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Sweeteners
Use white or brown sugars, honey, malt extract, golden syrup, maple syrup, molasses or treacle.
• Sugarandliquidsweetenershelpwiththecolourofthebreadandaddagoldencolourtothecrust.
• Sugarattractsmoisturewhichimprovesthekeepingqualityofthebread.
• Sugarprovidesfoodfortheyeast.Itisnotessentialasmoderntypesofdriedyeastareableto
feed on the natural sugars and starches found in the flour but it will help to make the dough
more active.
• Sweet breads have a moderate level of sugar with the fruit, glaze or icing adding extra
sweetness. Use the SWEET programme for these breads.
• Ifsubstitutingaliquidsweetenerforsugarthenthetotalliquidquantityoftherecipewillneed
to be reduced slightly.
Fats and oils
A small amount of fat or oil will give a softer crumb and helps to extend the freshness of the loaf.
Use butter, margarine or lard in small quantities. Do not use low fat spreads as they contain up
to 40% water and can affect the overall quantities in your recipe.
Liquid
Some form of liquid is essential. Usually water or milk is used. Water gives a crisper result than
milk. Water can be combined with skimmed milk powder. If using the TIME DELAY it is important
to use water and skimmed milk powder as ordinary milk will deteriorate if left to stand for too
long. For most programmes you can use water straight from the tap but if using the ULTRA QUICK
programmes it needs to be lukewarm.
• Onverycolddaysmeasurethewaterandleavetostandatroomtemperaturefor30minutes
before use.
• Ifusingmilk,don’tuseitstraightfromthefridge,leaveittostandatroomtemperaturefor30
minutes before use.
• Buttermilk,yoghurt,sourcreamandsoftcheesessuchasRicotta,cottageorfromagefraiscan
all be used as part of the liquid content and will give a more moist and tender crumb.
• Eggs can be added to the dough to enrich it. Eggs improve the colour and help to add
structure and stability to the gluten during rising. If you are using eggs, reduce the liquid
content accordingly. Place the egg in the measuring cup and top up with liquid to the correct
level for the recipe.
Yeast
All the recipes in this book have been tested using easy blend, fast-action yeast which does not
require dissolving in water first, is very easy to use and tends to give better results. It is placed in
a well in the flour where it is kept dry and separate from the liquid until the mixing commences.
• Forbestresultsuseeasyblend,fast-actionyeast.
• Useonlytheamountofyeaststatedintherecipe.Iftoomuchisaddeditwillcausethedough
to spill out over the top of the bread pan.
• Onceasachetofyeastisopeneditshouldbeusedwithin48hours.
• Alwaysuseyeastbeforeitsusebydate.
• You may also nd dried yeast that has been specially designed for use in bread makers.
Always follow the instructions on the packet.
Adapting your own recipes
After you have made some of the recipes supplied you may wish to adapt a few of your own recipes.
Start by selecting one of the recipes in this booklet, which is similar to your own and use this as a guide.
Read through the following guidelines and be prepared to make adjustments as you go along.
• MakesureyouusethecorrectquantitiesfortheBreadMaker.ThisBreadMakermakesa500g
loaf. Do not exceed the recommended maximum. If using your own recipe books always use
the quantities given for the 500g loaf size.
• Alwaysaddtheliquidtothebreadpanrst.Separatetheyeastfromtheliquidbyadding
after the flour.
• Addtheourcarefullyandspreaditovertheliquid.Iftippedintooercely,theliquidmay
seep up through the flour and come into contact with the yeast.
• Replacefreshyeastwitheasyblenddriedyeast.Note: 6g fresh yeast = 1 teaspoon (5ml) dried yeast.
• Useskimmedmilkpowderandwaterinsteadoffreshmilkifyouaredelayingthestarttime.
• Ifyourrecipeusesegg,addtheeggaspartofthetotalliquidmeasurement,unlesstherecipe
states otherwise.
• Keeptheyeastseparatefromtheotheringredientsinthebreadpanuntilmixingcommences.
• Checktheconsistencyofthedoughduringtherstfewminutesofmixing.Breadmakersdo
require slightly softer dough so you may have to add extra liquid. The dough should be wet
enough to gradually relax back.
REMOVING, SLICING AND STORING BREAD
• Forbestresults,once yourloafis baked,removeitfromthemachineand turnoutof the
bread pan immediately, although your Bread Maker will keep it warm for up to an hour if you
are not around.
• Remove the bread pan from the machine using oven gloves, even if it is during the
KEEP WARM cycle. Turn the pan upside down and shake several times to release the cooked
bread. If the bread is difficult to remove, try gently knocking the corner of the bread pan on
a wooden board, or rotate the base of the shaft underneath the bread pan.
• The kneadingpaddle should remain insidethebread pan when thebread is released but
occasionally it may remain inside the loaf of bread. If so, remove it using the hook before
slicing the bread.
• Leavethebreadtocoolforatleast30minutesonacoolingrack,toallowsteamtoescape.
The bread will be difficult to slice if hot.
Storing
Home-made bread does not contain any preservatives so should be eaten within 2 – 3 days of
baking. If you are not eating it immediately, wrap in foil or place in a plastic bag and seal.
• Crispy,French-stylebreadwillsoftenonstoragesoitisbestleftuncovereduntilsliced.
• Ifyouwishtofreezeyourbread,slicetheloafbeforefreezingsoyoucantakeoutjustthe
slices you need.
Hints and tips
• TheBreadMakerisnotasealedunitandwillbeaffectedbythetemperatureandhumidityofthe
day. If it is a very hot day or the machine is used in a hot kitchen, then the bread is likely to rise more
than if it is cold.