Quick Bread

All About Baking – Quick Breads

By Dennis R Weaver

Quick breads have less sugar and less fat than cakes. The nuts often found in quick breads add to the fat content. The fruit adds to the moisture as well as the flavor. Because quick breads tend to be drier than cakes, they are often spread with butter, cream cheese, or jam. Peanut butter is one of our favorite toppings. Quick breads tend to be more dense and moist than muffins though the batter for quick breads can be baked in muffin tins. Generally, muffin batter is thinner than quick bread batter.

How to Bake Quick Bread

There are two methods for mixing quick breads: the creaming method and the muffin method. With the creaming method, sugar and fat (butter, margarine, or shortening) are beat together to entrain air in the mixture and provide added lift to the batter. With the muffin method, the liquids are combined in one bowl, the dry ingredients in another, and then the two are mixed together. The creaming method tends to make a more cake-like bread. The steps for each method follow.

The Creaming Method

1. Place softened butter, margarine, or shortening in a bowl. Add the sugars, spices, and salt and beat until light and fluffy and air is entrained throughout the mixture. (Do not let the butter or margarine get warm enough that it approaches the melting point. Friction from the mixing, especially with an electric mixer, will increase the temperature.)

2. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

3. Add any liquid ingredients and stir lightly.

4. Stir or whisk the remaining dry ingredients together. Add them to the mixture and stir until just combined.

5. Remove to the baking pan(s) and bake.

The Muffin Method

1. Sift or whisk the dry ingredients together to thoroughly disperse the salt, sugar, and leavening agents throughout the flour.

2. Combine all the liquid ingredients including the melted fat.

3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquid ingredients. Mix with a spatula until just combined-some lumps may remain.

4. Remove to the baking pan(s) and bake.

Pointers for Success

1. Do not over mix. Over mixing will develop the gluten and make the bread tough instead of tender.

2. Choose low gluten flour, either pastry or all-purpose flour. Bread flour will make a tough loaf.

3. Do not scoop the flour. Sift or whisk the flour to make it light and fluffy, not packed, then spoon it into the measuring cup.

4. The creaming method produces a more cake-like product and is well-suited for those recipes that have a high fat or sugar content. Consider the creaming method for those recipes that call for more than four tablespoons of butter per loaf.

5. Bake soon after mixing before the effect of the leavenings begin to dissipate.

6. If you use dry milk in your recipe, add it to liquid ingredients so that it can be stirred and thoroughly dissolved.

7. Commercial muffins tend to be very high in fat and sugar-more like a tea cake than a bread. Your quick bread should be more bread-like and not as rich as commercial muffins.

8. Grease pans well and consider dusting the pans with flour as well. (If you use butter, always dust your pans to absorb the water in the butter.) With the high sugar content, the loaves tend to stick in the pans. Non-stick pans are helpful.

9. Breads are easier to remove from the pan if they set for five or ten minutes before removing the bread.

10. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into a crack in the center of the loaf. If the bread is done, the toothpick should come out clean.

11. Quick breads are best if they are tightly wrapped and stored in the refrigerator overnight. After the bread has completely cooled, wrap it tightly in plastic or foil. As the bread chills, both the flavor and the moisture permeate the bread. The bread can be stored in the refrigerator for five to seven days.

12. Quick breads can also be frozen. Place the wrapped breads in freezer-grade plastic bags and freeze them for up to three months. When ready to use, thaw the loaves in the refrigerator while still wrapped.

Troubleshooting Tips

1. Cracked top: A cracked top is desirable and not a fault.

2. Tunnels and voids: Tunnels and voids in the bread are a symptom of over mixing. Mix only until the dry ingredients are moistened. Some lumps may remain.

3. Tough texture: A tough texture instead of a tender texture is another symptom of over mixing. Occasionally, too high of baking temperature will cause toughness.

4. Soggy texture: If the batter is left for too long before baking, it may be soggy or sunk in the middle. If the there is too much liquid or not enough leavening, the bread may be soggy.

