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The Maillard Reaction

1/13/2015

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Ever notice that most recipes for baked goods direct you to “bake until golden brown?” Just why do those baked beauties brown, anyway? Behind every lovely golden loaf of bread is the Maillard reaction, which is actually a series of reactions.
The reaction is catalyzed by oven heat, the reducing sugars react with amino acids in the bread, cookie, pretzel and biscuit dough yielding a delectable aroma and a golden brown exterior.

The Maillard reaction which occurs most readily when the surface temperature of  the food is more than 300 degrees Fahrenheit. The reaction takes place only when both protein and carbohydrates or sugars are present. Cooked at high heat, protein breaks down into its building blocks, amino acids, which then react with a group of sugars known as simple sugars. The reacting amino acids and sugars rearrange themselves to form ring-type structures that reflect light in such a way that the food takes on a brown hue. These transformations also produce the  flavor and aroma compounds, which combine with one another to produce even more tastes and smells. Ranging from malty, grassy, and chocolaty to oniony, meaty, and earthy, they depend on the exact composition of particular foods. 

In baked items the type of sugar in the recipe can have a great effect on results from the Maillard reaction. Baked items  sweetened with sugar alcohols (xylitol, sorbitol, erythritol, etc) don’t brown? Those sweeteners don’t participate in the Maillard reaction. Also be careful subbing Splenda for sugar – Splenda doesn’t brown in many baked goods, so you’ll need to make a few recipe adaptations, if you want a color change when baked.

Caramelization of a food happens at a higher temperature around 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Unlike the Maillard reaction, caramelization is exclusively the breakdown of sugar molecules under high heat. Sugars such as glucose and sucrose unravel, and a wealth of sweet, bitter, and nutty flavor molecules are formed. These chemical reactions not only bring about a color change, they also produce hundreds of flavor compounds that create the rich, savory notes and appetizing aromas we associate with baked, roasted, grilled, and seared dishes The aromas that are noticeably absent from foods cooked by wet methods like steaming, boiling, and poaching.

For a food to reach such high surface temperatures, it must be fairly dry on the outside. When in direct contact with a hot skillet or surrounded by the scorching air of a 400 F oven, the water molecules on the surface of foods quickly vaporize, resulting in the familiar sizzling sound of searing or roasting foods. Once all the moisture has evaporated, the dehydrated exterior of the food becomes hot enough to trigger the Maillard reaction in just a few minutes.

By contrast, foods cooked by wet methods are only able to reach 212 F, the boiling point of water. One product I use often in my kitchen is the crock pot, it's not known for browning the food, so most recipes have you sear the meat before you put it into the crock. The Maillard reaction can take place at lower temperatures, but it takes much, much longer, such as when meat broth develops a dark color and rich flavors after hours of simmering. 

The ratio of the Maillard reaction to caramelization that transpires on a piece of food depends on its protein and carbohydrate content. Carrots, for example, have lots of carbohydrates, so roasting these root vegetables will result in considerably more caramelization than Maillard compounds. Seared steak, on the other hand, will have been browned and enriched mostly from the Maillard reaction.

I hope this information will give you some insight into the chemistry of why food browns when baked and the wonderful aromas and tastes it creates.



Sources:
Food Explainer thanks Jeff Culbertson of Washington State University.
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The Functions Of Salt In Bread

1/13/2015

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I often get asked can I make the bread without adding any salt since we are watching our salt intake. The answer is no, salt does much more than just add flavor to the bread. Yeast breads have very few ingredients but each ingredient plays a role in the end quality of the bread. I find if you understand the ingredients in your recipe you will ultimately be a better baker.

Salt's Function in Bread
1. Flavor
Salt's main function is to bring out the flavor of the baked product. Salt tends to bring out the good flavors and mask the off-flavors.

2. Inhibits Fermentation
Salt will actually dry up the yeast cells much like the sun will dry up a grape and turn it into a raisin. When you are adding your salt to your bowl, it's best not to add it directly on top of the yeast you just added. Since salt slows down the fermentation it can be can be used to control the fermentation rate of sponges or sourdough breads. Slowing down fermentation rate means that less sugars are metabolized by the yeast into acids. The result is that the pH of the dough will be higher and the crust color will be darker.

