Breads
Both Plain and
Fancy
By
Elna Miller
, Extension Nutritionist
With update by
Georgia Lauritzen
, Food and Nutrition Specialist
1976, 1989
FN 283
Contents
PART I. FUNDAMENTAL FACTS FOR BREAD MAKING
Recognize the Problem ...................................................1
Learn to Know Good Bread ................................................1
PART II. TRY UTAH’S TESTED RECIPES
“Staff of Life” Bread ....................................................19
Utah State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation
with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Robert L. Gilliland, Vice President and Director, Cooperative
Extension Service, Utah State University, Logan, Utah. (EP/09/2000/DF)
PART I. FUNDAMENTAL FACTS
Recognize the Problem
The bread-making suggestions in this bulletin have been adapted to meet conditions
which are common throughout the State of Utah. Our high altitudes and dry atmosphere make
problems in bread-making which are quite different from those found in lower elevations and
more moist climates.
You will find, in the pages which follow, many changes from the bread-making methods
and recipes prepared for use at sea level.
We need more liquid, less yeast, more and shorter rising periods, and a higher baking
temperature to make really good bread in our Utah homes.
Read the general instructions before you try any of these recipes. They will help you to
understand why these methods are recommended. Follow the directions carefully and you will
have uniformly good bread and rolls every time you make them.
Methods, tests and recipes are given in much detail, to help those of you with little
experience develop skills which will result in high quality baked products. Use of these skills can
save you money as well as time and energy.
4-H Foods club leaders will use the information to give some of their club members their
first lesson in bread-making.
Some new homemakers may also use these instructions for their first bread-making.
Experienced homemakers who are veterans in the art of making bread may find a few
ideas which can help them.
The methods and recipes in the pages which follow, come to you as a result of several
years of testing in different parts of Utah. Many of our homemakers and 4-H club members have
adopted these bread-making practices. They report much improvement in the quality of their
breads.
The general instructions in the first part of this bulletin apply both to the plain and to the
fancy yeast breads. You will find when you turn to the recipe section that the “Sweet Yeast
Doughs” call for more ingredients than do those for the “Staff of Life” bread. Methods of
handling the two doughs differ slightly.
Learn to Know Good Bread
GENERAL APPEARANCE
A good loaf of bread is symmetrical
in shape with a good volume. It is smooth
on the top with no bulges or lumps. It has a
well rounded dome showing good “oven
spring.” It has an evenly “shredded break”
around the sides of the loaf, just above the
top edge of the pan.
“Oven spring” is the quick rising
that takes place during the first 10 minutes
after the bread goes into the hot oven. This “oven spring” happens before the heat sets the cell
walls and before the bread starts to brown.
Three Well Shaped Loaves of Bread
1
The “shredded break” develops during the “oven spring.” The oven heat comes in contact
first with the part of the loaf just above the pan. This part expands quickly, so the shreds of
gluten stretch suddenly. Some of them break. Others bake in the stretched form and give an
appearance of shredded wheat.
A well baked loaf of bread has a rich golden brown color on all sides. The top may be
slightly darker brown than the sides or bottom of the loaf.
Sides cut from the center of a well shaped loaf are very little larger than those cut near the
ends. A well shaped loaf given a slice of bread which measures about the same in both directions.
The crust on high quality bread is thin, crisp, and tender.
THE CRUMB
The
color
of good white bread is uniformly creamy white. Whole wheat will be darker,
depending on the percent of whole wheat flour used.
The
texture
of good yeast bread shows moderately small, rather uniform cells with thin
cell walls. Good bread is free from streaks or extremely close grain. The freshly cut surface has a
velvety feel, both to your fingers and to your tongue. As you press the crumb, it is soft, elastic,
and springy. There are no hard spots or knots in the crumb of high-quality bread.
The
flavor
of good bread is rather bland. It has the sweet nut-like flavor of the wheat.
Good bread has good eating quality. Both the flavor and the texture combine to make this good
eating quality.
KEEPING QUALITIES
Bread which is made and cared for according to recommendations in this bulletin will
stay fresh a reasonable length of time. Good bread does not dry out or get stale quickly.
Let Good Equipment Help You
The right kind of equipment will help you do the whole process of bread-making more
efficiently. You can make good bread without all of the things listed below. Some of them may
seem non-essential, but they do make the job much easier and the results more satisfying.
Here are some of the things you will want to have ready before you start your bread-
making:
Measuring Cups
Set of four, standard sizes to measure one-fourth, one-
third, one-half, and one cup.
One pint measure.
One quart measure.
Cups made for measuring dry ingredients have the cup or
pint or quart line at the top edge. This makes level
measurements possible.
Cups for measuring liquids have the one cup, pint, or
quart line about ½ inch below the top of the cup.
