Can I use less sugar for making this bread?
I've been following this beginner recipe from Alex, The French Guy Cooking (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycztOGTIX-s&t=326s).
I'll summarize it at the end for easier refernce.
The result was pretty great, tbh, but I'm wondering if I can get away with less or even no sugar without ruining it. From what I understand, sugar is used as a food source, but the flour and butter is a food source too, no?
Any advice is welcome, thank you!
INGREDIENTS.
FLOUR : 2 pounds flour : 7 cups : 907 grams (1 cup flour = 128 g) Bread flour is great, AP Flour works especially if protein content is higher than 10% LIQUID : Half milk, half water. A bit less than 2.5 cups. (1 cup water is 236.59 grams) You can go full milk for more comfort, or full water for simplicity, FAT : Life needs fat. I am french I going full on butter. 100g of butter. (14.2g per tbsp) 7 tbsps ! Oil works as well, or lard, crisco... same 7 tbsps. SUGAR : 88g or 7 tbsps of sugar. SALT : 3 tsp of salt = 18g, for a 2% salt content dough. Instant yeast : 9g. Active dry, instant yeast, don't bother. It'll work about the same. or 3 tsp. ( knowing that 1 packet is 7g and 2.25 tsp. according to redyeast.com )
INSTRUCTIONS :
Big mixing bowl. Tepid Liquid goes first. Then, Yeast, sugar, salt, fat, flour. Mix it till shaggy mess. Cover and wait for 1 hour. This is the "Autolyse". Knead the dough for 5 minutes straight. Pause for 15 minutes. Knead again for 5 minutes. Dough should be smooth by now. Add oil in a big bowl, place the dough in. Wipe the bowl with it. Cover with cling film. 1st proofing starts. Wait till it has doubled in size, usually 2 hours. Sometimes more. You could also wait a day or two if it proofs in the fridge. Deflate. Divide in half. If you just want to bake one loaf in the end, that's the moment to freeze the one of the doughs. Flatten to the width of your (oiled) cake pan. As my dough is soft, i use my hands. Roll up. Place in, with the seam facing down. Let it proof again, until doubled in size again, then bake it. ( no punching this time ) 200°C - 400°F for 30 minutes or golden brown on top. Brush the top with butter. Let it cool down 30 minutes. Enjoy.
Best Answer
You can make a bread following this recipe, but reducing or omitting the sugar. Your bread will rise just fine, as the yeast can feed on sugars in the flour, as you suggest. The same is true for the butter and milk. Lots of tradititional 'simple' bread recipes use only flour, water, salt and yeast. You might have to slightly change timing and kneading procedure to get a good result.
That said, you will alter the flavour (and probably texture) of the bread. Whether you will like the result as much as the original recipe you can only find out by trying.
Pictures about "Can I use less sugar for making this bread?"
What happens if you put too little sugar in bread?
Using too much or too little sugar when baking bread Sugars essentially act as the fuel for yeast; yeast needs it to work, and undergo the process that's going to make your bread rise. If there's not enough sugar, the yeast isn't going to work well because it doesn't have enough to feed on.Can I reduce sugar in bread?
Bread with added sweet ingredients doesn't require super-sweet dough. If you're making yeast bread with a good amount of dried fruit, chopped chocolate, or other sweet ingredients, cutting the amount of sugar in the dough is a no-brainer, taste-wise.Is sugar necessary in bread making?
Bread can still be made without adding sugar, however removing sugar from the recipe will alter its texture, taste, freshness, and speed of the rise. Without sugar, yeast can still multiply by feeding on the naturally occurring sugar and starches in flour.What happens when you reduce sugar in baking?
Baked goods with sugar (and thus more retained water) tend to be softer, moister, and have better shelf life. The more you reduce sugar (without any other adjustments), the drier and more crumbly your baked goods will be \u2014 and the shorter their shelf life.How Does Sugar Affect Bread Dough? The Effects of Sugar Explained
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