I have just brought a bread machine, and I am wondering if I need to use bread improvers? I am trying to stay away from chemicals and presrevatives. I have no idea what a bread improver does. I usually make my bread by hand. Does a bread improver give a softer texture? help in keeping the bread longer?
Bread "improvers" are usually either things to enhance the action of yeast or to provide more consistency and uniformity to the loaf. So there would smaller, more even holes in the bread for example. In other words to make it look more like commercial bread. These improvers do nothing for the bread's flavor or nutrition, which should be most important. If you use a bread machine, it probably makes for a more consistent loaf, but you do not need to buy premade mixes for your bread, which are always more expensive. Just use a good recipe and adjust accordingly. Caveat: I don't use a bread machine so I can't say exactly what you need to do differently when making from scratch as opposed to a mix in the machine.
I make almost all of my breads from scratch. You can add all kind of nutrition enhancers to breads to make them even more healthy. Experiment with different types of flour for variety, use oats to replace some of the flour, the possibilities are endless really. Homemade breads do not contain perservatives. And, make your own mixes, it's super easy and economical.
I've used a bread machine for years with good results (without "improvers"). I've found that it is best to use recipes that have been written specifically for bread machines until you get a feel for it, then you can convert your other bread recipes for use in the machine. What I would mainly recommend, is using the "fast rising" yeast (I use Red Star), rather than regular yeast. The bread machines have a fixed rising time that is usually shorter than handmade recipes Some bread machines can be reprogrammed for longer rising times, but it can be tricky trying to guess just how much time you will need.
You might think that my response is long overdue but I would just like to add that bread improver are used to speed up bread production. In 1990's two ingredients were found to be harmful to our health, although these are no longer added to bread improver, there are still some issues regarding the use of bread improver. Giant fortune cookies
