Bread Making -- The whats and hows.

All bread is made using variations on the same recipes. A flour and water dough with added yeast or raising agent.

Baking Powder - A raising agent which works by producing carbon dioxide as a consequence of a reaction caused by the acid and alkali ingredients, which expand during the baking process and make the breads and cakes rise.

Bicarbonate of Soda - This acts as a raising agent in baking when combined with liquid.

Binding - Adding liquid or egg to bring a dry mixture together. Normally this entails using either a fork, spoon or your fingertips.

Brioche - A traditional bread eaten in France for breakfast, usually served warm. Brioche has a rich, bread-like texture containing yeast and is backed in the shape of a small cottage loaf. A delicious substitute for bread in bread and butter pudding.

Cream of Tartar - This is another raising agent which is often present in both self-raising flour and baking powder.

Dough - A dense mixture of flour, water and a raising agent. Also used to describe raw pastry, scones and biscuit mixtures.

Dredging - The sprinkling of food with a coating (generally of flour or sugar). A board may be dredged with flour before pastry is rolled out and cakes and biscuits can be dredged with sugar after baking.

Fermentation - A term used during bread, beer or wine making to note the chemical change brought about through the use of a fermenting agent, such as yeast.

Flour - Different types of flour are suitable for different types of baking, and it is Strong flour that you should look for when making bread. Strong flour is high in gluten and protein, with a high water-holding capability, which produces an elastic dough that can retain gas bubbles, and is suitable for proving yeast. Strong/Bread flour is also available in a wholemeal form that contains the whole wheat kernel. so is higher in fibre and nutritional content than the white variety.

Knead - The process of pummelling and working dough in order to strengthen the gluten in the flour and making the dough more elastic, thus giving a good rise. Also applies to pastry making the dough is kneaded on a lightly floured surface to give a smooth and elastic pastry making it easier to roll and ensuring an even texture after baking in both cases the outside of the dough is drawn into the centre.

Knock Back - The term used for a second kneading after the dough has been allowed to rise. This is done to ensure an even texture and to disperse any large pockets of air.

Proving - The term used in bread making when the bread is allowed to rise a second time after it has been kneaded once and then shaped before it is baked.

Sifting - The shaking of dry ingredients (primarily flour) through a metal or nylon sieve to remove impurities before using in baking, and to introduce air into the mixture.

Sugar - A small amount of sugar is needed for bread making, acting as a food supply for the yeast that, in the presence of warm liquid, will grow and ferment, producing the carbon dioxide bubbles that cause the bread to rise.

Unleavened - Often refers to bread which does not use a raising agent and is therefore flat, such as Indian Naan bread.

Yeast - There is something very comforting about the aroma of freshly baked bread and the taste is far different and superior to commercially made bread. Bread making is regarded by some as being a time consuming process but with the advent of fast-acting yeast this no longer applies.There are three different types of yeast available:

Fresh Yeast - which can now be bought in the in-store bakery department of many supermarkets (fresh yeast freezes well);

Dried Yeast - which is available in tins;

Quick-acting Yeast - which comes in sachets or packets.

Fresh Yeast - should be bought in small quantities; it has a putty like colour and texture with a slight wine smell. It should be creamed with a little sugar and some warm liquid before adding to the flour.

Dried Yeast - can be stored for up to six months and comes in small hard granules. it should be sprinkled on to warm liquid with a little sugar then left to stand, normally between 15-20 minutes, until the mixture froths. When replacing the fresh yeast with dried yeast , use 1 tablespoon of dried yeast for 25g/1oz of fresh yeast.

Quick Acting Yeast - cuts down the time of bread making and eliminates the need for proving the bread twice. Also, the yeast can be added straight to the flour without it needing to be activated. When replacing quick-acting yeast for dried yeast, you will need double the amount.

When using yeast the most important thing to remember is that yeast is a living plant and needs food, water and warmth to work.