Traca and Judy, I'll answer all here. The booklet that came with my
bread machine had a lot of information in it that gave me a start. They say:
Licithin - "May be added to bread to maintain freshness and moisture. It also works with gluten to produce a lighter bread. It is derived from either soy or egg yolks and comes in either liquid or granular form." I bought mine at whole foods and the girl said that she has heard people that bought the liquid form to use in bread so I got the liquid and it is soy based. It is some real NASTY stuff to work with though! I had it on everything and it is a real bugger to clean up. I found that the "Imus Ranch All-Purpose Cleaner" is the only thing that would cut it.
Vital Gluten Flour - "A very high-protein flour made from hard wheat and treated to remove most of the starch. For regular yeast bread baking, vital gluten is used primarily as an additive to enhance doughs made with low glutens such as rye flour. When making rapid rise breads, add vital gluten four for a better rise in the shorter rising time." I got a much better rise on this loaf and I think this really helped. The bag of flour told me how much to add.
Vitamin C - "Acts as a preservative, deterring mold and bacteria growth. Adding a little ascorbic acid to Artisan Breads (Doughs) will enable the yeast to work longer, producing a more flavorful, well-textured bread. Professional bakers often add it to French breads, boules, and baguettes when preparing the dough. A crushed (powdered)vitamin C tablet may be used. Use about 1/8 teaspoon per 3 cups flour." I bought a bottle of tablets and ground them all up into a powder in my mini processor and put it back in the bottle. Now it's ready when I need it.
I made a medium size loaf this time an it rose to the top of the machine so something really worked and I guess that's what made the bread fluffier. I guess I'll just keep doing the same thing. I'm very happy. Hope this helps. Hubby just took some pictures and I'll add them shortly.
