Helpful Breadmaking Tips!

I hope that these tips help you to make the best breads you can possibly imagine! The possibilities are endless when you can use substitutions and little extra goodies!

 Bread Making Tips:

1)  Never beat the batter! Always fold it.

2)  Allow thick bread batters which do Not contain baking powder to rest in the pan for ten minutes before baking. A lighter load will result.

3)  Fill any loaf pan no more than 2/3 way full.

4)  Place pans in the center of the oven, rotate halfway through if you want to be certain of even cooking.

5)  Test about ten minutes before you think the loaf will be done, just in case.

6)  If you're adding nuts or dried fruits, add them to the dry ingredients so they are coated with flour and don't sink to the bottom of the loaf.

7)  Mix the dry ingredients together first in a large bowl with a whisk so that they distribute evenly.

8)  Mix the wet ingredients together second before adding to dry ingredients.

9)  Only add wet ingredients to dry ingredients right before you plan on baking or some of the leavening action will be lost.

10)       Cool loaves in the pan for ten minutes and remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Loaves left in a pan to cool completely sometimes get soggy from condensation.

Substituting Ingredients:

1)  When substituting buttermilk for regular milk, use 1/4 cup more. When replacing milk with yogurt, use almost twice as much.

2)  Solid and liquid fats are interchangeable. All breads need some fat content.

3)  Fruit purees can substitute for some of the fat in a recipe.

4)  Three egg whites equal one whole egg, and may be substituted any time but the loaf will not be as rich.

5)  When using whole wheat for white flour, use 1/4 to 1/2 cup less, because it absorbs more liquid.

6)  Bran, wheat germ, oats and nuts can be added without much adjustment to the liquid ingredients.

7)  Yogurt or soured milk can be substituted for buttermilk. You can make soured milk by adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup warm milk. Let it stand until it starts to curdle. It will have the sourness of buttermilk but lack its richness.

8)  Dried herbs are about twice as potent as fresh herbs when used in breads and are more flavorful when crumbled between your fingers before using.

Suggested flavor combinations:

- Buckwheat, raisins and brown sugar

-chutney and peanuts

-cranberries, orange and thyme

-apples, bran and nutmeg

-pineapple, bran and rosemary

- oatmeal, applesauce and cinnamon

-blueberries and orange

-lemon and poppy seeds

- chocolate and cinnamon

- orange, rye and anise

-pear, hazelnuts and thyme

-mincemeat, orange and walnuts

-banana and macadamia nuts

-pumpkin and sage

-pumpkin and curry

-caraway and cheese

-carrot and sunflower seeds

-avocados, pecan and curry

-garlic, sesame and chives

-chutney, curry and nuts

-peppers, cumin and cornmeal

I hope you have enjoyed these tips, substitutions and flavor suggestions.

Cheers, foodies!