Application Guide

tones. Every flour absorbs a different amount of moisture and does so at a different
rate. Remember that the more non-wheat flour you use in proportion to wheat, the
denser the loaf and the slower the rising time. Also, remember that proper measure-
ments make a good loaf. If you don’t add enough flour, no matter what the type, you
will have a collapsed loaf (collapsing from the top or in from the sides) that is often
uncooked in the center. If you add too much flour, you will have a dough that strains
during the kneading process and bakes into a hard, dense, heavy ball.
VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN
Although vital wheat gluten is not a core ingredient when making bread by hand (the
gluten contained in the flour is enough to produce a high loaf when mixing and knead-
ing by hand), I single out gluten here as a main ingredient for bread machine baking
because all my testing has shown that it yields a better loaf when added to the dry in-
gredients. Gluten is called for in most of the recipes in this book. It helps make loaves
rise higher and gives them more volume. Vital wheat gluten—also known as just plain
gluten—is made by washing the starch from the endosperm in wheat, leaving pure
plant protein that is dried, ground, and marketed as a powdered extract. It is not a flour.
Gluten becomes stretchy during mixing and kneading, and is a premium dough condi-
tioner because it helps trap the rising CO
2
in its strong meshwork, making a puffier
loaf. If you are experimenting with your own recipes, I recommend using 1 to 2 tea-
spoons of gluten per cup of white bread flour and 1
1
/
2
to 3 teaspoons gluten per cup of
whole grain flour for an exquisite texture. Sometimes I add double that if I have a stiff
all—whole wheat dough or am using a recipe calling for a non-gluten flour. If you add
gluten to one of your existing bread recipes, note that doughs containing gluten can ab-
sorb a tablespoon or two more of liquid.
Store gluten in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one
year, but if you use gluten regularly, it can be kept in the cupboard for up to two
months.
Please note: If you encounter vital wheat gluten flour, this is a differ-
ent product than vital wheat gluten, which is much more concentrated. Do not confuse
these two items.
YEAST
Yeast is a microscopic plant. The word “yeast” comes from the French word levant,
meaning “to rise.” In France, the same word is applied to the eastern part of the world
and to the rising sun. Perhaps this interesting etymology has something to do with the
fact that there has always been a degree of mystery and discovery in observing yeast
activate and multiply.
Yeast is sold to the consumer in five different forms: active dry yeast,
compressed fresh cake yeast, fast-acting or instant dried yeast, bread machine yeast,
and quick-rise yeast. (Nutritional yeasts, such as brewer’s and torula, are not leavening
agents.) Fast-acting yeast and bread machine yeast both work well in the bread ma-
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