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Re: Preserving Bread

sue@interport.net (Curly Sue)
Sat, 4 Oct 1997 09:48:49 -0400 (EDT)
v097.n060.13
>From: "Ron Cochran" <cochran@vbe.com>
>
>I am interested in finding a way to preserve bread that I make in my Zoji
>machine.  Currently, about the last 20% of each loaf is thrown away due to
>mold.
>
>I have access to food grade BHT.  Can anyone tell me the correct amount of
>BHT to use per loaf (weighs about 1.7 lb.), or can anyone suggest a better
>preservative?

BHT is not an anti-mold agent, it is an antioxidant.  "Food grade" does not
mean that it's OK to use at home; it is not something that you should be
playing around with.  Period.  (Sorry if that seems harsh but I'm a
toxicologist and so many instances of people harming themselves are
self-inflicted.  I really can't condone your even putting this idea into
other people's heads.)

In my experience mold infestations, whether in bread or cell culture seems
to be influenced by the environment.  I rarely get mold on my bread- it goes
stale first.  I don't mean this has anything to do with your housekeeping
(!) rather the type of mold in the air where you live.

That being said, I have read that buttermilk breads don't mold as easily.
You might try making a loaf of plain white buttermilk bread and seeing if it
helps your problem.

  I have heard of people using ascorbic acid (vitamin C) for
>this purpose, but I do not know what amount to use.

If the buttermilk does help it might be the acidity that does it.  Lemon
juice will have ascorbic acid (BTW, commercial bread flours will often have
ascorbic acid added already).  Here's a recipe with both:

         BUTTERMILK BREAD
                               1 lb             1.5 lb

buttermilk                 3/4 c          1 c + 2 tbsp
oil                             2 tbsp          3 tbsp
lemon juice                1 tsp            1 tsp
salt                           1 tsp             1-1/2 tsp
honey                        2 tbsp           3 tbsp
flour                          2-1/2 c         3-1/4 c
baking soda               1/4 tsp          1/4 tsp
yeast                        1-1/4 tsp       1-1/2 tsp

When I start a new bag of flour I hold back 2 TBSP of liquid, watch the
dough in the first few minutes that it's kneading, and add buttermilk back
if the dough is too dry.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!