3. Salt Toughens the Gluten
The fact that salt toughens the gluten, could be helpful when using a flour with less gluten like Spelt compared to Hard Red flour. Since it strengthens the gluten it also lengthens the mixing time when making bread. It's common to delay the addition of the salt to the mixer until the end of the mix especially if you are kneading the dough by hand.

4. No Salt Creates A light Colored Crust
Lastly, bread with no salt will have a crust which is lighter in color (given the same baking time and oven temperature). This can be explained as follows. Salt will slow down fermentation, so when there is no salt, the yeast activity will increase i.e. the yeast will metabolize more sugar in a given period of time. As a result there will be less sugars left in the dough and the pH of the dough will be lower (more acids will be formed). Sugars play (together with proteins, moisture and heat) an important role in the Maillard reaction. But the Maillard reaction is also influenced by the pH : a higher pH will speed up the Maillard reaction. So in this case where the pH is lower and where there are less sugars left, the color of the crust is lighter.
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Allow Your Bread To Raise To New Heights

1/13/2015

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Fats and Oils are added to breads to improve flavor and provide a moist texture and rich taste. Butter, margarine, shortening, nut olives and vegetable oils add flavor and make bread tender and moist. They slow moisture loss, helping bread stay fresh longer.

Liquid fat, like oils and melted butter that is incorporated in the bread dough before kneading will inhibit the gluten formation.  Gluten is the (protein) elastic bands that allow the bread to raise. If the recipe calls for you to add melted  butter or oil to the dough, then kneed the dough first to develop the gluten or you will not achieve the greatest height on your loaf.  In fact, recipes that require no fat will raise higher than recipes that add fat before the gluten is developed. Adding fats to the dough especially butter and olive oil, add a lot of flavor, keep the crumb tender and improve the shelf life of your bread.

You can have the best of both worlds, all the benefits of the added fat and a high loaf. How and when the fat is added to the dough is the secret. You can use this trick with any recipe, just add the fat at a different time in the mixing process.

 It's hard to get a light loaf using 100% whole grain but using a method developed by the French to add the butter after the gluten has been developed really helps when making 100% whole grain breads.

What I do is develop the gluten with the mixer or by hand and the last couple of minutes of kneading, I add cold butter which has been cut up into small pieces to the dough. I poke holes with my fingers in the dough and insert a piece of cold butter into each. Then I put the dough hook back on the mixer and knead or continue kneading by hand.  At first the dough will start to fall apart but as you incorporate the cold butter the dough will pull together and the finished result is amazing.

Think of the cold butter like putting cream rinse on your long hair (gluten strands). The butter de-tangles the developed gluten strands which allows them to stretch to the fullest extent, and the bread to raise to new heights.

Next time your struggling with a recipe that for some reason never seems to raise very well try this technique. With bread making the ingredients are simple but sometimes the techniques make the difference between a brick and a high light loaf.

Happy Baking
Tamara
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The Function Of Sugar In Bread

1/13/2015

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The Types of Sugars And How It Effects Breads
Have you ever looked at the ingredients on a store-bought loaf of bread? There are a lot of other ingredients compared to homemade bread. I believe you are what you eat, so keeping the ingredients simple and to something you can pronounce is important to me. If you understand how these simple ingredients affect your loaf it will make you a better baker.

There are two types of breads
1. Enriched breads which have sugar, dairy, oil and other ingredients these breads are usually loaf breads, or sweet breads. The crumb has a soft light even texture along with a soft crust and are baked at a lower temperature due to the fact that sugar browns the loaf.

2. Lean breads breads are usually baked into crusty loaves or boules they are flour, water, yeast and salt. Their texture is chewy with large holes and are baked at a higher temperature, than enriched breads. Lean breads are usually baked with steam which creates a thick crunchy crust.

