. Leave to stand for 48
hours at room temperature and then
use as directed in your recipe.
Dough and mixes
Yeast dough
– Yeast dough is particularly good for
Streusel cakes, small pastries and
pizza. Making it is easier than you
might think.
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