5. Coarse, crumbly texture: The bread should be moist and dense. Too much fat or too much leavening will cause the bread to be crumbly.

6. Bitter, soapy aftertaste: Too much baking soda or baking powder will create an aftertaste.

7. Too thick or too brown of a crust: A tough thick crust may be caused by too high of oven temperature or too much sugar.

8. Greasy crumb: Too much fat will create a greasy texture.

9. Crisp edges: Too much fat or too much fat and sugar will create crisp edges.

Homemade Bread

There are several reasons for making our homemade bread:  it tastes better, it reduces preservative intake, more nutritious, and often substantially cheaper than what you find in the store. It does take time, but once you get used to it, most food preparation doesn’t take much more time than going to the store, buying it, taking it home, popping it out of the package, and following the directions. Homemade bread is substantially tastier than store-purchased bread, isn’t laden with preservatives, is very inexpensive to make, and doesn’t take all that much time, either. You may want to consider supplying your family with homemade wheat bread all the time. The health benefits are many, especially if you are going to use fresh ground wheat. Eating a slice of bread made with fresh ground wheat is like taking a shot of vitamins.

The problems with bread we purchased at the store is it designed to maximize profit while still producing an edible loaf of bread on the table. This is done by using an excessive amount of yeast in order to create lots of air bubbles in the bread, hence the “light” texture of store-purchased bread. It also allows for the use of lower-quality grains because of this yeast abundance, thus the bread is far from nutrient-rich. In the United States, most recipes are trade secrets, but in the United Kingdom, the standard recipe, is widely known. The goal of their process is to make a loaf of bread as cheaply as possible, foregoing flavor, nutrition, and texture along the way.

The other bothersome part of industrial breadmaking is the appearance of a healthy dose of preservatives. These preservatives are there solely to extend the shelf life of the bread, again reducing costs for the manufacturer. Every time you eat a piece of store-purchased bread, you’re getting a healthy dose of preservatives with each bite.There is nothing like homemade bread.

You may interesting also on How to Make Bread and Breadmaking.

