Basic Information in Bread

Bread is made from baked dough – a mixture of flour and water, either leavened or unleavened. There are three main groups of bread: the lean type, the soft type and the sweet type.

1. Lean Type. These breads are heavy and are also known as European bread. Their ingredients include more salt, a little butter or shortening, and sugar. Examples: pan de sal, tasty bread, pan Americano, French bread and cheese bread.

2. Soft Type. These brands are soft, made of more sugar and shortening than salt. Examples: hamburger bun, hotdog roll, dinner roll, cloverleaf, pan de ciosa and pan de coco.

3. Sweet Type. These breads are sweet and are usually with filling. They have more sugar, shortening and water. Examples are ensaymada, cinnamon rolls, Swedish rings, interlaced and Christmas log.

Baking Terminologies

Familiarity and understanding of baking concepts is important for someone involved in bread making.

Dough or mass. A term used to refer to the mixture of flour, water, salt and other ingredients for bread making.

Fermentation or leavening. A process where sugar and other carbohydrates are separated with the help of yeast or a leavening agent in order to form carbon dioxide gas, alcohol and acids that will make the bread mass rise.

Gluten. The protein from flour that gives it a sticky quality which enables to knead and form the dough in any desired shape. Gluten retains the fermentation gases, which make the dough rise.

Proofing period. The time needed to make the dough rise. This starts with the placing of the dough in a proofing box until it is baked.

Bench. The worktable used for bread making.

Basic Ingredients in Bread Making

Flour. Cream in color, it gives the foundation and the structure of the baked product. Starch and protein, which are needed to make the gluten that serves as the framework of the bread, are obtained from flour.

Water. This ingredient is mixed with flour to from gluten. It is the solvent of the rest of the ingredients and makes the process of mixing and kneading easier.

Leavening agent or yeast. This ingredient gives volume to bread. It is used to make the dough rise in a process called fermentation.

Salt. Makes the bread tasted better. This ingredient helps control fermentation and makes the gluten stronger. It also hinders the growth of destructive bacteria that causes the flour or dough to turn sour.

Sugar. Sugar serves as food for the yeast to make the dough rise faster. It makes the bread tastier and softer as it also lengthens the shelf life of the bread.

Shortening. The processed fat from milk, vegetables or meat; like butter, oil and margarine. It makes the dough easier to knead. It improves the softness of bread, and helps lengthen its shelf life.

Milk. This ingredient can either be condensed, evaporated or powdered when used in bread making. Milk makes the bread tastier and more nutritious with its protein and calcium content.