essential
baking ingredients
Many of our most beloved recipes are made up of the same baking ingredients. Here are a few easy-to-store items to keep in the pantry for your next baking endeavor with Fleischmann’s® Yeast.
Common liquids to use in baking:
Water is essential for two critical reasons:
It dissolves and activates the yeast
It blends with the flour to create a sticky and elastic dough
Milk, buttermilk, cream or juice may be added to enhance the flavor or texture
Wheat is the most common type of flour used in bread baking. It encompasses all-purpose flour, bread flour and whole-wheat flour. Wheat is rich in gluten, a protein that gives dough its elasticity and strength.
Eggs enrich dough and add color and flavor to breads. They also help make the crumb fine and the crust tender while adding richness and protein. Some recipes call for eggs to be used as a wash, which adds color.
Yeast is the heart of the bread-making process, making the dough rise and giving home-baked bread its wonderful taste and aroma. It’s always good to have a mix of different types of yeast to be prepared for any recipe. To learn more about the kind of yeast you should use, click here.
Salt is an important ingredient in bread baking because it draws water out of yeast to slow the rise time, allowing the flavor of the dough to develop. Salt can be reduced within recipes by one-third, but should not be completely eliminated, as it not only improves texture and flavor, but also keeps the yeast from becoming overactive.
Sugar adds flavor and rich brown color to a bread’s crust. Brown sugar, honey, molasses and/or jams may also be used.
Butter, margarine, shortening or oil add flavor and make bread tender and moist. Fat slows moisture loss, helping bread stay fresh longer. Do not substitute oil for margarine/shortening unless the recipe calls for it.
Many of our most beloved recipes are made up of the same baking ingredients. Here are a few easy-to-store items to keep in the pantry for your next baking endeavor with Fleischmann’s® Yeast.
1. liquids
Common liquids to use in baking:
Water is essential for two critical reasons:
It dissolves and activates the yeast.
It blends with the flour to create a sticky and elastic dough.
Milk, buttermilk, cream or juice may be added to enhance the flavor or texture.
Mind the liquid’s temperature as a cool liquid will slow or stop yeast action, and a hot liquid will destroy the yeast and prevent it from rising.
What temperature should the liquid be?
100°F–110°F, when yeast is dissolved directly in water
120°F–130°F when undissolved instant yeast is added to dry ingredients
2. flour
Wheat is the most common type of flour used in bread baking. It encompasses all-purpose flour, bread flour and whole wheat flour. Wheat is rich in gluten, a protein that gives dough its elasticity and strength.
3. eggs
Eggs enrich dough and add color and flavor to breads. They also help make the crumb fine and the crust tender while adding richness and protein. Some recipes call for eggs to be used as a wash, which adds color.
4. yeast
Yeast is the heart of the bread-making process, making the dough rise and giving home-baked bread its wonderful taste and aroma. It’s always good to have a mix of different types of yeast to be prepared for any recipe. To learn more about the kind of yeast you should use, click here.
5. salt
Salt is an important ingredient in bread baking because it draws water out of yeast to slow the rise time, allowing the flavor of the dough to develop. Salt can be reduced within recipes by one-third, but should not be completely eliminated, as it not only improves texture and flavor, but also keeps the yeast from becoming overactive.
6. sweetener
Sugar adds flavor and rich brown color to a bread’s crust. Brown sugar, honey, molasses and/or jams may also be used.
7. fats
Butter, margarine, shortening or oil add flavor and make bread tender and moist. Fat slows moisture loss, helping bread stay fresh longer. Do not substitute oil for margarine/shortening unless the recipe calls for it.