Bread Machine Bread

Making Perfect Bread Machine Bread

Summarized from Linda’s Bread Making Hints in http://whatscookingamerica.net
1. Follow the instructions for your machine regarding order of loading ingredients. The important thing is to keep the yeast away from the liquid and the salt until the bread-making begins. Follow the liquids-first-then-dry method, but instead of putting the sugar and salt on top of the flour, add them to the liquid. I recommend placing ingredients in the pan in the following order:
- Liquid (milk, water)
- Eggs, oils, melted or softened butter
- Salt, sugars (including honey, molasses)
- Dried or powdered milk
- Dried or fresh orange or lemon zest (peel)
-Dried herbs, dried flavorings, seeds, and nuts
-Whole wheat flour
- Bread flour or all-purpose flour
- Yeast
2. Adding Ingredients:
Water – I usually start out by adding fairly hot water (120 degrees) and find that by the time I have added all the ingredients, the water has cooled to the proper temperature. (Do not do this if you are using a delayed heating cycle.)
Butter – Melt or soften butter or margarine in the microwave before adding it to the machine.
Eggs – I bring my eggs to room temperature by placing them in a cup of really warm water for several minutes before adding.
Refrigerated Ingredients – Heat anything taken from the refrigerator (milk, buttermilk, cottage cheese, etc.) in the microwave until it is warm to the touch, about 1 minute.
Salt – Use only non-iodized salt (iodine attacks the yeast activity, slowing down the first fermentation). Salt is a yeast inhibitor and it is best to add it so it is not touching the yeast. If you are having trouble with short loaves, try cutting back on the salt (sometimes this solves the problem).
Other Ingredients – Orange, lemon, or grapefruit peel or zest, as well as cinnamon and alcohol, will have a retarding effect. Too much will stop the yeast activity completely. Cinnamon has a direct effect on the yeast activity and in large quantities it will stop fermentation completely. Keep high percentages of cinnamon out of the dough itself and it in the fillings where it can have only a limited effect on the yeast activity.
Vital Gluten – Add 1 teaspoon of vital gluten per cup of whole grain flour in your recipes. This will produce a taller loaf. If you find the loaves are still short, increase by adding and extra teaspoon until you get the results you desire (be sure to note the amounts on the recipe).
Flour – For most bread, you should use bread flour. It has a higher protein content, which forms more gluten during kneading.
Yeast – I use Red Star Instant Active Dry Yeast in all my breads. I use 1 teaspoon of instant yeast per cup of flour. If the recipe calls for over 3 cups of flour, I still use only 3 teaspoons. This gives me a taller and well-textured loaf. Sometimes, if the day is warm and humid, I cut back 1/2 teaspoon to prevent over proofing. The rapid dough cycle is the only cycle I use on my bread machine.
3. The most important hint or tip! Learn to read your dough. Don’t be afraid to open the lid to check how your dough is doing. It should form a nice elastic ball. If you think the dough is too moist, add flour a tablespoon at a time. The same is true if the dough is looking dry and gnarly. Add warm water (a tablespoon at a time). If you can’t judge your dough by looking, stick your finger in and feel the dough. It should be slightly tacky to the touch.
4. Another secret is not to flour the surface on which you form the dough (unless you have very sticky dough). Instead, lightly oil the work surface to prevent the dough from sticking. It’s a sure bet that oiling your work surface will produce wonderful rolls and loaves of bread.
5. I knead the dough just a little on the sprayed surface and form into a oval, cover with a cotton towel, and let rest for 10 minutes. This is an important step to let the dough rest after turning it out of the bread pan. This is called “benching” and it allows the dough to relax, making it easier to handle and shape.
The type and size of towel used to cover the dough is also important. Be sure it is large enough to cover your entire dough or you will have a “crust” form and the dough will no longer rise. Use a large cotton towel with a smooth surface.
6. Handle dough gently. Over molding could cause breaking of the surface tension and will result in a smaller finished loaf. After resting, turn dough bottom side up and press to flatten. Then fold dough into shape you want. Place on a jelly roll pan dusted with cornmeal or the new “Silpat”. Cover and place in a warm spot to rise, approximately 20 minutes. It is often difficult to determine when hand-shaped dough has risen enough, so test it by pushing on the dough with your finger (if it springs back up and hesitates, it has risen sufficiently).
7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. (this is the temperature I use in a regular oven for all bread). After rising, slash the bread with a very sharp knife, razor blade, or a lame (a lame is a sharp blade that gets under the dough as you cut, giving you just the right shape for expansion). Brush or spray the top of the bread with cold water (this keeps the dough wet so that it won’t form a crust from the heat of the oven, thus allowing the bread to get a good “oven spring: during the first 5 minutes of baking) and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until nicely browned. (A good check is to use an instant meat thermometer to test your bread. The temperature should be between 200 and 210 degrees. I do this all the time).
8. Another secret to give your bread the professional bakery look is to use a cornstarch glaze. I keep this mixture in my refrigerator to use on all the bread I bake.
Cornstarch Glaze:
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
In a small saucepan, with a small whisk, stir together water and cornstarch. Heat mixture to a gentle boil. Stir, reduce heat, until mixture thickens and is translucent. Cool. Brush on loaf about 10 minutes before baking is finished and again 3 minutes before bread is completely done.

Bread Dough

How to Knead Bread Dough

By eHow Food & Drink Editor

Kneading the dough is one of the most important steps in bread baking. This step more than any other will determine the outcome of the bread.

