Tips for Diet Management from PKU Families

• Buy yeast in jars and keep yeast in the freezer. I've had some in there for three years and it is still very active, despite an expired date.

• To save on yeast, buy generic yeast at a health-food store for about $3-4 per pound (compared to over $20 per pound for name-brand yeast. Store in the freezer and you can use even when beyond the expiration date without a problem (just be sure it is fresh when you buy it).

• I make several pre-measured bags of "bread machine mix" and "pizza dough mix," so all I have to do is add yeast and water when I'm ready to bake bread or pizza.

• For making low protein bread in a machine (we have a Chefmate), I add the water first and the yeast last. I find that it results in a lighter, well-rounded loaf of bread with no air pockets or holes.

• Add 2 table of Tastee Apple Fiber to the Dietary Specialties Bread Machine Baking Mix to improve consistency and change the color to light brown instead of very white.

• Add a drop of yellow food coloring for a nice color in white bread (or use a bit of the spice, turmeric; it will add a nice yellow color but no noticeable flavor)

• If your bread doesn't seem to rise well on a consistent basis, try moving the machine. It could be sitting in a draft. Don't place the machines directly next to windows or heating/air conditioning vents.

• A good book with lots of tips for bread making is The Bread Machine Cookbook V by Donna Rathmell German.

• Use cake molds for making fun shaped breads (for example, a dinosaur mold).

• For making bagels, use 2-3 drops of yellow food coloring in the dough. It makes them look like store-bought "egg" bagels.

• When making low protein cinnamon rolls, try not dividing the dough in half, rather roll out one large piece of dough to avoid twice as many "funny-looking" end pieces. Then spread with soft diet margarine (in tubs) with a knife rather than melting margarine. Saves a step and a few phes too! In stead of slicing the unbaked rolled up dough with a knife, use a 12" thread or dental floss to slice the dough thus avoiding smashing it. Place the tread under the rolled up dough near one end at the place you desire to slice it. Bring the two ends of the thread up and crisscross at top of rolled dough. Pull strings in opposite directions until it has sliced all the way through.

• I find that I have better results when I bake my bread in a regular oven than when I bake it in a bread machine. I use the Dark Homestyle Bread (p. 38, Low Protein Bread Machine Baking for PKU), and set my bread machine to dough only. After it is ready, I then form it into a loaf, using a little wheat starch on my hands and the surface, put it in a greased bread pan, and bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees F. I brush the bread with a little melted butter and return it to the oven for an additional 15 minutes. The bread is very soft and easy to cut and I am able to use the entire loaf (instead of having several slices that are ruined by the bread machine paddle). My 3 year-old daughter loves her bread baked this way.

• Try putting just baked bread on a rack to cool, but instead of leaving it out, put it in the microwave until it is completely cool. The moisture soaks in and the texture of the bread is much better, I think. It even makes the crusts edible!

• Cut very thin slices and freeze immediately in Ziploc bags.

• Have a local grocery store slice your low protein bread. I get bread sliced thin at my local grocery store bakery section for free and then freeze immediately the portions that won't be eaten in the next day or so. This makes for more even slices and looks more like a "regular" loaf of bread.

• We cool our bread, then immediately take it to a grocery store to have them slice it and even put it in a regular bread bag, which makes it look very "normal." The first time I thought of this, I went to the store and explained about the diet and why I wanted it cut in their machine (to make it look as normal as possible) and they had no problem with this. They will do as many loaves as I want to bring to them!

• Putting a regular slice of bread in with your low protein bread for storage will keep it soft.

• Store fully baked Burger Buns (Low Protein Cookery for PKU, p. 89) in plastic freezer bags for easy retrieval. Remove, microwave 15 seconds, slice in half and it's ready for a Mushroom Burger (p. 234).

• When using a bread machine, remove the paddle from your baked bread when it sticks, with a chopstick. Use a baby bottle nipple brush to clean the center portion of the kneading paddle.

• We like to fry low protein bread in margarine. It makes the bread moist and tastier for sandwiches.

• By using 1 1/2 recipes of Basic Savory Dough #1 (Low Protein Bread Machine Baking for PKU) to make bagels, rolls or English Muffins, you can get one dozen regular store-size products (weigh dough out to approximately 70 gm per roll). The dough still rises and fits nicely in the bread machine. Doubling the recipe is too much. Use some now, and freeze the rest for later in freezer bags. They keep well, frozen, for up to 6 months.

• When making pizza dough or Basic Savory Dough, divide the recipe for variety and make bread sticks, cinnamon/sugar bread sticks, rolls and pizza all at one time. Freeze what you won't use in a few days' time.

• Weekly, I use the "Dark Homestyle Bread" recipe on p. 39 of the Low Protein Bread Machine Baking for PKU. This recipe calls for both the Wel-Plan (163 gm) and Wheat Starch (245gm). After 10 years of experimenting, I like this bread the best because it consistently produces the largest loaf with an excellent texture. We slice it into 15-18 slices with an electric slicer and freeze for lunches. The other bread recipes are good as well, but they will not produce the large loaf like this recipe. I have not been very successful in substituting the Loprofin Mix in any of the bread machine recipes.

• Cut low protein bread into 1 x 1-inch cubes to make croutons. Fill freezer bags and freeze for easy use.

• To make PKU "Stove Top" Stuffing: fry low protein bread croutons in a frying pan with margarine, salt, pepper parsley, chopped celery, sliced onion and sliced mushrooms. Stir fry until crispy as desired. Water can be added for desired moistness. This makes a great side dish.

• Mix low protein bread croutons with an individual size can of peaches (use some peach juice also), one small box of raisins, cinnamon, 2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1 tablespoon margarine. Microwave for 1 minute. Serve warm, topped with Cool Whip. This is a great winter afternoon treat or dessert.

• I make delicious low protein Italian-style bread that looks terrific, tastes great and has a nice browned crunch crust and soft white interior. I used a "brotform all-natural bread rising basket" designed to create "country breads." I got mine from Bed, Bath and Beyond, but I have seen them in most kitchen gadget catalogs. I used an oval shaped one, but they have all sorts of shapes. I used Trish's Best White Bread recipe (p. 32, Low Protein Bread Machine Baking for PKU). I put my machine on "dough" cycle. The only modification to the recipe I made was to add some brown food coloring to the water to reduce the white color of the bread. At the end of the dough cycle, I scraped the dough out of the machine and dumped it into the brotform rising basket. I heated my oven for a few minutes, then turned it off. I put the bread in the warm oven and let rise for about an hour until it had doubled. I turned the bread over onto a baking sheet (it is not to be baked in the basket), sprayed margarine all over it, and put it back into a preheated 375 degree F. oven for about 35 minutes. It turns out fabulously!

• Make the Best White Bread recipe from Low Protein Cookery for PKU (p. 72). Divide dough in to 30 pieces. For a nice variety of shapes, with your hands form some into square shapes, some round, some round with a hole and some in bread stick shapes. Put on a nonstick cookie sheet and freeze, uncovered. Once frozen, store them in a freezer bag. For fresh bread, take out several pieces and thaw (microwave four pieces about 20 seconds). Place on a cookie sheet and put in a cold oven. Turn oven on to 350 degrees and bake 15-17 minutes. After removing from oven, spread with a little "free" margarine to maintain softness and fresh taste.

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