Leveling Flow with Spatula Using Standard
Measuring Cups
2
Measuring Spoons
Set of four standard sizes to measure one-fourth teaspoon,
one-half teaspoon, one teaspoon and one
tablespoon.
Spatula or straight edge knife for leveling.
Flour Sifter.
Pans or bowls to use while sifting and measuring flour.
Large spoon or scoop to lift flour lightly into measuring
cup.
Double boiler or sauce pan for scalding milk.
Small bowl for softening yeast.
Small pan for softening shortening.
Dairy or bread thermometer to insure correct temperature
at every stage.
Large bowl for mixing dough.
Large bowl or straight sided crock to hold fermenting
dough.
An earthen-ware bowl or crock keeps the temperature more nearly constant than does the metal
containers. It is easier to judge the volume increase of the dough in a straight sided
container than it is in a rounding bowl.
Wooden spoon for mixing dough.
Plastic or rubber scraper to clean dough from bowl.
Two pastry brushes. Use one for oiling the bread bowls or crock, and the baking pans. Use the
other for brushing milk over the molded rolls before putting various toppings over them.
Use it also to brush the top of the bread with milk just before it finishes baking.
Plastic bowl covers to keep the rising dough from drying on top.
Canvas-covered kneading board (description on page 4).
Thin cloths to dampen and cover rising dough to prevent drying.
Plastic ruler to measure volume increase in dough.
Sharp knife and kitchen shears for cutting dough at molding time.
Standard size load pans (described below).
Muffin tins, baking sheets, 9-inch round pans or 8-inch square pans for baking fancy rolls and
breads.
Rolling pin covered with child’s size 5 stocking, to roll out soft dough without sticking.
Egg beater
Wire cooling racks
Timer or alarm clock
Cardboard rising gauge to tell when the dough in the pans is ready for the oven (described on
page 18).
Pad and pencil to help with timing of dough.
Measuring Temperature of Liquid with
Thermometer
USE STANDARD SIZE BAKING PANS
Use individual loaf pans for baking loaves of bread. Your bread will bake more evenly. It
will have a much better shape than when two or more loaves are baked on one pan.
Standard size bread pans measure 7½ inches long and 3½ inches wide on the bottom.
They are 2¾ inches deep. This standard size may be stamped with No. 7 or No. 11. Different
manufacturers have different numbers for the same size pan.
The standard size loaf pans are available in aluminum, tin, and glass.
3
Those made of tin need tempering before they are used. Shiny tin pans will prevent the
bread from browning. Temper the pans by putting them into a cold oven and heating it to 450° F.
Leave the pans in the oven until the oven cools. This tempering makes any tin pan dull and
slightly darker so the bread will brown sufficiently. Cookie sheets or cake pans made of tin also
need tempering.
Glass baking dishes permit a slightly faster baking. Set your oven 25 degrees lower for
bread baked in glass loaf pans than for that baked in metal pans.
The bread recipes in this bulletin are
developed to give the amount of dough that is just
right for baking a standard size loaf in a standard
size pan.
This size pan will permit a well shaped loaf
which has a good “oven spring” and an evenly
“shredded bread” at the sides. It gives a slice of
bread which has about the same dimensions both
directions, and one which is just the right size for
the electric toaster.
The baking time given with these recipes is
based on a standard size loaf in a standard size pan.
If this standard amount of dough goes into a larger pan, it makes a poorly shaped loaf
which is flat and squatty with no “oven spring” and no “break in shred.” It cuts a slice of bread
which is out of proportion.
If you use the larger pan and put more dough into it, you will still have a poorly shaped
load of poor-quality bread. The larger pan is too wide to permit an evenly rounded dome on the
top of the loaf. The spread is too great. The dough collapses in the middle.
There is a tendency to put the larger pan with more dough into the oven before the dough
is light enough. This makes a loaf of heavy bread.
The baking time must be lengthened for the over-sized loaves.
These larger loaves make slices which are too large for the toaster.
Standard size pans are available in most places which sell kitchen equipment. They help
so much in giving you a good, finished loaf of bread.
Standard size pans are found in stores which sell kitchen wares. They help you make a
well-shaped loaf of bread.
USE A CANVAS-COVERED KNEADING BOARD
You can handle a soft dough more easily, both in kneading and in molding the dough, if
you use a canvas-covered board. The canvas makes it easier to work with a very soft dough
without sticking. A soft dough makes better bread and better rolls than does a stiff one. A light-
weight canvas, sewed up to cover both sides of the board, and just large enough to slip the board
tightly inside, makes a firm kneading and molding surface.
The Board
A piece of plywood or masonite cut 2 feet square makes a good kneading board. This size
is convenient to use for molding the long rolls of dough used in making some of the fancy
breads. You can use the smaller board from your kitchen cabinet. Make a light-weight canvas
cover to fit whatever size board you will be using.
4
Dull Pan Upper Left Has Been Tempered. Shining Pan
Upper Right Has Not