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EASY WEIGH THE GROCERY STORE WITH SO MUCH MORE!
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The information below, and the pictures , were obtained from The Flour Advisory Bureau. www.fabflour.co.uk Basic Types of Flour The three basic flour categories are: Wholemeal - 100% extraction, made from the whole wheat grain with nothing added or taken away. Brown - usually contains about 85% of the original grain, some bran and germ have been removed. White - usually 75% of the wheat grain. Most of the bran and wheatgerm have been removed during milling.
Other Varieties of Flour Wheatgerm - white or brown flour with at least 10% added wheatgerm. Malted wheat grain - Brown or wholemeal flour with added malted grains. Stoneground - Wholemeal flour ground in a traditional way between two stones. Organic - Flour milled from grain grown that has been grown to organic standards. Growers and millers must be registered and are subject to regular inspections.
The choice of flours for home cooking and baking Plain Flour - also known as all-purpose. Use for short crust pastry, sauces and gravies where a raising agent is not required. Self-raising - Flour to which a raising agent has been evenly mixed. Use for cakes, scones and puddings. Soft Flour - soft white flour that has been milled very finely to give sponges, cake and scones a higher rise and finer texture. Strong Flour - flour with a high protein content providing a high volume and open texture. Ideal for bread and all types of yeast cookery, Yorkshire puddings and puff pastry QUICK WHITE BREAD (Makes 1 large or 2 small loaves
NB. You can freeze at this point, in an oiled polythene bag, for up to 3 months. Once thawed continue as below
Tip: If the bread has been baked long enough it should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. If you feel the bread is not quite cooked, put it back in the oven without the tin. QUICK WHOLEMEAL BREAD (Makes 1 large or 2 small loaves) Wholemeal bread has more flavour than white, keeps better and is a valuable source of dietary fibre.
Follow the instructions in the previous recipe for making and cooking but do not sieve the wholemeal flour. The English equivalent of Baking Soda as mentioned in some recipes, is Bicarbonate of Soda
After some research, I finally managed to find a recipe for gluten free bread. This recipe makes flat bread and I am including information that I found along with the recipe. The secret of gluten free bread is to use as many different sources of starch as possible. Try various combinations of flour to fit within your budget and your tastes. Buckwheat flour bakes well but has a strong flavour. Some people find it indigestible. Sorghum and millet flours are excellent baking flours when combined with rice flour or gram flour. Sweet chestnut flour is also very useful in both bread and cake mixtures and makes softer bread. Teff is very dark, nutty flavoured flour. Mixtures including sorghum and sweet chestnut flours make the best bread and fruitcakes. Pea flours and gram flours should be used in moderation. A small amount improves flavour and nutrition but a large amount can give too strong a flavour and be indigestible. The method of cooking makes a lot of difference to the bread. Cook the bread in a shallow baking tray rather than a bread tin. The batter should not be deeper than 1"/2.5cm when poured into the tin. Cooking at gas mark 6 400°F 200°C will produce a good crust but will dry out the bread in a fan oven. Bread can be cooked at a lower temperature or it can be steamed for a much moister loaf. Always check that a loaf is cooked by using a skewer through the middle. The loaf is not cooked until the skewer comes out clean. A part cooked loaf can be turned over on the baking tray to ensure even cooking. In Africa and India staple bread is produced by mixing sorghum, millet or white maize flour with boiling water to form dough. Slapping from hand to hand, a skill that requires dexterity and practice, then flattens the dough. The flat loaves are cooked on a very hot ceramic or cast-iron surface, when they balloon up to give a light top and a heavy base. This method works only with very freshly ground flour. This produces tasty soft bread with a crisp golden crust.
Ingredients: for a 1 lb
loaf Salt to
taste 1fl oz / 25ml olive oil
Instructions: Beat the banana / apple / carrot / chestnut / tofu to a smooth purée with the milk and egg. This is best done in a liquidiser. Mix all the dry ingredients for the bread together with a tablespoon of oil. Fold the flour mixture into the purée. Do not over mix and do not leave to stand at this point or you will lose the light structure to the bread dough. Line a 10-inch square tray with non-stick baking parchment and spread the mixture in a 1" or 2cm deep layer in the tray, or in greased individual bun or patty trays. Cooking: Preheated oven Gas mark 7 425°F 220°C Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Always check that a loaf is cooked by using a skewer through the middle. The loaf is not cooked until the skewer comes out clean. A part cooked loaf can be turned over on the baking tray to ensure even cooking. Serving suggestions: All gluten free breads are best served fresh and hot. If bread is not being served immediately it is cooked, serve toasted. Use sorghum or millet flour in place of the Cornflour. Tomato bread: add 1 to 4 tsp of tomato purée to the liquidised mixture. Herb bread: add 1 to 4 tsp of mixed herbs and several chopped olives to the flour mixture.
Regards Ruth Web Site Manager |
