Bread is an infinitely variable food, taking on utterly different flavors and textures depending how you make it and what goes into it. For example, many recipes call for you to knead a quantity of oil into the dough, while others call for different fats or leave it out entirely. If you're running low on oil, or simply want to experiment with your bread, there are substitutions for oil you can make.
What It Does
Oils in a yeast dough have the effect of lubricating the strands of stretchy protein, or gluten, that give the bread its shape and rise. The slippery gluten chains can still bond together and make a good loaf, but they can't reach the full length they'd achieve in a fat-free dough. That's why professional bakers refer to all fats as "shortening," not just the bland white fat you find at the supermarket. These shorter gluten strands give the loaf a softer crust and more delicate crumb, less chewy and easier to bite. The fat also helps the bread remain fresh and moist longer, extending its shelf life.
Solid Fats
The simplest substitution for oil is a solid fat. Add it to the warm water called for in your recipe so it has opportunity to melt and soften, or soften or melt it in advance and then add it to the dough. Vegetable oil shortening is all fat and has a neutral flavor, making it the most direct substitute for most oils. You can also use margarine and butter, though they're not pure oil. Margarine is typically 60 to 80 percent fat while butter is always approximately 80 percent. For a recipe making a loaf or two the difference isn't significant, though you'd need to reduce the liquids in large batches.
Dairy Products
Butter also adds a distinct and pleasant flavor to the bread, giving it a perception of greater richness as well as a softer crumb. You can do the same with other, lower-fat dairy products. Substitute milk, buttermilk, half-and-half or heavy whipping cream for some or all of the water in your recipe, depending on the result you're looking for. The richer and fattier the milk you use, the softer your loaf will be. You can also use yogurt or sour cream as fat substitutes. Yogurt's fat content compares to milk, while sour cream is as fatty as heavy cream. Both add a pleasant hint of tang to the bread along with a softer crumb.
Eggs
Eggs provide another option for softening and enriching your bread. The whites are mainly water and protein, but the yolk of an egg is a potent biological storehouse. It contains a significant quantity of fat to soften and shorten your gluten strands, and also provides emulsifiers that help the other ingredients combine more effectively. Using an egg or two as part of your total liquids, or substituting a pair of egg yolks for the oil, will soften the bread's crumb noticeably.
Just Leave It Out
Although many bread recipes call for some form of fat, it's not really necessary for a good result. Breads made with just flour, water, yeast and salt -- called "lean" breads for their lack of fat -- can be good in their own right, and many fine artisanal breads are lean. If you wish, you can soften the crust by brushing your loaves with milk after they bake rather than incorporating fat. Alternatively, rub the loaves with butter or shortening while they're still hot. This also softens the crust and helps prolong the bread's shelf life.
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