Re: [CH] Today's Bread Experiment

Jim Weller (Jim.Weller@salata.com)
24 Jan 00 08:11:08 -0800 

 -=> Quoting tucker to All <=-

 >    2      tsp           bread enhancer (omit if you don't have) ...

 tu> Ok, I really hate to do this because I'm sure this is a completely
 tu> stupid question. But so far we've only used our bread machine with
 tu> pre-packaged mixes of various types. I recall seeing another recipe
 tu> very recently with this listed as one of the ingredients; but I don't
 tu> really know what the heck it is. Is it just a powder of some sort that
 tu> you find in the baking aisle? And how exactly does it "enhance" the
 tu> bread? Flavor wise, or baking / rising?

Not a dumb question at all. I had made bread for years before I came
across this term. It is available commercially but here is how to make
your own.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
 
      Title: Dough Enhancer
 Categories: Abm, Info, Breads
      Yield: 32 Servings
 
      1 c  Lecithin granules
      1 tb Vitamin C powder
      1 tb Ginger, ground
 
  Mix all ingredients and store in tightly closed glass jar.
  
  Add to breadmaker in amount equal to yeast with other dry ingredients.
  Start machine.
  
  Apparently, the ginger gooses the yeast and makes it act more
  swiftly, the ascorbic acid strengthens the gluten, and the lecithin
  aids the oil in causing the strands of gluten to slip against each
  other more easily and thus rise better.
  
  THE BREADMACHINE COOKBOOK IV by Donna Rathmell German has a section
  titled "Dough Enhancers" and in that section it mentions Lecithin.
  "Lecithin is a food supplement which is obtained from oil in egg
  yolks or soy beans. It improves moisture   and assists in expansion
  and elasticity of the bread dough. Add between 1 and 1 1/2 tsp. of
  lecithin granules per cup of flour."
  
  MM by Sylvia Steiger, GEnie THE.STEIGERS, CI$
  71511,2253, GT Cookbook echo moderator, net/node 004/005
 
MMMMM

I've been told that yeast like an acid environment and that's the real
reason to use Vitamin C.

Another kind of enhancer is adding 1 tsp of pure gluten to each cup of
flour when using low gluten flours. I'll go into more detail if you
don't know what gluten is or why it is necessary.

A chef I know swears by Maltose, a sugar made from malted grain as an
additive. 





                                                YK Jim
                                                


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