What Sugar Does
Sugar adds sweetness, as well as contributing to the product's browning. The main role for sugar in yeast breads is to provide food for the yeast. It will also speed up your rise time during proofing.  Sugar is not an essential ingredient for the yeast to grow and multiply. The yeast can convert the starch in the flour to sugar as in a lean bread. Adding the sugar gives an added boost to the yeast as the yeast grows and multiplies. The yeast  uses the sugar, forming by-products of carbon dioxide and alcohol, which give the bread its characteristic flavor.  The sugar that is not utilized by the yeast tenderizes the bread by preventing the gluten from forming. Sugar also holds moisture in the finished product which makes your enriched loaf stay fresh longer.

Sweet dough recipes call for a much larger proportion of sugar than a basic loaf bread recipe. One would think that with so much sugar available, the yeast would grow uncontrollably. But the reverse actually happens. The yeast “overdoses” on the sugar;  and the chemical balance becomes upset. Sweet breads due to the higher amount of sugar can take a longer time to double the bulk of the dough. To compensate for this problem, most sweet dough recipes specify twice the usual amount of yeast.

Type Of Sugar Used In Enriched Breads

1. Refined Sugars:
White or brown sugar can be used in bread making and will not affect the liquid ratio of your recipe. If added in moderation (1-2 Tablespoons) to your  1-2 lb. loaf will feed the yeast but will not make your loaf sweet. So if your watching your sugar intake this is a good ratio if you just want to feed the yeast.


2. Honey
Honey is a great sweetener for bread, with one small warning, honey has antiseptic properties, and may kill the yeast. The first time you use a fresh jar of honey, make sure you test it with your yeast. Proof the yeast, if there is no problem use the rest of the jar. Another consideration when using honey is it's a liquid and depending on the amount you are adding to the bread, it may throw off your recipe (flour to liquid ratio). You may have to add more flour to your loaf to compensate. If you are using honey instead of what the recipe calls for, lower the oven temperature by 25°F because honey tends to brown easily, also extend the baking time 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Blackstrap Molasses
This is my choice of sweeteners, because of the health benefits. Blackstrap molasses is rich in iron, high in calcium and magnesium, along with a good source of vitamin B6  and selenium. When adding it to your  bread you're not adding that much but, the yeast not only needs the sugar it also needs minerals which are provided by the blackstrap molasses.  Note, breads made with molasses brown more quickly like honey, and the temperature of the oven should be lowered by 25°F, also the baking time extended by 5- 10 minutes.

Side Note:
Unlike refined sugar, blackstrap molasses has a moderate glycemic load of 55. This makes it a good sugar substitute for diabetics and individuals who are seeking to avoid blood sugar spikes. Moreover, one serving  (2 T.) of black-strap contains only 32 calories, making it suitable for a weight loss diet.

4. Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners do not provide food for the yeast so they cannot be used in breads. Remember, the first function of sugar is a food source for the yeast.

Sources
Redstaryeast.com
Miracle of Blackstrap Molasses
KIng Author Flour
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All About Yeast

1/13/2015

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All About Yeast Fellow Whole Grain Bread Makers:
I wanted to share some information I learned about yeast. I hope you find it informative and will help you when baking bread. I have had a few folks ask why their bread does not raise as much as mind did in class. My first thought is how old is your yeast? When that is not the issue the type of yeast may be a problem.

  1. Cake yeast which really is not available to most of us is live yeast which needs to be dissolved before using.
  2. Active dry yeast which is the traditional yeast you buy in the small envelopes or the 4 oz jars. How this is made is each granular has a coating of dead dried yeast and an inner core of live dried yeast. Active dry yeast must always be hydrated in liquid to activate the yeast. The liquid will wash away the dead yeast exposing the dried live yeast inside each granular. Ounce for ounce this form of yeast has less active yeast, which in turn means less raising power when it comes to bread.
  3. Instant yeast is made different, the dried yeast is coated with citric acid (vitamin C). Citric acid is a yeast booster, and will help give the yeast a better environment to live and grow. This yeast is more concentrated than the Active yeast since it does not have the dead dried yeast as a coating. Instant yeast may also be added directly to the flour no need to bloom in the liquid.
  4. Rapid Rise yeast has several yeast enhancers added to it. This yeast is made for bread machines and sometimes is marketed as bread machine yeast. You do not have to bloom this type of yeast before adding to the flour. The main draw back to this yeast is timing if you let it rise to long there is no going back. Since it’s made to work quickly the flavor of the bread will not be as good as a longer raise.
If you are having problems getting a high light loaf, check the date on the yeast make sure it’s still good but if that’s not the problem look into Instant yeast. Instant yeast is what I use and have never had problems. I keep mine in the freezer and is good for years if kept frozen. 

