Application Guide

will need to add these 2 tablespoons to the quantity of liquid in the recipes in this book.
Bread Machine Baker’s Hint: Measuring Your In-
gredients
The bread machine, unlike traditional bread recipes that deal in approxi-
mates, must have accurately measured ingredients or else the recipes will not
work properly or taste balanced. The baking pan has a limited capacity, so
ingredients must also be measured precisely to keep them from spilling over
onto the heating element. This is extremely important for producing good
loaves from the machine. For dry ingredients, use the nested set of plastic or
metal cups and use only for dry measuring. Use the old “dip and sweep”
method of dipping the cup or spoon into the dry ingredients (do not pack un-
less it is called for, as in packed brown sugar), such as sugar and flour, and
using the back of a knife or spoon handle to scrape across the flat rim.
Dry and wet measuring cups are not interchangeable. For
wet ingredients, like honey and all liquids, use a 1- or 2-cup clear glass mea-
suring cup with a pour spout and with increments clearly marked. Set the cup
on the counter for it to level itself, and look at the increment lines at eye
level; then pour the contents into the machine without spilling them. I don’t
use the metric measuring gadgets that sometimes come with machines; they
are hard to decipher. Just throw them away (or use them in the laundry
room).
FAT
Fat is a dirty word in today’s food world, but in reality it is an essential element of a
healthy diet when consumed in moderation. Generally it is not the type of fat you use,
but the proportions, that matter in baking bread. Fat adds lots of flavor, pliability, and
tenderness to a loaf of bread, and helps keep it from staling within a few hours. Use
unsalted butter (which has an unparalleled flavor), margarine, lard (which is, surpris-
ingly, more flavorful and less saturated than butter), or various olive, vegetable, or nut
oils. Add butter by cutting it into pieces and putting it in with the other ingredients; it
will mix right in during the kneading. Fats will be included with the liquids in the
recipes in this book.
SWEETENING
Sugar provides food for the developing yeast and helps retain moisture in the finished
baked loaf. It also enhances flavor, texture, and crust color. Use granulated sugar, su-
perfine sugar, raw sugar, Demerara sugar, light or dark brown sugar, or thick syrups
like maple syrup, molasses, corn syrup, barley malt syrup, and honey. You will be
adding a bit more liquid if you are using a syrup instead of a granulated sugar.
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