Breadmaking and sugar!

kittykat500

Could anyone help with the following?

I have a breadmaker which I have used a fair bit in the past but have recently let slip a little.

The problem is that although the bread turns out fine, I'm not fond of the slight sweet taste from putting a little sugar into the mix. Anyone know if I have to use sugar for the yeast to react?

thriftlady_2

You don't need sugar when you hand bake, but I'm not sure about breadmakers.

mrs_mix

the yeast needs some to feed on but having said that unless I'm making fruit loaf I don't use much sugar
say it wants two tsp I just put in one never gone wrong for me yet but I suppose there's always a first time:D

pam

Tallymanjohn

I've always reduced the amount of sugar I use in our breadmaker, usually at least half the amount, & it hasn't made any difference - I haven't got a very sweet tooth & it always tasted far too sweet for my liking.

CLARABEL

I agree, reduce the amount of sugar by half.

also, if you add seeds in the mix, i think it adds a lovely flavour and reduces the sweet effect.

also, try part wholemeal flour as the white flour will be a sweeter loaf as it's a simpler carb ( if that makes sense!)

hth

Clara.x

Penelope_Penguin

thriftlady wrote:

You don't need sugar when you hand bake, but I'm not sure about breadmakers.

Hi, Thriftlady! I thought you did need sugar when you handbake That's what my domestic science teacher told me (about 100 years ago :rotfl: ). I thought the yeast needed it as food, to multiply and do its stuff.

If you tell me I don't, that's great! :T I'll try a loaf in the BM with half the quantity.

Penny. x

Queenie

kittykat500 - no, you do not *need* sugar in the BM to make the special BM yeast used in BM's work.

However, f you are using cheap/free 'live' yeast that some OS'ers are able to acquire from the bakery then *yes* you will need to add sugar to activate/feed the yeast. Likewise if you are making bread the traditional way with those fast acting or traditional yeast, you will still need to add sugar.

The fast action yeasts which are designed for BM's are formulated so that sugar is no longer a necessity.

Pen-Pen - your DS teacher was correct (as they ought to be, just don't ask about my d12yo - see tomorrows daily :rotfl: ) but, if you use the yeast satchets designed for BM's, to make your loaves by hand, you will not need sugar.

LearningToSave.

i always use half sugar or less too......works fine.

taurusgb

I never use ANY sugar in my breadmaker - I too hated the sweet taste and feared I had made an expensive mistake when I first bought my BM, and I couldn't see the point in putting milk powder in either....so I decided that I would experiment (because after all if I was being put off using the darned thing by the taste I had nothing to lose right?). So now I use for a normal white loaf:-

400g strong flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoos dove farm yeast (which I keep in the deep freeze so it lasts forever)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
280 ml of water (preferably that potatoes have been boiled in)

And every time i get a PERFECT loaf.....for a change I sometimes add seeds, fruit, wheatgerm, or cheese and sundried tomatoes - yummy!