About Bread Dough
There is absolutely nothing more tantalizing than the smell of fresh-baked bread. Not only is it a journey back to the days when a person's survival depended on fresh loaves of bread, it is a means of eating more healthfully in today's world, a world lost in convenience versus embracing the old-fashioned way of life. Almost any type of bread imaginable can be baked to meet your needs, but it all begins with the dough. Does this Spark an idea?
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History
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Early Egyptians are credited with having discovered the process of making actual dough. Around 1000 B.C. they realized that when they added yeast to a paste made from wheat, the bread would rise and be a softer loaf. Before their accidental discovery, bread was hard and flat. This was also the era when beer bread was developed, along with the discovery that wheat could be refined to produce white bread. While the ancient Greeks picked up on this discovery, spreading it through Europe, it wasn't until 1859 when Louis Pasteur discovered how yeast actually helped make bread dough rise. His discovery allowed for many different types of bread to be produced.
Significance
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In the early days of civilization bread became a more important staple than meat due to its ability to satiate appetite. Early Romans gave the citizens the grain needed to make their own bread. During the French Revolution, the citizens of France depended on bread for their very survival. In the Middle Ages, a person's social status was based on the bread they ate. If the bread was dark brown, it meant that the person was of a lower class because he couldn't afford to purchase the more expensive white flour. In today's society, homemade bread represents more healthful eating. Fresh-baked bread does not contain all the additives and preservatives of store-bought bread, and the taste and smell of homemade bread are more appetizing.
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Function
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No matter what type of bread you are making, there are generally six steps involved in the process. First, you need to mix your ingredients. While the ingredients needed vary according to the type of bread being made, they are often flour, sugar, yeast, butter and milk and/or water. The amount of flour will determine the outcome of your bread. If too much flour is used, the dough will be heavier and crumble much more easily. You need only enough flour to ensure that the dough does not stick to the bowl or your hands when you begin kneading it.
The process of kneading develops the gluten in the flour. While the flour is responsible for the texture of the bread, the yeast is what causes it to expand, or rise. Yeast is a living organism, so it ferments. It is through the process of fermentation that the starches break down, causing an expansion of the gluten in the flour.
Once the bread has been kneaded, it needs roughly an hour to rise. During this time, it should to be kept in a warm spot and covered. The bread dough should double in size.
Once it has risen, it needs to be punched down to release any air pockets in it. It can then be shaped into a loaf pan or made into dinner rolls or crescent rolls, or anything you would like it to be.
It then needs to rise again, till it's almost doubled. It will then be ready for baking.
Types
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Many types of bread can be produced from dough, depending on the various ingredients added. There is rye bread, made with a combination of wheat germ and rye grain. White bread is produced from flour that has been processed to leave only the endosperm (core) of the grain. Whole-grain bread is made from a dough that has whole-wheat flour and bran added to it. With self-rising flour or baking powder, products such as muffins, pancakes and quick breads such as zucchini and banana bread can be created. Bread dough can also be used to make homemade pizza, calzones and every kid's favorite, pigs in a blanket.
Considerations
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One thing to keep in mind when making bread is freshness. Store-bought bread remains fresher longer due to the additives and preservatives, which give it a longer shelf life. To keep homemade bread fresh, it needs to be wrapped and kept in a cooler atmosphere. This will help slow the production of mold. If the environment is too warm, it will begin to grow mold after a couple of days. Fresh-baked bread tastes its best soon after it comes out of the oven (although you should wait till it's completely cool before cutting it).
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Resources
- Photo Credit Bread dough awaiting baking
