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Bread Improvers

aa122@detroit.freenet.org (John F Davis)
Sun, 24 Sep 1995 18:02:18 -0400
v006.n040.7
>flaberge@magi.com (F. J. Laberge) Asked:
>I have a question : what is bread improver and what is its chemical
>                    name, where can it be purchased?

There are different "Bread Improvers" but the most basic of them are mostly
GLUTEN,  That's the stuff that forms a web and holds in the gas bubbles so the
bread rises.  I use them when I have flour that refuses to rise properly or
when I am making "Whole Grain" breads which tend to rise poorley.

Now in another post someone else said:

>A couple of people have responded with suggestions to use honey.  According
>to information posted to rec.food.veg, honey is not vegan.  I'm not sure
>about molasses, but commecially produced brown sugar is usually white
>processed sugar coloured with molasses, and (many brands of) white sugar is
>not vegan.  The only sweetener I can say for sure would work would be maple
>syrup.  Tho the sugar in bread is not necessary, it's just there to give
>the yeast a quick start.  You can leave it out and your bread won't suffer
>(tho it might taste a bit more bland).

Though I agree that HONEY is an animal product, Like Milk, White Sugars are
either cane or beet sugar, Total plant product,  Molasses is a product of the
very same plant, NO ANIMAL CONTENT AT ALL and should be totaly vegan.

However white sugar, and brown sugar made from white sugar are not necessarly
NATURAL products as white sugar is very heavely processed, So though it is a
plant product, it is not "natural" in that sense.

Molasses (I THINK) is less processed (I'm not sure of that totally) as I think
it's nothing but the squeezed plant, And it can also be made from other plants
than sugar cane/beet, ie:Sorgum.

Maple surp is of course natural, and vegan

And in an ABM (This is supposed to be an ABM list) leaving the sugar out makes
a very "Small" loaf as it won't rise properly.

NOW A QUESTION......

Have a friend (yes really, Cyber friend, her name is Sande and she lives way
out west)  She has two ABM's (I have but one) and she says they both made
excelent bread at her old apartment.  Now that she has her own house they
make bread that is not cooked through.  She has had the wireing checked, In
fact she had the house re-wired.  She reports voltages normal and she is using
the same brand of flour and the same recipe.  Altidute is not a factor either.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Both machines exibit the same beheavor


- --
   John F Davis In Delightful Detroit, Mi.    aa122@detroit.freenet.org
         "Nothing adds excitement to your life like something
         that is clearly none of your business!"     Battista