15
Yeast cells are not activat-
ed at temperatures lower
than this and they die when
exposed to temperatures
higher than 130˚F (54˚C).
If the recipe includes a
sweetener like sugar or
honey, add a teaspoon
with the yeast. If no
sweetener is called for, add
a pinch, or add a pinch of
flour. The yeast won’t foam
without it. Let the mixture
stand until it foams, up to
10 minutes.
Processing dry ingredients:
Put the flour in the work
bowl with all the other dry
ingredients. If the recipe
calls for herbs, oil or solid
fats like butter, add them
with the flour. Turn the
machine on and let it run
for about 20 seconds.
(Cheese, nuts and raisins
may be added with the dry
ingredients or during the
final kneading. To leave
them almost whole, add
them 5 seconds before you
stop kneading. For a finer
texture, add them sooner.)
Adding liquids:
All liquid should be added
through the small feed tube
while the machine is run-
ning. Add liquid in a slow,
steady stream, only as fast
as dry ingredients absorb
it. If liquid sloshes or splat-
ters, stop adding it but do
not turn off the machine.
Wait until ingredients in
bowl have mixed, then add
remaining liquid slowly.
Pour liquid onto dough as
it passes under feed tube
opening. Do not pour
liquid directly onto bottom
of bowl.
Follow the recipe carefully.
It is important to add
enough liquid to make the
dough soft enough to
knead. Kneading dough
that is too stiff can strain
the machine.
All liquid except that used
to activate yeast should
be cold, to minimize the
possibility of overheating
the dough. You must never
knead a yeast dough to a
temperature higher than
100˚F (37°C). Doing so will
slow or even prevent the
action of the yeast.
Kneading bread dough:
Do not try to use the
machine to knead dough
that is too stiff to knead
comfortably by hand. Doing
so can strain the machine.
After the dough starts to
clean the inside of the work
bowl completely and forms
a ball, process it for 60
seconds to knead it. Stop
the machine and test the
dough to be sure it’s proper-
ly kneaded. Typical bread
dough should have a soft,
pliable texture and it should
feel slightly sticky. Stretch
the dough with your hands
to test it. If it feels hard,
lumpy or uneven, continue
processing until it feels
uniformly soft and pliable.
Make sure that the blade is
firmly pressed back into
place after removing the
dough to test it.
Kneading sweet dough:
Process dough for at
least 30 seconds after
all the ingredients are
incorporated. It will not
clean the inside of the work
bowl. If necessary, scrape
the bowl and process for 5
more seconds.
Rising:
Put the dough in a large,
lightly floured plastic bag.
Squeeze out all the air and
close the end with a wire
twist, allowing space for the
dough to rise.
Or, put the ball of dough
in a large bowl coated
with soft butter or
vegetable oil. Roll the
dough around to coat its
entire surface. Cover it
with a damp towel or a
piece of oiled plastic wrap.
Let it rise in a warm,
draft-free place, about 80˚F
(26˚C). The rising time is
usually about 1-1/2 hours
but will vary from
45 minutes to several
hours, depending on the
type of flour and the
humidity in the air. To
test whether the dough has
risen enough, stick a finger
in it. An indentation should
remain. If it doesn’t, let
the dough rise more and
test again.
When it has risen enough,
punch the dough down.
Shaping, finishing
and baking:
If you shape the dough
in loaf pans, fill pans only half
full. Let rise until dough is just
slightly above the
top of the pan. If shaping
free-form loaves, let them
rise on an oiled baking sheet
until at least doubled in bulk.
Making consecutive
batches:
You can make several
batches of bread dough
in a row. The motor in
the Limited Edition Metal
™
Food Processor is
extremely efficient.
