How to Use Hydrogen Peroxide in Bread Baking Recipes
Many of us are familiar with the 6th grade science experiment of using baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to create a volcanic lava effect. The reaction is fun, exciting and not in the least bit edible. However, there is a whole branch of cooking called molecular gastronomy, which is the merging of food preparation with science, that brings a whole new level of intellectualism to the kitchen. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 4 cups unbleached white flour
- 1 tsp. baking yeast
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1.5 cups water
- 3 drops hydrogen peroxide
- 1 bowl
- 1 spoon
- oven
Instructions
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The most important element to good bread, is healthy yeast. One of the ways to keep yeast awake is to use a pinch of sugar. Another way is to use hydrogen peroxide. Take a bowl. Open your package of yeast. Take just 1 drop of food-quality 3 percent hydrogen peroxide and add it to your yeast. You should see bubbling.
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Now add your 4 cups flour, 2 tsp salt and 1.5 cups water to your yeast and hydrogen peroxide mix. Use your hands to knead and mix the dough until you have a well-mixed mound. Cover your bowl of dough with a clean cloth or foil. Wait three hours.
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After three hours, your dough will be almost three times in size. Preheat your oven now to 450 degrees F. Take your bowl of dough and empty it out onto an ungreased baking sheet. Use a sharp knife and make a few cuts on the top of your bread, for design.
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Cook the bread for 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees F and cook an additional 30 minutes.
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Remove bread from oven and let cool. When you thump it, it should sound hollow. This means the bread is thoroughly cooked. Wait until the bread cools or the center will deflate and you won't get that nice fluffy, airy bread with the holes and circles in it.
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Tips & Warnings
Add a ceramic bowl of water in the oven, under your dough, for a crustier bread.
Too much hydrogen peroxide will kill your yeast.
