Info on bread improver ingredients

[Meagan]

Here is some info on bread improver and the ingredients included in them.

Ok so after an interesting and in-depth chat with the guy at All About Bread yesterday, this is what he told me and I have added some links for you......

Bread improvers have enzymes in them. These help to break down starches in flour to simple sugars which then feed the yeast and make the dough rise. 

All about bread's branded bread improver has a cereal enzyme in it which is derived from a plant based grain. It complies with halal and kosher (not sure of the spelling of that one) classification requirements (and was previously branded to indicate this) but AAB don't feel the need to pay the large yearly fee to certify their bread improver as the demand is not high enough from those cultures.

Other bread improvers will have either amylase enzyme or L-Cysteine (920) in their ingredients lists. They can also apparently just put 'enzyme' on there which means it is more than likely amylase. 

Amylase enzyme is derived from the pancreatic acid of a pig, see link    

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amylase

L-Cysteine or 920 if made in China is derived from horse and human hair or made anywhere other than China is derived from chicken feathers. This particular enzyme is the one that bakeries use in conjunction with high speed kneading machines to speed up the process from flour to a loaf of bread, to increase productivity. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L-cysteine_hydrochloride

All very interesting and quite scary!!

[judydawn]

I'd heard talk of chicken feathers being used to make bread light so now I understand what they mean, it is not in the loaf but in the bread improver (same thing in the end but people were picturing actual feathers going into the dough).  Thanks Meagan.

[faffa_70]

eeewwwwwwwww 

[Cuilidh]

Well, that's a bit of an eye opener!!!  I had never really given bread improvers a great deal of thought, but now I am definitely going to have to change my ideas.  I have used vitamin C powder as a bread improver but had also tossed up buying a bread improver, I will have to make sure that I go to ABB for that and not just buy something "off the shelf" at the supermarket.

[Carine]

I've used bread improver a few times when I first started making bread and I didn't like the taste of the final product:  not surprising!  A good-basic bread only requires a good baker's flour + water + olive oil and a pinch of salt.

[andiesenji]

You can also simply use some easily found ingredients to get the same effect - as long are there are no gluten problems. 

approximate measurements - doesn't have to be exact. 
I use milk powder - approximately 2 tablespoons per pound of flour
ascorbic acid  - 1/2 teaspoon per pound of flour
vital wheat gluten  - 2 rounded teaspoons per pound of flour
1 teaspoon powdered lecithin per pound of flour.

I do not mix this ahead of time because I think the ascorbic acid and lecithin may interact if stored together.

This will give more loft to a loaf, especially with heavy whole grain flours and produces a nice crust that is crisp but tender. 

[Cuilidh]

On thinking about this further, I wonder if the bread improver is why I hate the smell in the bread aisle at the supermarket?

[cookie1]

I think I feel ill.

[CreamPuff63]

  I think I am going to let the other family members eat the loaf I just made...

[Halex]

Yikes...........

[faffa_70]

I think I am going to let the other family members eat the loaf I just made...

lol and tell the after??!! 

[judydawn]

I've been to a health shop and bought myself a 125g packet of Ascorbic Acid for $13.90 today - the Wallaby bread improver is getting kicked out of the pantry.  Thanks andi for heads up on amount to use & Meagan for the information which forced me to do it.

[dede]

Thanks for that info Meagan, funnily enough I was just about to buy some bread improver today but the small supermarket here didnt have any (Thanks god)
Thanks andiesenji, I will be getting these ingredients instead. Sounds much more appealing.

