Bread Baking Tips

Making bread can become an easy and enjoyable process with a little practice, patience, and pointers. Common problems that arise during the bread-making process are: insufficient risings, improper timings, and poor finished products. Here are some bread baking tips to ensure your bread turns out scrumptious!

·        Ingredients: Use the proper amount and type of yeast, warm water of 100◦F-110◦F (use a thermometer), sugar to feed the yeast, a little salt for flavor, and sometimes oil for moistness. Water temperature is crucial; too cold and the yeast will not activate, too hot and the yeast will die.

·         Procedure: Most recipes using regular (not quick-rise) yeast require proofing of the yeast first. Allow the yeast to sit for a sufficient amount of time to activate before proceeding with the recipe. All wet ingredients should be added now. Then mix the flour in slowly, a little bit at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball. Then knead in enough remaining flour until the dough is smooth and elastic, using just enough flour so the dough does not stick. Remember, you can always add more flour, but you can never take it away.

·         Risings: Dough should be allowed to rise in a warm, but not too hot, draft-free spot. The ideal location (unless you have an actual proofer) is in the oven with the light on and the door shut tightly. The oven should be set to 200◦F and allowed to rest there for no more than 10 minutes, then shut off before putting the dough inside. The dough should be covered according to the recipe. Often greased plastic wrap, waxed paper, and tea towels are used. A tea towel dampened with hot water will improve rising and keep the dough moist. Do not peek until the minimum amount of rising time is up. The dough had risen sufficiently if it is doubled in bulk.

·         Baking: Bread is generally baked for a fairly long amount of time in a moderate oven. If the top browns too quickly before the inside is fully cooked, it should be covered with foil. Proper shaping of the dough is important for even cooking. To test bread for doneness, toothpicks are not used. Sometimes the sound of the bread when tapped, and the feel of the bread are good indicators. The most accurate method however, is to insert an instant-read thermometer into the center of the bread.

There you have it! Some general tips that apply to most types of breads. Happy bread baking!