Baking A Bread: Course 101
There is always something special about homemade bakery goods. They taste so much fresh as compared to the products available in the market. Homemade baked products are tweaked according to our health needs and taste. There is nothing more exciting than the art of baking bread at home. Like in our Ultimate guide to baking a cake, knowing how to bake bread at home should be a potent arsenal every woman out there should tuck in her belt. It’s a special simple culinary art for every daughter out there or son should at least have knowledge. Making bread may at first seem intimidating, but in an actual sense, it’s one of the easiest in the art of cooking.
Like Cake, there are so many reasons why you should know how to bake bread and bread rolls.
- It is healthier. Baking your bread at home gives you absolute control over which ingredients that would be desirable for you. For instance, if you buy a bread from a grocery store, you will often notice some unprounceable chemicals and preservatives on the ingredients list. Getting rid of these chemicals on your menu require that we bake at home.
- It’s an easy way to connect with friends, colleagues and families. Few things impress loved ones and other guests at a dinner party like a homemade loaf of bread. It has a certain magical quality about it that isn’t replicated in other foods. To take time to whip up something like bread already has an allure with it.
- There is this rich aroma as the scent from the kitchen floods the home; the golden brown crust of perfection; the tantalizing texture of a crusty loaf or flaky biscuit; and the primal feel of home and family with each delicate bite. Nothing could be more exciting!
Well, if you have been planning to make fresh bread at home for a long time, below is an ultimate guide to bread making with beginners in mind- people who may have never baked anything in their whole life before. I am confident that the pro tips given here and the step by step on how to make bread would help a beginner bake a delicious after reading through it all.
Basic bread ingredients
The ingredients needed to make bread are incredibly simple, and you’re almost guaranteed to have the majority of what you need already at home. There are only four bread ingredients you really need: flour, yeast, water, and salt. All the other ingredients in a recipe are there to add flavor, nutrition, color, and to change the characteristics of the bread crumb.
- Flour: Flour provides the structure for the product. The gluten (or protein) in flour, combines to form a web that traps air bubbles. Starch in the flour sets as it heats to add to and support the structure. Bread flour is high protein flour. It produces bread that has a higher volume because it contains more stretchy gluten. Though bread flour is advised, All-purpose flour is still good. The difference between them is the level of protein and Bread flour is higher by 1% only.
- Salt: Salt always enhances the flavour in any bakery goods. It slows down the yeast so the dough doesn’t get out of control and has time to develop flavors. Your basic table salt will do.
- Water: A liquid, such as water or milk, helps carry flavorings throughout the product. It helps form the gluten bonds and reacts with the starch in the protein for a strong but light structure. I use tap water.
- Yeast: Yeast is the living organism that makes your bread dough rise and creates those lovely air bubbles in the crumb. There are two basic types of yeast; Active dry yeast is dry, granular in texture, and needs proofing — that is, it needs to be mixed with lukewarm (about 110° F) water to activate (please note that if the water is too hot, it will kill your yeast). This water/yeast solution is then added to your dry ingredients. Instant rise yeast which has enzymes that have been added to speed up the reaction, that is, make the dough or batter rise quickly.
Others Ingredients
- Fats: The most common fats used in bread making are oils, shortenings and butter. Butter helps in tenderness. Bread that has a high proportion of butter to flour is much more tender, doesn’t rise as high, and have a very tender mouth-feel. Fat also contributes flavor to the bread and helps it brown while baking.
- Sugar: Sugar adds sweetness and contributes to the bread’s browning. The main role for sugar in yeast bread is to provide food for the yeast. Sugar tenderizes bread by preventing the gluten from forming. It also holds moisture in the finished product thereby making it fluffy.
- Eggs: Eggs added to dough help with rising. Eggs are a leavening agent that is used in some bread recipes, but not all. Leavening agent helps in the rising of dough. The egg yolk also helps to tenderize the crumb and lighten the texture a bit.
Step by Step on How to make bread
Step 1: Assemble Bread Ingredients.
Ingredients
500g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
2 tsp salt
7g sachet Instant rise yeast
3 tbsp olive oil
300ml water (lukewarm)
Step 2: Dissolve the yeast and activate it by Proofing
Combine warm water, yeast and 1 TBSP of the granulated sugar in your mixing bowl. Give it a quick stir and then let it sit for 5 minutes. You’ll begin to see the yeast puff up until it covers the entire surface of the water. Now you can add the rest of the ingredients; sugar, the oil, salt and flour. Then mix using an electric mixer until it’s well combined, about 2 minutes. You can mix by hand but it will take longer.
Step 3: Knead your bread dough
Kneading dough is as simple as pushing the dough away from you with the heel of your palm, folding it over itself with your fingers, and pulling it back. This repeated push-pull cross-knits the protein strands, developing a strong gluten net.
Kneading dough allows gluten to form which enables dough to rise better, be lighter and fluffier. you can knead by hand or with a mixer.
If you knead by hand, you’ll want to knead for 10-11 minutes, depending on how consistent you are.
Step 4: First rise and Punch
Place your lovely smooth, elastic bread dough in an oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a clean towel. The important step in bread-making is knowing when that first rising is over, when the dough has been through its first fermentation and ready to shape. Most recipes call for the bread to double in size – this can take one to three hours, depending on the temperature, moisture in the dough, the development of the gluten, and the ingredients used. Generally speaking, a warm, humid environment is best for rising bread. Punching the dough down quickly releases any air pockets that have developed and helps your bread have a more consistent rise and texture.
Step 5: Second rise and bake
The second rise will help shape your loaf of bread and takes about 30 minutes. In order to get the best texture and flavor that is typical of leavened bread, dough should be given a second rise before baking. A second rise allows yeast more time to work, which changes the actual fibers within the dough. The second rise helps develop a lighter, chewier texture, and a more complex flavor.
Go ahead and bake. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake bread for about 30-33 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Give the top of a loaf a gentle tap; it should sound hollow. Invert the baked loaves onto a wire cooling rack. And here comes your delicious bread.
How can I bake without oven?
One way to bake without an oven is to use a cast iron skillet, and a gas, electric, or induction stove will do for this purpose. Cast iron skillets are popular because they are durable and literally made of solid iron. They heat your food evenly and can be used on a stove top or an oven.