[andiesenji]

Over the years there have been many discussions about dough enhancers, dough relaxers and etc., on the Bread-Bakers email discussion list - I have been a member since 1991.
You don't have to join the list to search the archives if you want some background on this.
The search results may be a little confusing until you get the idea that they come up exactly as they would in one of the email digests, just compressed into a single page.
Each digest beings with a list of the subjects and you have to scroll down to the one for which you are searching. 
It's a very early format but it still works. 
Just type in "Bread dough enhancer"  in the "Search Digests" window.
The sixth result on the list that pops up with that search provides this list:
"---------- BEGIN bread-bakers.v101.n014 --------------

    001 - Carolyn J Montello <monte - Need a recipe
    002 - Larry <klev8502@eclipsete - Baker Boulanger - Bread machinations - bread machine recipes
    003 - "SunnyG" <SunnyG@micron.n - Self-Rising Flour
    004 - "Schmitt, Barbara E." <BS - Shifting Silpat
    005 - "Linda Garber" <linda@gov - Dough Enhancer
    006 - "Dick Carlton" <carlton@h - Challah Bread
    007 - DaleWiman@aol.com         - kneading bread
    008 - Beeve@aol.com             - Need help with missing part
    009 - "Joni Repasch" <jrepasch@ - Bread Dough Enhancer
    010 - Libby4050@aol.com         - Kitchen Aid vs Kenwood
    011 - Valerie Mates <valeriemat - reminder about archives!
    012 - jcgourd <jcgourd@home.com - RE: Dough Enhancer
    013 - Julie Donnelly <jmdonnell - Dough Magic
    014 - TheGuamTarheels@webtv.net - Afghan Bread...
    015 - "Joni Repasch" <jrepasch@ - KithcenAid 6 qt 525 Watt Mixer
    016 - "Joni Repasch" <jrepasch@ - Maggie Glezer's White-Wheat Rolls
    017 - LDavis47@aol.com          - About Breadmaking machines
    018 - "Joni Repasch" <jrepasch@ - Maggie Glezer's  Hi-Rise Corn Bread
    019 - "Joni Repasch" <jrepasch@ - Hot Malasadas Recipes -- thank you
    020 - Kathleen <schuller@ix.net - Bread books? and a recipe
    021 - Blanche007@aol.com        - Re: Digest bread-bakers.v101.n012
    022 - "Bonni Brown" <bonnibakes - KA classes"
which has 4 entries for Dough enhancer (Dough magic), with various formulas. 
There are also some bread baking books with similar formulas and I have tried many.  They all work and the ratio of ingredients is not critical - one of my friends, who owns a small bakery and cafe, does his measuring by the fist full, etc., and it works just fine in his larger batches. 

Here's a link to a now discontinued product that I used to buy and with which I had great success.

This product was all natural and included diastatic malt powder, usually made from barley.

Products that she formulated were more expensive and when other products (with questionable, in my opinion, ingredients) came on the market and sales of these products fell off, retailers stopped carrying them. 

It is possible to find formulas of other dough enhancers, such as that produced by Barry Farm, another favorite vendor from which I order a lot of specialty grains and flours, beans and etc. 
Theirs includes vital wheat gluten, sweet dairy whey, diastatic malk and ascorbic acid.

I began using the lecithin because I sometimes bake for Muslim friends and there is no way to guarantee the diastatic malt is Halal.  Although they would never know, I do so I try never to use anything that would offend their religious principles when baking for them or for others who have similar beliefs. 

I am pretty sure that if you check with a health food store that is local to you, you can find an organic substitute for the commercial products that don't contain the questionable ingredients.

(P.S. I try to avoid using most "factory" food products sourced in China because of some past incidents.  I do buy teas, but only from reputable vendors.  I have a friend who taught English in China for several years in the Fujian province and who came back with some stories about "factory" foods, not the local foods, that make me wonder how safe any of it is.)

I hope all of this is not too confusing to make it helpful.  There are some amazing recipes in the B-B list recipe archives but they would have to be converted to the TM but reading through them might spark some ideas.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

I've been to a health shop and bought myself a 125g packet of Ascorbic Acid for $13.90 today - the Wallaby bread improver is getting kicked out of the pantry.  Thanks andi for heads up on amount to use & Meagan for the information which forced me to do it.

Let us know how you find the Ascorbic Acid JD. Thanks for the info Meagan.  I haven't used bread improver yet but have been tempted to buy it just to try.