If active dry yeast is what you have try adding a bit more to the recipe. Another tip that may help is adding vitamin C as a yeast booster. The vitamin C will make the yeast work harder and longer. It will also act as a preservative to prevent mold and bacterial growth on your bread. I have used vitamin C pills crushed or Fruit Fresh used in canning. You will need about 1/8 teaspoon per loaf of bread so not that much.

I do sell 1 lb. instant yeast, for $6.00  will last you years if kept frozen.I hope this information will help make your baking experiences rise to new heights.

Tamara Carl

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Additions To Bread

1/12/2015

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If  you have a few recipes that work for you and would like to use them  more often but change them for a different look and taste knowing something about herbs is helpful. The basic whole grain bread I teach in my class is just that recipe, it's easy to make and always turns out great. With the addition of a few items it can be a whole different recipe.

When adding additions to bread there are two considerations:
1) Will the additions alter the liquid in the recipe, what I mean by that, is the addition something that is moist,  like sweet potatoes or onions.  You may have to reduce the liquid in the recipe to accommodate the extra moisture.  If it's something that sucks up the moisture, for example oats or bran you may have to add more liquid to the recipe.

2) Will the addition be difficult to eat, (hard or tough) you may need to soften it. This for example would be seeds or nuts. My rule is if it's hard to chew, then cook it before adding it to the bread. Then there may be the issue of additional moisture added to the recipe that you may have to deal with.

Usually I want to keep it simple and not guess at the liquid variable or precook anything at the last minute. So adding dry, or fresh herbs is one way to achieve a different taste without all the hassle.

Add your additions to the recipe on day 2 when mixing the Biga and Soaker together with the final ingredients.

Rosemary Herb Combination per loaf
2 tsp.  finely chopped (dried) rosemary or 2 T. fresh
1 tsp. chopped (dried) oregano or 1 T. fresh
1 tsp. chopped (dried) Basil or 1 T. fresh

This is a very nice combination that I use in rolls, but makes good hamburger buns also. When I make hamburgers with grilled onions and cheese these rosemary buns are just the perfect combination.

Olive Bread  per loaf
1/2 c. Kalamata olives drained well, pitted and chopped
1 tsp. finely chopped (dried) rosemary or 2 T. fresh
1/2 tsp. sesame seeds

Lots of flavor, but if you don't drain the olives well, you may have to add a couple of extra tablespoons of flour in your final recipe.

Carrot Herb Bread per loaf
Recipe is for dried herbs, if you use fresh use twice the amount
50g carrot grated (about 1 med. carrot)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. sage
1 tsp. dill weed
1 tsp. dill seed
2 tsp. basil
2 tsp thyme
1 tsp cumin seeds

Note: This makes nice rolls and a pretty loaf, and is my favorite for grilled cheese sandwiches.

Sweet Spice Mix (2 tsp of the mix per loaf)
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cloves

Use no more than 2 tsp. of the mix for a loaf of bread. The cinnamon will effect the yeast growth. This is  great in any sweet bread, quick bread or pancakes. Even 1 tsp. added to your coffee grounds when you perk coffee in the morning and will give it a special flavor. This is perfect in scones, cinnamon toast,  or sweet rolls I always make extra because it's so good in any sweet bread recipe

Experiment with your own combinations and create something special.
Tamara
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Change The Hydration Of Your Dough

1/12/2015

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We will be addressing the issue of hydration of different dough's. This subject is extremely important if you are to ever achieve the perfect loaf, pizza crust or any yeast bread. Warning there is math involved but, if I can do it, anyone can do it. Let me tell you it beats adjusting the recipe by guessing how much water to add, I know from experience.  

