Monday Message

Heart in a slice of bread!!! Scroll down in the Monday Message for great info on dough enhancers.

“Today, I emphasize a most basic principle: home production and storage. Have you ever paused to realize what would happen to your community or nation if transportation were paralyzed or if we had a war or depression? How would you and your neighbors obtain food? How long would the corner grocery store—or supermarket—sustain the needs of the community?” (President Ezra Taft Benson)

We have discussed this in the past few messages.

http://melissaknorris.com/2013/10/how-to-dry-your-own-herbs/ - Drying herbs are easier than you think. You can tie in little bundles and hang upside down till dry and then just mush up with your hands and store in jars.

I came across some great information on dough enhancers on an email food storage list I am on. I think it it is something that you should print and put in your food storage binder under breads:
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Dough Enhancer's: And How To Use Them There are many reasons you would want to use a dough enhancer. Dough enhances can improve the texture, taste and crust of the bread. Most of them also act as preservatives which helps keep your bread fresher long. Best of all they are natural and so are perfectly safe to add to your bread.I am also going to bet that you add dough enhancers to your bread already and didn't even know it. Everything other than flour, water and yeast is a dough enhancer in some fashion or another. For example sugar or any sweetener acts as a food for yeast thereby giving the yeast more energy and that in turns gives you a better rise n and lighter loaf of bread. Now if you use honey for your sweetener you are also getting a natural preservative that will help keep the bread fresher a little longer.If you recipe calls for eggs, here again we have a dough enhancer. First the egg is a leavening agent that gives you a lighter loaf of bread and the lecithin rich yolk also helps improve the breads texture, moisture level and it is also a mild preservative.So, you see you have been using dough enhancers all along. These information contained in this document is here to help you understand the different ingredients and what they do to your dough, how the help preserve it and how to combine them to get the best effect.
Dough Enhancers
Lecithin
Helps keep bread fresher longer & works with the gluten to make a lighter bread. It also helps make the bread moister and acts as a mild preservative. Made from soy or egg yolks. Comes in liquid or granular form.
Use: 1 Tablespoon per cup of flour
Non - Diastatic Malt
Super food source for the yeast which give the bread better structure & makes the bread softer & tender. Made from dried sprouted barley and is not the same as malted milk powder. Comes in liquid or granular form.
Use: 1/4 teaspoon per cup of flour
Ascorbic Acid
Creates an acidic environment for the yeast which helps it work better. It also acts as a preservative & deters mold and bacterial growth. If you can't find pure ascorbic acid crystals you can use Fruit Fresh (canning isle) or a crushed/powdered vitamin C tablet.
Use: 1/8 teaspoon per loaf
Dry Acid Whey
 It is the essence of buttermilk with out the milk solids. Like with Ascorbic Acid it helps create a good environment for the yeast work quickly and vigorously, giving a maximum rise in short periods of time. Acts as a preservative & deters mold and bacterial growth. When buying Dry Acid Whey make sure it says "acid" on the package. If it doesn't assume it is sweet whey which isn't the same and won't work correctly.
 Use: 1 teaspoon per cup of flour
Vital Wheat Gluten
Vital wheat gluten occurs naturally in all wheat and wheat derived white flours. Some white flours have more or less than others. Vital wheat gluten only does one thing, it helps improve the rise and texture of bread. With out it you have a rock, door stop, paper weight. Generally, if you are using white bread flour you don't need to add any. However, all-purpose or whole grain flours need Vital Wheat Gluten.
1 Tablespoon per cup of flour
Pectin
Pectin adds moistness to the bread and it replaces fat in the bread. This is the same pectin used to make jams and jellies. It comes in liquid and granular form. The granules are easier to work with and store. 
Use: 1 teaspoon per loaf
Ginger
Ginger is a yeast booster it gives it a "quick-start", and keeps it working. Because of its astringent properties it also helps keep the bread fresher longer and it deters mold and bacterial growth. It is best to used powdered ginger in your bread. You don't have to worry you won't taste it in the amount used.
Use: 1/4 teaspoon per loaf
Dry Milk

