At this page by Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, you can learn about the functions of the different ingredients used to make bread. You don't have to memorize it. In fact, to get started in breadmaking, all you have to do is follow a good recipe, which you'll see at the next stop. But if you'd like to know more about what's going on, there's a lot of good information on this page.
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The address (URL) of the current site is:
http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/foods/nf186.htm