Bakers Percentage
Most home bakers use a recipe to make bread which is made up of cups, tablespoons and other measurements. Most serious baker use a formula all of the ingredients are in one  type of measurement like grams. There is a difference between a recipe and a formula; a recipe  can be doubled without affecting the end product. You can not take a recipe for a loaf of bread and expand it to make 50 loafs the proportions will not work, but with a formula you can.

Before we go into the formula, lets talk a little about the important basic guidelines for using the baker's percentage.

Guidelines:
1. All ingredients are measured by weight, including liquids; they should  be measured using a consistent unit of measure, for example grams. You do need a scale, once you have one you will wonder why you didn't buy one sooner. The time savings alone is worth the cost of the scale which is about $20.00.

2. The main ingredient in the recipe (formula) is flour....it's always considered 100%. When two or more types of flours are used in the formula, their combined total is considered 100%.

3. The weights of all other ingredients are expressed as a percentage of the total flour weight.

Real life you are making your favorite loaf of bread and it always seems to be so sticky, and you have a problem with it falling when baked. Could it be the recipe? Is there to much water in the recipe? How can I tell?

Bread Recipe (example only)
Flour 511 g  (if using 2 types of flour add together for total flour)
salt 4 g
yeast 6 g
milk + water = 400 g  (if using 2 types of liquid add together for total liquid like this example)
honey 42 g  (even though this is liquid it's not enough to be added to the liquid total)
butter 28 g
   (melted butter is not enough to be added to the liquid total)

The only numbers we are concerned about are the flour (511 g) and the liquid (400 g) to find the hydration of the recipe. 

Formula   = Liquid  will give you the ratio of fluid to flour in the recipe
                    Flour
 
Recipe         Liquid 400 g  = .78    .78 x 100% = 78% hydration

                    Flour 511 g

So what does this mean that my bread has 78% hydration?
Every type of bread is best at a certain percentage; this recipe is at 78%, which is too wet if you are making loaf bread.
Loaf Bread should be 68 - 72% hydration
Artisan Bread has 75 -80% hydration, much more liquid, this causes the open holes in the finished bread.

The recipe needs adjusting but how much liquid do I decrease in the recipe to get to 72% hydration? Instead of guessing lets use math and get it correct the first time.

What do you know?
You want the bread to be 75% hydration ...we know that
You know the amount of flour in the recipe is 511 g
What you want to figure out is how much water do I need to add to the recipe?


75% (correct hydration)    75 g  or expressed as .75
                                        100 g


511 g flour x .75 =383.25 g water (is desired total water for recipe)

Therefore; in above recipe:
Replace milk + water = 400 g    to: milk +
water = 383 g

You can reduce the water only, milk only or a combination, as long as the total amount of liquid is no more than 383 g. This should correct your problem when making your bread. Go ahead and give it a try, adjust again if needed using the same formula.                                 


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Baker's Percentage

1/12/2015

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Most home bakers use a recipe to make bread which is made up of cups, tablespoons and other measurements. Most serious baker use a formula all of the ingredients are in one type of measurement like grams.There is  a difference between a recipe and a formula. A recipe can not be expand it to make 50 loafs the proportions will not work, but with a formula you can.

So what we are going to explore is the bakers formulas and the math involved to create that formula. This will open a whole new world of baking, not only bread but anything. 

The Demystifying of Baker’s Percentage
Contributed by Tim Healea

Why use it?

Let’s take a closer look at baker’s percentage and some of the features found in the standardized format. First, it is important to understand why baker’s percentage is so critical to success. Listed below are just some of the benefits gained by using baker’s percentage:
  • Consistent results. Measurements in baker’s percent are calculated by weight, ensuring consistent results on a day-to-day basis.
  • Flexibility. Baker’s percentage allows you to calculate exactly how much dough must be produced to meet specific production needs, while maintaining the correct ratios.
  • Ease in troubleshooting. Baker’s percentage can be used to quickly change hydration levels to account for changes in flour consistency and can also be used to identify problems in a formula (i.e., if it is not balanced or if certain ingredient amounts are too high or too low).
  • Fixing scaling errors. A baker can use baker’s percentage to calculate additional ingredients needed to maintain a consistent formula if one ingredient is scaled incorrectly.
  • Communication. Baker’s percentage is a common language to bakers. It can be used to share formulas in a concise, universally understood way — even if the spoken language isn’t the same.
Before we go into the formula lets talk a little about the important basic guidelines for using the baker's percentage.

