The Essential Guide To Baking

plain loaf or it may have all kinds of spices, onions and olives baked in.

TIPS ON ITALIAN BREAD:

Make up and baking of Italian crusty bread is almost the same as French bread. However, the

Italian version is usually not shiny. The bread is dull in appearance with loose bread flour

on its top and bottom. Yellow corn flour is the proper dusting flour for Italian breads,

but corn flour is difficult to find, so use bread flour instead.

Ground Fennel is a great Italian flavor. Surprisingly many recipes do not call for Fennel.

Add a little Fennel to your bread dough or pizza dough and see what a difference it makes.

Use plenty of olive oil to grease your pizza pan. Use olive oil to brush on the top of

Italian flat breads. Olive oil will flavor the crust and make it crispy.

OATMEAL BREAD:

Oatmeal bread is a pan bread baked in a loaf. The loaf is good as a sandwich bread, but also

is great as toast. Oatmeal bread's characteristics are a thin brown crust with a soft, but

firm bodied center. Oatmeal bread is extremely nutritious and is excellent for children's snacks.

TIPS ON OATMEAL BREAD:

If you don't have a recipe for Oatmeal bread just use your best White bread recipe.

Substitute Old Fashion Oatmeal for 10 to 15 percent of the flour. Substitute Applesauce for

half the water or milk. Add a small amount of cinnamon for flavor.

Brush the top of your loaf with water and sprinkle on some oatmeal for a unique appearance.

Add raisins to your dough and increase the nutritional value. Nut−meats may also be added

for extra flavor.

CROISSANTS:

Croissants originally were served as a light French breakfast roll. They are now used

for sandwiches, but still add distinction to any meal, at any time of day. They are

characterized by their thin crispy layers of buttery flavored crust. Croissants are

difficult to make properly and are usually bought raw and frozen or pre−baked and frozen.

Frozen raw triangles of croissant dough are also very popular because they can be filled

with cheese, cold cuts, or chocolate before baking.

TIPS ON CROISSANTS:

Thaw raw frozen Croissant dough in a warm, draft place until they have risen to almost

their full size. Sometimes this may take many hours. Professionals sometimes let Croissants

rise over night. Brush croissants with an egg wash before they begin to rise. Bake Croissants

at 425 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. Do not under bake.

When you use frozen Croissant triangles, let them thaw only enough to bend, then add the

filling or roll up into the Croissant shape. Do not let the dough completely thaw before

you make Croissants.

Helpful Tips With Breads