Instructions

1. Start with dough that has been measured and mixed properly.

2. Turn the dough out on a clean, floured work surface.

3. Flour your hands well.

4. Use the heel of your hands to compress and push the dough away from you, then fold it back over itself.

5. Give the dough a little turn and repeat Step 4. Put the weight of your body into the motion and get into a rhythm.

6. Keep folding over and compressing the dough until it becomes smooth and slightly shiny, almost satiny. Check your recipe for specifics. The most common test for doneness is to press it with your finger. If the indentation remains, it’s ready for rising. You can also try stretching part of the dough into a rectangle. If it can stretch into a thin sheet without breaking, you’ve kneaded it enough.

Tips

It’s difficult to over-knead dough by hand, but it’s actually very easy to do with a machine, so check it fairly often. Kneading one loaf’s worth of white-bread dough by hand should take about 10 minutes. Kneading two loaves’ worth takes almost double the time. It takes longer for whole-wheat flour as well. Kneading does three crucial things for bread, it distributes the yeast and other ingredients evenly and thoroughly, it develops the gluten in the dough, and it introduces air. The gluten, or wheat protein, is what enables the dough to stretch instead of collapsing when the yeast grows inside it. If the gluten isn’t developed, the dough won’t rise well and will produce a heavy loaf – rather like a brick. Some bread recipes call for a second kneading just before the dough is added to the loaf pans. Professional bakers call this benching and shaping the dough.

Why Do We Need to Knead Bread Dough?

By Dennis R Weaver

Bread dough needs to be elastic in order to capture the gases created by the yeast, stretch as bubbles form in the dough, expand, and rise. Without that elasticity, bread would not have the open texture we enjoy nor would bread be chewy. But what creates that elasticity? The endosperm of the wheat contains two important proteins, glutenin and gliadin. When wheat flour is mixed with water, these two proteins link with the water molecules and crosslink with each other as they are physically manipulated by kneading. It takes a certain amount of physical manipulation to bring these molecules into contact and create strong links. As the kneading continues and these molecules create stronger bonds, gluten is formed. It is gluten that gives the dough elasticity. If you watch the dough being mixed with the bread hook in your stationary mixer, you will see changes occur in the dough as the kneading takes place. First the dough will stick to the sides of the bowl. As the bonds become stronger and the dough more elastic, it pulls away from the sides into a drier ball. The sides should become clean. Within four or five minutes at medium speed, the dough will change even more and become elastic as the gluten is completely formed. After you have watched this process a few times, you will be able to recognize the changes in the dough as the gluten forms. If you pinch a portion of the dough and stretch it, it should pull to a thin layer before it breaks. Without that elasticity, bread isn’t good bread.