1. All ingredients are measured by weight, including liquids; they should  be measured using a consistent unit of measure, for example grams or pounds.

2. The main ingredient in the formula is flour....it is always considered 100%. When two or more types of flours are used in the formula, their combined total is considered 100%.

3. The weights of all other ingredients are expressed as a percentage of the total flour weight.

4. Get to know Excel, spreadsheet programs are easy to use and can quickly calculate formulas.

TOTAL FORMULA % Quantity (kg)   (THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE NOT A TESTED RECIPE)
White flour .........................70.0
Whole wheat flour...............30.0
Water .................................80.0
Instant yeast ......................0.3
Salt ....................................2.0
Peanuts .............................5.0
Total .................................187.3 10.000 kg

Notice that there are two kinds of flour here white and whole wheat, and their sum is 100%. Also notice at the bottom of the percentage column, we have totaled all of the percentages that make up the formula. Now we can calculate the quantity of ingredients for a 10 kg batch of dough. Although there is more than one way to do the calculations, here is one simple way: 

First, calculate the amount of total flour. We start by dividing the total percentages (187.3%). by the total flour percentage (always 100%). That equals 1.873. Then divide the amount of dough you want, in this case 10kg by 1.873.


AMOUNT OF              amount of dough
TOTAL FLOUR       =   you want (10kg)
                          ________________
                           total of percentages/
                         total flour percent (100%)


TOTAL FLOUR     =    10kg
                              _________     = 5.339kg
                                  1.873

Subsequently, all of the ingredients amounts can be calculated by multiplying the percentage of each by the total flour weight. For instance:    

White flour = 5.339 x 70% = 3.737 kg
Whole wheat flour = 5.339 x 30% = 1.602 kg
Water = 5.339 x 80% = 4.271 kg

Note that the quantities are rounded to the thousandth, so that when using kilograms, the formula is accurate to the gram. The completed total formula would be:

TOTAL FORMULA % Quantity    (kg)
Flour .......................... 70.0        3.737
Whole wheat .............. 30.0         1.602
Water .........................80.0         4.271
Instant yeast .............. 0.3 0          .016
Salt ............................2.0           0.107
Peanuts ..................... 5.0           0.267
Total ....................... 187.3        10.000 kg

The calculations also work in reverse, so if you know the quantities of ingredients in a consistent weight, you can easily calculate the percentages of each ingredient. Remember, flour is always 100 percent, so just divide each ingredient by the total flour in the formula (in this case, 5,339 kg) to get the percentage of each corresponding ingredient.

Now, let's take the formula one step further and incorporate a preferment into the mix - in this case, a biga composed of whole wheat and white flour, with a hydration level of 65 percent. We will take a portion of the ingredients in our total formula and use them for our preferment. Let's say we want to use 33 percent of the total flour in the biga (1.762 kg), and for ease of scaling we will use all of the whole wheat flour, so we will need to add some additional white flour to the biga to use 33 percent of the total flour in the preferment.

We want to ferment the biga for 12 hours, and for our environmental conditions we will use a yeast percentage of 0.1 percent; because the whole wheat ferments more quickly than white flour alone, we will also add 0.5 percent salt to slightly inhibit the yeast activity. Our formula would begin to look as shown in Table 1. 

