Sugar brews in bread improvement

The use of a partly fermented sugar brew instead of the dough water and compressed yeast improved the specific volume, texture and softness of bread made by a mechanical development process without oxidising improver and intermediate proof. The improving effect of the brew was due entirely to its residual sugar, ethyl alcohol content and the active state of the yeast, and none of these factors could be omitted without reducing bread quality. Because these factors vary simultaneously in a fermenting brew there was an optimum duration of brew fermentation. The use of such a brew also reduced the work input requirement during dough mixing and final proof time.