Read Bread Machines For Dummies for Free Online

foods. After you open a jar of wheat germ, be sure to refrigerate it, as it will go rancid quite easily because of its high fat content.

    Rancidity is the result of a chemical change in fat caused by exposure to air and age. Rancid fat has an unpleasant odor and taste. Whole grain flours, wheat germ, and wheat bran are susceptible to rancidity because of their natural oils. If you are in doubt as to whether your flour is rancid, wet your finger and touch the flour. A bit will stick. Taste this flour. If it’s bitter, your flour is rancid and should be discarded.
Note:
Refrigeration prevents rancidity.
    Wheat bran
    Wheat bran is the outer layer of the wheat kernel. Like wheat germ, it is milled out of white flours. You can add it to bread dough in very small amounts to increase the amount of fiber. Do not confuse wheat bran with bran breakfast cereal, as they are not the same. Wheat bran is a very small, thin flake. We usually find it in the dietetic health food section at the supermarket. Although wheat bran does not contain the amount of oil wheat germ does, it should still be stored in the refrigerator.
    Vital wheat gluten
    Millers are actually able to use white flour from hard wheat, remove the starch, and leave only the protein. They call this product
vital wheat gluten

(some call it
wheat gluten

or even just
gluten

). When you add it to bread, the dough becomes more elastic and expands easier. Although it is not absolutely necessary, vital wheat gluten definitely contributes to a higher volume and better texture in whole-wheat breads. We recommend 1 teaspoon for each cup of whole-wheat flour.
    Do not confuse gluten flour with vital wheat gluten. Gluten flour is usually about 50 percent gluten and 50 percent starch. Professional bakers use it for bread, mixing it with low-protein flour. When we experimented with gluten flour in a bread machine, the bread was tough, so don’t use it. See Table 3-1 for information on the protein content of different types of flour, and remember that adding vital wheat gluten can increase the amount of protein.

    You can add vital wheat gluten to all-purpose flour as a substitute for bread flour. It increases the protein content and contributes to a higher volume than you would get by using only all-purpose flour. Directions for how much to use are on the vital wheat gluten package. We have found that 1 teaspoon per cup of all-purpose flour is adequate.
    Table 3-1Protein Content of Flours
Type of Flour
Protein Content
All-purpose national brands
10–11%
All-purpose Southern brands
2–6%
Bread flour
11–12%
Semolina flour
12.3% and up
Cake flour
7–9%
Pastry flour
8–9%
    Flours from Other Grains
    Wheat isn’t the only grain that’s used to make flour. Some other bread flours that you’ve probably heard of follow.
    Rye flour
    Rye is grown primarily in northern Europe, often in conjunction with wheat. It is considered an inferior grain compared to wheat because it is harder to grow and has a lower gluten content. Just as France has white, fat-free, crusty breads, Russia and Poland traditionally serve heavy, dark rye breads. However, French bakers sometimes add small amounts of rye flour to their white breads. You may want to try this technique, because rye flour ferments easily. This means it increases the yeast activity in the bread and enhances the texture by strengthening the dough’s honeycomb-like structure. A small amount of rye flour can also help to reduce the incidence of wrinkled tops that sometimes occur in bread machines. We recommend 2 teaspoons of rye flour per cup of bread flour or whole-wheat flour.
    Did you know that your favorite rye bread is made primarily with wheat flour? That’s right. Although rye flour has protein, it does not become elastic when kneaded. Therefore, it does not form an expandable structure in bread dough. So without wheat flour in the recipe, the loaf would rise very little. Rye flour does contribute