Table 1


Total Formula     %     Quantity (kg)      BIGA        %      Quantity (kg)

Flour                  70.0      3.737              Flour            9.0            0.160   

Whole wheat     30.0       1.602          Whole wheat   91.0          1.602

Water                 80.0       4.271              Water          65.0           1.145

Instant yeast      0.30       0.016          Instant yeast   0.10            .002

Salt                     2.0        0.107                Salt            0.5             0.009

Peanuts              5.0         0.267               Peanuts                                            
Total                187.3      10.000 kg          Total   165.6           2.918 kg

Notice that we started with the quantity of the whole wheat flour (1.602 kg) and added additional flour (0.160 kg) to make up the 33 percent of the  total flour fermented  in the biga (1.762 kg). Now we can use the total flour amount to finish  the calculations. For instances:

Percentage of white flour = 0.160/1.762 = 9%
Percentage of whole wheat flour = 1.602/1.762 = 91%
Amount of water = 1.762 x 65% = 1.145 kg
Amount of yeast = 1.762 x 0.1% = 0.002 kg
Amount of salt = 1.762 x 0.5% = 0.009 kg

Now, we need to add the last column for the final dough. We start with the ingredients in the total formula, subtract the ingredients that are already in the biga, and we are left with the quantity of ingredients that need to be incorporated in the final mixing of the dough as shown in Table 2.

For clarity, we suggest not calculating the percentages for the final dough, because they can be misleading and confusing, especially for those new to baker's percentage. They will not give an accurate picture of the total hydration in the formula, and they will give you a skewed picture of the amount of salt and yeast in the total formula, along with the percentage of the total flour fermented in the preferment, are the most important pieces of information to understanding and evaluating the formula.

Next Steps
Practice, practice practice. The best way to learn baker's percentage is to use it over and over until you are completely comfortable with it. As one great baker said: learn it, use it, live it. Take a formula expressed in percentages and calculate the amount of ingredients for various batch sizes, or take a formula in a baking book and figure out the percentage for each ingredient. Baker's percentage is the most powerful tool bakers have to consistently bake quality bread. 

TABLE 2 • Bread — 33 percent total flour fermented in biga
TOTAL FORMULA % Quantity (kg)              BIGA % Quantity (kg)
Flour ...........................    70.0 3.737    Flour ...........................  9.0 0.160
Whole wheat ................ 30.0 1.602     Whole wheat ................ 91.0 1.602
Water ...........................   80.0 4.271    Water .......................... .65.0 1.145
Instant yeast ................   0.3 0.016      Instant yeast ................  0.1 0.002
Salt ..............................   2.0 0.107       Salt ...................  .0.5 0.009
Peanuts .......................    5.0 0.267      Peanuts .......................
Biga .............................                         Biga .............................
Total .......................187.3 10.000 kg   Total .................. 165.6 2.918 kg

FINAL DOUGH Quantity (kg)
Flour ......................................... 3.577
Whole wheat .............................0.000
Water .........................................3.126
Instant yeast .............................0.014
Salt ............................................ 0.098
Peanuts .....................................0.267
Biga ........................................... 2.918
Total ........................................ 10.000 kg

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Types of Pre-Fermentations

1/11/2015

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                                                                                                                There are many ways to classify doughs. Breads made in one mixing cycle with no pre-fermets are classified as direct or straight doughs. Breads made with a pre-ferment are know as indirect or sponge breads. Working with whole grain pre-ferments are used to improve flavor, develop gluten, provide structure to the dough and stay fresh longer.

Bread gets its spongy consistency from fermentation—the interplay of flour, water, and yeast that begins when the water activates an enzyme contained in the flour that breaks down the starch and converts it to sugar. The yeast feeds on the sugar, growing and multiplying, and producing 2 essential by-products: alcohol and carbon dioxide. The alcohol adds flavor, while the bubbles of carbon dioxide "leaven," or raise, the dough and establish the bread's crumb or texture.

Pre-fermentation involves mixing part of the dough's flour, water, and yeast and allowing it to ferment before adding it to the rest of the dough. The use of a pre-ferment allows you to use less yeast because the pre-ferment kick-starts the fermentation process before the dough is actually mixed together.

Making a pre-ferment several hours before adding it to dough will give bread an extra depth of flavor, but if a pre-ferment is made one or even several days in advance, it will also add acidity. In small amounts, acidity extends the shelf life of bread, but in larger amounts, such as in the case of sourdough, it starts to affect the texture of bread, creating large holes in the crumb.

