Optional Bread Ingredients

BAKERY AND CONFECTIONARY FDNT 315 3 (1+2)

Lesson 11:Breads

Optional Bread Ingredients

Besides all the basic ingredients of bread, there are some optional ingredients that are added for flavor or nutrition. Some of the optional bread ingredients are:

Bread Sweeteners:Sugar provides food for yeasts. However, this does not necessitate addition of sugar to the dough as flour itself has enough sugar for the yeast to produce carbon dioxide. Hence sugar is primarily used to add a sweet flavor to the bread. It also contributes to browning of the bread. Other bread sweeteners include honey, maple syrup, maple sugar, jams and dried fresh fruits.

Egg:When lots of eggs are used they add a distinct flavor to bread. Other than that they also act as a leavening agent. Fat in the yolk increases the tenderness and light texture of bread. It also gives a smooth texture to the finished product.

Emulsifiers:Emulsifiers prevent bread from tasting stale and dry. This is achieved by combining with starch and helping them to spread evenly throughout the dough. This prevents the starch from recrystallizing which makes the bread dry and stale. Common emulsifiers used in baked products are lecithin, glycerol monostearate, diglycerides, etc.

Dough Conditioners:Dough conditioners like calcium dioxide, potassium iodate, ascorbic acid, etc. are used by bakers for greater control over the baking process
Bread production is a carefully planned process, because ifinterrupted it damagesthe baked product. Formulas must be constructed so that only enough dough is mixed to fill the oven to capacity. The first step in preparation for mixing is assembling and weighing the ingredients. Mixing the dough is to distribute the yeast cells throughout the dough, distribute food for the yeast, and to form and develop the gluten. Gluten is formed when the two proteins of the flour, gliadin and glutenin come in contact with water. The time required to develop the gluten depends on the strength of the flour.

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Last modified: Tuesday, 6 December 2011, 6:39 AM