601740 Fri Mar 06 16:40:28 -0800 2009 9 31 Home Cooking 0 4480997 A friend's new cookbook has this listed as an ingredient, and I personally have never heard of it. Is it something commonly used in the United States, or is it only in the recipes because it's a popular ingredient in Asia? Web research tells me it's often used in the United States to promote fluffiness and volume in baked goods, but I've never heard of home cooks using it. Any bread softener users out there? TIA Fri Mar 06 16:40:28 -0800 2009 11577 Pei 1 4481035 It forms a special complex with starch and helps prevent staling. You'd have to buy it special because monoglycerides are taken out of oils as they cloud them and they aren't present in butter in large quantities. It's not a "chemical" persay, but a fat molecule with only one fatty acid versus a triglyceride which is the form most fat is in with three fatty acids. Fri Mar 06 16:56:27 -0800 2009 4480997 164007 Bryn 2 4481088 several breadmaker machine recipe books have stated that you need to add powdered dry milk to a recipe to get a soft crust. would that do in a pinch? Fri Mar 06 17:19:17 -0800 2009 4481035 46717 Danybear 3 4481145 It probably supplements the monoglycerides. There are some milk fat. I think you add the milk powder more for the proteins in it as it is a skim milk powder usually. Fri Mar 06 17:38:51 -0800 2009 4481088 164007 Bryn 4 4481227 Lecithin would be a more readily available and equally effective additive. I use it all the time in whole-grain breads that otherwise would be a bit too dry. Fri Mar 06 18:15:37 -0800 2009 4481145 123801 zamorski 5 4481316 It wouldn't prevent the retrogradation of starch that causes staling though. Fri Mar 06 19:01:14 -0800 2009 4481227 164007 Bryn 6 4481490 Thanks. For a home baked good, I'm definitely more interested in promoting fluffiness, moistness, and overall taste improvement more than worried about things being shelf stable or staying non-stale. I guess Lecithin is the best easily available substitute, then? Thanks for the interesting info. Fri Mar 06 20:31:49 -0800 2009 4481316 11577 Pei 7 4481681 It'll work well. It helps develop the gluten matrix, but don't add too much! Soy protein or flour or isolate works as well. Fri Mar 06 23:27:41 -0800 2009 4481490 164007 Bryn 7 4482493 If you use lecithin, remember that it is perishable. Only buy it refrigerated in a place with good turnover and make sure you store it in the fridge or freezer. Sat Mar 07 10:50:48 -0800 2009 4481490 123801 zamorski 6 4482489 Good point, Bryn. Sat Mar 07 10:48:52 -0800 2009 4481316 123801 zamorski