Title: Fruit Sweet and Sugar Free - Breads #2
Categories: Info Diabetic
Yield: 1 Servings

Fruit Sweet and Sugar Free By Janice Feuer 1993 Royal Teton Ranch

Bread (cont'd): *************** Now begins the wonderful process of kneading the dough. Until the dough has begun to develop its gluten and come together in a ball, it is helpful to use a dough scraper or baker's knife to help with the kneading. Use the scraper to get under the dough and fold it over itself. Use the palm and heal of your other hand to press into the dough and away from you for the count of two; then lift your hand away. With the dough scraper, get under the dough and give the entire mass a quarter turn and fold the dough in half. Once again use the heel of your other hand to press into the dough and away from you, again for the count of two. Continue this process of scraping the dough from underneath, giving it a quarter turn, folding it in half, and pressing in and away, until the dough begins to develop itself into a smoother, more companct whole. You will probably need to sprinkle a little flour under the dough each time you scrape it from underneath to prevent it from sticking to the table.

At this point you can stop using the dough scraper and use both of your hands to knead the dough. You will soon develop a very rhythmical motion to your kneading. Remember to lift the dough from the table with each quarter turn and to use a firm touch but no so hard as to break or tear the dough.

This process can take from 10 to 20 minutes or more, depending on the quantity of dough and your skill as a kneader. The final dough should be smooth and elastic. It will be firm but soft and no longer sticky to the touch. You will be able to pick the dough up and pull it gently apart without its tearing. Dough at this stage is truly beautiful to work with. It feels so alive in your hands and so vital that you may not want to stop working with it.

By Machine: *********** It is very important that you have a heavy duty mixer with a strong motor if you are going to prepare dough with it. Read the manuacturer's instructions before you begin. The instructions tell you the maximum amount of flour that your machine's motor is capable of handling. This is very important to the life of your mixer.

You may prefer to activate the yeast first, as described in the section on preparing yeasted dough by hand, and then add the dissolved yeast to the lukewarm liquids in the mixing bowl, along with the flour and salt.

The alternative is to place the liquids in the mixing bowl of your electric mixer. On the lowest speed, use the dough hook to mix the liquids. When they are lukewarm, stir in the undissolved yeast, then the flour and salt to form a soft dough. Note: This method should be used only when you know that your yeast is fresh.

With either method of working with the yeast, increase, the mixer speed to medium, and knead in additional flour until the dough forms itself into a ball that comes off both the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Raising, Shaping, and Baking the Bread: *************************************** The remaining steps of bread making are the same whether you have kneaded your dough by hand or by machine.

Raising the Dough: ****************** Let the dough rest a moment while you lightly oil a bowl large enough to allow the dough to rise to double its size. Place your dough in the bowl and turn the dough over, so that the top is lightly oiled. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place the bowl in a warm, draft-free place. As yeast is susceptible to sudden drafts that could deflate the dough, it is often suggested to put dough to rise in an oven with a pilot light.

The dough is ready when it has doubled in size. The time needed for this first rising is quite variable; it may take from 45 minutes to 2 hours depending upon the amount of yeast in the recipe in proportion to the flour and the temperature of the area where the dough is rising. Rather than giving you an exact time, I will tell you what to look for so your bread dough itself will be your guide. Do, however, check the dough's progress after 45 minutes. A good test is to poke it gently with your forefinger. If the space begins to fill back in, cover the dough and let it rise longer. If the space does not fill back in, the dough is perfect and ready for its next step. If the dough collapses when you poke it, it has risen too long and must be worked with immediately. When the dough as over-risen, the resulting bread may be dry, coarse in texture, and heavy, but still suitable for bread pudding or croutons.

Punching the Dough Down: ************************ When the dough has doubled, remove the plastic wrap and lightly punch the center of the dough with your fist. This is called "punching the dough down". Now knead the dough 8 to 10 times in the mixing bowl. If you are going to give the dough a double rise, cover it again with plastic wrap and place it in the same warm, draft-free spot. This rise will take about half as long as the first rise. Test the dough for readiness after 25 minutes with the same poking test. Punch the dough down again.

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