Milk helps with crust browning, bread moisture, taste and nutritional value. It also helps the dough to relax for those times you want to roll it out or shape it. Dry milk or powdered milk work the same.
Use: 1 Tablespoon per cup of flour
 Gelatin
Gelatin helps with bread texture and moisture. It is also of nutritional value and is good for the hair and fingernails. Make sure to use unflavored gelatin.
Use: 1 teaspoon per loaf 
Fats
Fats. Fats help with taste, texture and the moisture of the bread. Most French bread recipes don't contain fat as it takes away the chewiness of the bread. You don't need to be worried about the fat content of most bread. Most recipes use a tablespoon or two and that is for the whole loaf. A single slice is very low in fat.
1 Tablespoon per cup of flour 
Eggs
Eggs add rise, color, texture and taste to bread. Also, if you use the yolk as well you get some of the effects like using lecithin.
Use: 1 large egg replaces about 1/4 cup of liquid in the recipe. 
Buttermilk
Buttermilk helps the yeast work quickly and vigorously, giving maximum rise in the time frame allotted by bread machines. It also softens the texture of the bread. Like with any acid type addition it also helps keep the bread fresher longer and it deters mold and bacterial growth. You may need to add 1/2 to 1 tsp. of baking soda to the bread to offset the tartness of the buttermilk. I personally, like the tartness as it reminds me of sourdough. 
Use: 1/2 Cup replaces the same amount of other liquid in the recipe. 
Garlic
Garlic is a flavoring in larger amounts, but in smaller amounts it helps the yeast, it make the dough easier to roll out and it is a preservative & deters mold and bacterial growth.
Use: 1 teaspoon per loaf, will affect flavor 
Cake Flour
Cake flour makes for a softer more tender bread. It also makes a goo d addition to pizza dough as it helps make rolling out the dough easier.
Use: Replace up to 1/4 of the flour called for in the recipe (no more). 
Making Your Own Dough Enhancer
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Bread Fresh Dough Enhancer
1 cup vital wheat gluten
1 cup potato starch or 1 cup potato flakes
1 package jelly pectin powder
1 cup lecithin granuals
2 tablespoons vitamin C tablets - powdered
1 tablespoon ginger powder
1 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup diastatic malt powder
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
Combine all ingredients in a blender container or food processor. Process for 30 seconds. Remove enhancer to a glass or plastic container with a tight fitting lid you can get a teaspoon in to. To use add 1 tsp. of the enhancer per 1 cup of flour called for in the recipe. No other adjustments are needed.
Per recipe (excluding unknown items): 1608 Calories; 34g Fat (18.6% calories from fat); 44g Protein; 293g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 124mg Cholesterol; 743mg Sodium.  
Exchanges: 11 Grain(Starch); 4 Non-Fat Milk; 7 Fat; 5 Other Carbs.
NOTES: For the Vitamin C tablets. Buy a bottle at your local drug store. Then process in a blender or food processor until powdered.----------------------------------------------------------Super Bread Fresh Dough Enhancer
1 cup Vital Wheat Gluten
1 cup Potato Flakes
1 package Pectin Powder
1 cup Lecithin granules 
2 tablespoons Ascorbic Acid Powder
1 tablespoon Ginger Powder
1 cup Powdered Milk
1/2 cup Non Diastatic Malt Powder
1 envelope Unflavored Gelatin
1 cup Acid Whey
1 cup Tofu Powder
1/4 cup Corn Starch
1 cup Instant Yeast
MIXING: Combine all ingredients in a blender container or food processor. Process for 30 seconds. Store the dough enhancer in the freezer in a tight lidded container (glass is best).
USING: Use 1 tablespoon per cup of flour called for in the recipe. No other adjustments are needed.
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 57 Calories; 1g Fat (17.1% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 4mg Cholesterol; 32mg Sodium.  
Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Non-Fat Milk; 0 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
NOTES: VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN:
Use Vital Wheat Gluten and not Gluten Flour. Gluten Flour is a mixture of Vital Wheat Gluten and Bread Flour. Vit al Wheat Gluten helps form a better dough that is better able to trap the gas given off by the yeast. This enables more of the gas to be trapped which means the loaf will be taller and have a text structure and texture.
POTATO FLAKES:
Potato Flakes (Instant mashed potatoes) help the bread stay moist longer which helps keep it from staling. It also helps makes a more tender bread with a better structure and taste.
PECTIN POWDER:
Pectin Powder (the same you use for making jelly) helps keep the bread fresher longer, it helps with dough structure and bread texture.
LECITHIN GRANUALS:
Lecithin is found is soy foods and in egg yolks. It helps with bread moisture, texture, flavor, crust browning and is a mild natural preservative.
ASCORBIC ACID POWDER:
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) helps boost the yeast which helps it do a better job in rising the bread. It is also a mild natural preservative. If you can find ascorbic acid powder by a bottle of natural vitamin C tablets and powder them in the blender. Do this before you add the rest of the ingredients you need the tablets to be completely ground up.
GINGER POWDER:
Ginger Powder is a very good natural preservative as it is also antiseptic which helps it retard mold formation. It is also a mild yeast booster. Don't worry you won't taste the ginger in your bread.
POWDERED MILK:
Powdered milk helps with the taste, texture and the crust brownness of your bread.
NON-DIASTATIC MALT POWDENon-Diastatic Malt is used in NY Bagel recipes and is what gives it that special taste. Used here it is a yeast booster and food. Yeast will feed off of this before any other sweetener they just love it.
UNFLAVORED GELATIN:
Gelatin helps with keeping the bread fresher longer. It helps make a moister loaf of bread which in turns means it takes longer for it to dry out and go stale. Knox is the most popular brand of unflavored gelatin.
ACID WHEY:
Acid whey is the by product of making many types of dairy products. Make sure you get acid whey and not sweet whey. If it doesn't say acid whey then assume it is sweet whey. The acid whey is a yeast booster and a mild preservative. It also helps in dough and bread structure and texture. This product can be hard to find. 
TOFU POWDER:
Tofu Powder aka Soy Drink Mix, Soy Milk Powder, Soy Protein Powder, etc. should be easy to find at almost any health food store. If you go for the Soy Protein Powder make sure it is unflavored. Tofu Powder helps with structure and the texture of the bread. It also helps in the browning of the crust and overall taste of the bread.
CORN STARCH:
Corn Starch helps with structure, texture and moisture retention.
INSTANT YEAST:
This just adds an extra little boost to the bread dough.                       

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This month is now when people start making Christmas gifts it is also when it is time to put up food from the garden. It is a good time to think on skills.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/418060777886199600/ - here is a good place to start for simple gifts.

http://www.budget101.com/make-your-own/frozen-pudding-pop-fudgesicles-2590.html - make your own fudgesicles, yum! On those hot days don’t go get expensive ones, do them ahead and have on hand - a great family night treat too!

Take time to be with your family.