T-Fal Actibread Instructions Manual - Ingredients
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INGREDIENTS
Gluten-free flour.
There are a great number of so-called "non-bread" flours (which do not contain gluten).
The most widely known are buckwheat, rice (white and brown), quinoa, corn, chestnut and sorghum flours. To
attempt to recreate the elasticity of gluten, it is crucial to mix together several types of non-bread flours and
to add thickening agents.
Thickening agents.
To obtain a proper consistency and to try to imitate the elasticity of gluten, you can
also add xanthan gum and/or guar gum to your dough. These ingredients are used as thickeners, stabilizers
and emulsifiers in the agri-food industry.
Ready-to-use gluten-free mixes.
These make it easier to bake gluten-free bread because they contain
thickeners and have the advantage of being guaranteed to contain no gluten; some are also organic. Not all
brands of ready-to-use gluten-free mixtures deliver the same results.
Fats and oils.
Fats make the bread softer and provide more favor. It also stores better and longer. Too much
fat slows down rising. If you use butter, cut it into tiny pieces so that it is distributed evenly throughout the
preparation, or soften it. You can substitute 1 tablespoon butter for 1 tablespoon of oil. Do not add hot butter.
Keep the fat from coming into contact with the yeast, as fat can prevent yeast from rehydrating. Do not use
low fat spreads or butter substitutes.
Eggs.
Eggs make the dough richer, improves the color of the bread and encourages the development of the
soft, white part. If you use eggs, reduce the quantity of liquid you use proportionally. Break the egg then slowly
add the liquid until you reach the quantity of liquid indicated in the recipe. Recipes are designed for one 1.5
ounce size egg; if your eggs are bigger, add a little flour; if they are smaller, use less flour.
Milk.
Recipes use either fresh or powdered milk. If using powdered milk, add the quantity of water stated in
the recipe. It enhances the flavor and improves the shelf-life of the bread. For recipes using fresh milk, you can
substitute some of it with water but the total volume must equal the quantity stated in the recipe. Low-fat or
fat-free milk is best to avoid bread from having too dry of a texture. Milk also has an emulsifying effect which
evens out its airiness, giving the soft, white part a better texture and appearance.
Water.
Water rehydrates and activates the yeast. It also hydrates the starch in the flour and helps the soft,
white part form. Water can be totally or partially replaced with milk or other liquids.
Use liquids at room
temperature, except for gluten-free breads that require the use of lukewarm water (approximately 95°F).
Flour.
The weight of the flour varies significantly depending on the type of flour used. Depending on the
quality of the flour, baking results may also vary. Keep flour in a hermetically sealed container, as flour reacts
to fluctuations in atmospheric conditions, absorbing moisture or losing it. Use “strong flour”, “bread flour” or
“baker’s flour” rather than standard flour. Adding oats, bran, wheat germ, rye or whole grains to the bread
dough will give a smaller, heavier loaf of bread.
If you are using special flour blends for bread, brioche or
rolls, do not exceed 1.5 lbs. of dough in total. Sifting the flour also affects the results: the more the flour is
whole (i.e. the more of the outer envelope of the wheat it contains), the less the dough will rise and the denser
the bread. You can also find ready-to-use bread premixes in the grocery store. Follow the manufacturer’s
instructions when using these preparations. Usually, the choice of the program will depend on the preparation
used. For example: Whole wheat - Program 5.