How to Make Bread

Satisfying Your Knead

From “Guide to the art of bread making” by Susan Jane Cheney
Flour, water and yeast are the three essential ingredients in bread making. Flour ground from hard wheat (bread flour) or flour ground from hard and soft wheat (all-purpose) is best for risen breads because it contains a high amount of gluten, a protein with the capacity to stretch and form a strong elastic structure. (Soft, or pastry, wheat flour is appropriate for quick loaves, muffins, cakes and cookies.) Whole-wheat flour makes a slightly heftier loaf than refined (white) flour but provides more nutrients and a richer flavor. Low-gluten and non gluten flours, such as rice, spelt and potato, need to be mixed with about 50 percent wheat flour for the dough to rise properly.
Leavening agents cause dough to rise by creating bubbles that expand the gluten strands. The most commonly used leavened in bread making is yeast; a living organism that converts the natural sugars in flour to gases. Active dry yeast is easy to find in the refrigerated sections of supermarkets. Be sure to check the expiration date on individual packages before you buy (and keep it refrigerated until ready to use).
When water is at the proper temperature (105 [degrees] F to 115 [degrees] F), it activates the yeast and turns the flour into a dough. It’s best to use filtered or spring water to avoid any chemicals or off-flavors in tap water that could interfere with dough’s development. Water can also be replaced completely or partially with milk or soy milk.
Fats, such as oil, butter and eggs, are not necessary, though they do give the dough a soft, tender texture and richer flavor. Sugar or other sweeteners are optional and may mask the subtle flavor of whole grains, though too much sweetener will impair optimal dough development.
Salt is used in most bread to add flavor and control the rate of fermentation.
Accurate measurements of flour, leavening and water are the foundation of good bread baking. When measuring flour and other dry ingredients, stir briefly to aerate. Fill a dry-measure (nested) cup above the rim, then level the top with a long straight edge, such as the blade of a blunt knife. With liquid ingredients, place a glass measuring cup on a flat surface and bend down so that the measuring line is at eye level.
Procedure
1. The first step is to “proof,” or test, the viability of the yeast.
Pour a small amount (as the recipe directs) of lukewarm water into a small ceramic or glass bowl. The water temperature should be comfortable to the touch not too hot but not cool. Sprinkle the yeast over the water, and then gently stir to dissolve. Set the yeast mixture in a warm place; the mixture should appear slightly bubbly within 5 to 10 minutes. This indicates that the yeast has been activated and is now ready to be added to the flour.
2. Mixing and kneading the dough is next.
In a large bowl, mix the activated yeast with the ingredients called for in your recipe, stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The next step, kneading, performs a crucial function in preparing the dough to rise. First, it completes the mixing process, and then it allows the flour’s protein to develop into gluten. To properly knead dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball. Keep a little additional flour on the side and lightly dust the dough as necessary to keep it from sticking. Using the heel of your hand, gently push the dough away from you. At the same time, use your other hand to rotate the dough slightly toward you, guiding the dough slowly around in a smooth, rhythmic, circular motion. Continue this process for approximately 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and satiny and has a springy quality.
3. Now it’s time for the dough to rest and rise.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled ceramic or glass bowl and cover with a damp dishtowel or greased plastic wrap to keep the surface from drying out. Put the bowl in a warm, draft-free place (a gas oven warmed by the pilot light or the top of the refrigerator are good spots) and allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size. The rising time depends primarily on the amount of yeast used and the room temperature. For most dough, it will take about 1 to 2 hours. During this period, the yeast multiplies and the gluten in the flour begins to stretch and strengthen. The key process of fermentation also begins. In the absence of oxygen, the yeast begins to break down the starch into simple sugars. This yields carbon dioxide, which leavens the dough. The dough is ready when it springs back slowly when you gently press the surface with a fingertip. (Over-rising will permanently weaken the gluten structure and cause dough to collapse.) Once the dough has risen completely, punch it down once to deflate. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead about 5 times to release the built-up carbon dioxide and reinvigorate the yeast and gluten. Form the dough into a ball and let it rest, uncovered, for another 5 to 10 minutes.
4. The last step is shaping the dough according to the recipe and letting it rise for the final time. The second rising will take less time than the first, about 45 minutes, because the gluten structure has already been formed. (Note: The finger-poke method is only useful for the first rising.) Before you put the shaped and risen dough into the oven, make several slashes in the top of the loaf using a sharp knife or razor blade. These will allow the dough to expand rapidly without tearing. At this time you can also brush on a glaze, such as beaten egg, or sprinkle on seeds.
Hard as it may be, you really should wait until a loaf has cooled thoroughly to the touch before slicing it. The center of a fresh-from-the-oven loaf is still doughy because the baking process isn’t complete. If hot bread is absolutely too tempting to resist, make a few rolls out of part of the dough and bake them along with the loaf. These you can eat almost immediately. By the way, the best way to store your loaves (if there are any left over, that is) is to keep them unwrapped in a large ceramic bowl at room temperature covered by a plate or tray. Freezing bread is better than refrigerating it (which robs flavor), but freeze loaves sliced rather than whole so that you can take out just what you need at any one time.
From start to finish, the best breads are the product of a happy marriage of art and science. Besides practice, the secret to good bread baking is allowing enough time for fermentation to completely transform the grain, physically and enzymatically. This process enhances the taste, texture, digestibility and shelf life of the finished bread. Understanding how to make bread or bread making may dispel its mystique, but it will never diminish the magic of a superlative loaf.