There are many types of pre-ferments but basically 2 categories wet or firm. Most Americans are use to a wet pre-ferment like a sour dough sponge. Europeans use more firm pre-ferments since they are easier to adapt in recipes. The pre-ferment is the same hydration (amount of liquid to flour ratio) as the final dough, which means it feels like the final dough when kneading.

Wet Pre-ferments (50% or more liquid to flour ratio)
  1. Poolish- a wet sponge, is easy to make and is best when made fresh each time you need it. It will, however, also be good for up to 3 days if stored in the refrigerator and can be frozen if you choose to do so. The flour and the water are the same weight and are mixed with a spoon.
  2. Levain- This is a French term used for a sour dough starter or a wild yeast starter. It mainly is a wet pre-ferment.
  3. Sourdough - The most common pre-ferment to home bakers in the U.S, it's usually wet. 

Firm Pre-ferment (less then 50% liquid to flour ratio)
  1. Biga- Is the Italian verson of a firm pre-ferment. A Biga has the same feeling as the finished    dough it includes a small amount of yeast and no salt. The biga is retarded overnight in the refrigerator or can be held for up to 3 days before it must be used.
  2. Pate Fermentee- The French version of a firm pre-ferment. The Pate Fermentee can be made in advance but more often it's a piece of dough from the bread baked the day before. The difference between a Biga and a Pate Fermentee is the addition of salt in the Pate Fermentee.
  3. Desem- An ancient style of sourdough developed by the Flemish a region of Belgium. Desem takes weeks to develop in a cool temperature. The flavor is more complex and less sour than a sour dough starter.
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13 Stages of Bread Making

1/11/2015

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1.    Everything in it's place; This reminds us that to make good bread it requires discipline and organization. Bread has few ingredients and those ingredients need to be properly measured or weighed in order to have a good outcome

2.    Pre-Fermentation;  Not all bread use a pre-fermentaion method in the recipe. Usually done in advance of baking, part of the flour is mixed with a liquid to allow the enzymes and gluten to start developing. Most of us are familiar with a sour dough starter this is a form of pre-fermentation.

3.    Mixing; This refers to the kneading, weather if be done by hand or machine the gluten needs to be developed to a windowpane or the bread will not raise properly.

4.    Bulk fermentation; Great bread really comes down to one skill, how to manipulate time and temperature to control the outcome. If one or the other is off the bread will suffer in the end. This is where the flavor of the bread is developed with the braking down of the sugars in the grain.

5.    Punching Down; Often called de-gasing, this allows for redistribution of the nutrients to the yeast and enzymes in the bread along with allowing the gluten to relax. Once the gluten is relaxed and the nutrients moved around the gluten will have greater stretch resulting in a higher loaf.

6.    Dividing; Is the preparation for the final product, the loaf or rolls each is weighed.

7.    Rounding; Stretches the gluten again and forms a tight surface tension or skin on the dough. This will help the dough to keep its shape during the final rise.

8.    Benching; Is another term for resting. This main purpose for this stage is to relax the gluten after it's workout. If the gluten is relaxed it will allow more stretch in the baking stage which means a nice oven spring.

9.    Shaping and Panning; The final shape is given to the dough. How well the dough is shaped will effect the final height of your loaf. Good shaping results in good internal structure for the dough.

10.    Proofing; Also called the second fermentation, time and temperature again are very critical. The food for the yeast is running low so don't over proof.

11.    Baking; If all went right with the above steps your loaf will have an oven spring. The first 10 minutes of baking are the most critical. This is when the bread  height is set before the temperature kills off the yeast.

12.    Cooling; Bread is best if it's cooled to room temperature before slicing into it. During the cooling the flavors are still intensifying and the moisture is stabilizing in the loaf.

13.    Storing and Eating; Lean bread can be stored at room temperature in paper but must be eaten within a day or two. Enriched bread are best store in plastic or frozen right away. Sandwich bread I find is best to cool, slice and freeze.

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