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Bread 101: The Basics of Bread Making
Many people would like to make yeast bread but are uncertain how to start or are afraid of failure. Others have tried with less than perfect results and don't know what went wrong or how to fix it. If you are one of these people, this article is for you. Our goal is not to try to teach you how to win blue ribbons at county fairs. Our only concerns are to help you learn how to make a good loaf of bread that you, your family, and your friends can enjoy, and to make you look like a hero.
What we think of as bread today is made from four basic ingredients - flour, yeast, salt, and water. Other ingredients can be added to change the texture and flavor of bread but only these four are required. The quality of the ingredients you use is important. A good loaf of bread always starts with good ingredients. Before we cover the techniques, we should talk a bit about the ingredients and what part they play.
Flour
Wheat flour is used for bread making because it contains two proteins - glutenin and gliadin. When mixed with a liquid the glutenin and the gliadin combine to make gluten. Gluten is what makes yeast breads possible. During the mixing and kneading, the gluten is stretched to form an elastic web that traps the gas produced by the yeast. It is the trapped gas that causes the dough to rise and produces the bubbles in a loaf of bread. It is important to use bread flour or all-purpose flour for bread making. Cake flour will produce much less gluten and will not make a good loaf of bread. Other types of flour, such as whole wheat or rye, or cereals such as oatmeal can be mixed with the bread or all-purpose flour to make special breads and rolls. It should also be noted that different brands of flour, or flours from different regions/countries can have noticeably different characteristics. Find a flour you like and stick with it.
Yeast
Yeast is a single celled plant. There are many, many varieties of yeast in the world. For our purposes, we will be discussing bakers yeast. Bakers yeast comes in two basic forms - active dry and fresh cake. Fresh cake yeast is used mainly by professional bakers and is very perishable. Don't buy fresh yeast more than three days before you intend to use it. Active dry yeast is widely available and can be stored for up to a year (check the expiration date).
Salt
Salt slows the rate at which the yeast produces gas and also strengthens the gluten. This gives the bread a nice texture and grain. Salt also brings out the flavor of the bread.
Water
Water can be just plain H2O or can come from other source such as milk. Plain water will make a crisper crust and does not mask the flavor of the wheat. Milk will create a softer crust, finer grain, and add richness. Milk contains lactose sugar which cannot be broken down by baker's yeast. This lactose sugar helps the crust to brown and also helps the bread brown when toasted.
Enhancements
Shortening
All fats are referred to as shortening when used in baked goods. Fats can be oils, butter, lard, or shortening. Shortening gives bread a silky crumb, and makes it soft and tender.
Eggs
When used in bread, eggs make the crust tender and the crumb fine. They also add color and give the bread a rich flavor.
Sugar
Sugar provides food for the yeast. Sugar also helps the crust to brown and adds flavor. Sugar is not considered an essential ingredient because the complex carbohydrates in the flour are broken down into simple sugars that feed the yeast.
Other Ingredients
Other types of flour, herbs, spices, dried fruits, and nuts can all be added to bread.
A Word On Temperature
There are many sources that claim that temperature is critical. They will specify narrow temperature ranges that must be constantly checked with a thermometer. They claim that failure to follow their instructions will result in dead yeast and bread that is a complete failure. This is absolute rubbish!
Baker's yeast is a living thing just like you. In fact, baker's yeast can tolerate a wider range of temperatures than you can. The truth is that baker's yeast will be happy under the same temperature conditions that make most of us happy. When you're measuring the temperature of your liquids your finger works just fine. If the water feels warm, but not quite warm enough for your bath, that will make your yeast very happy.
Consistent Measurements are Critical
Like any recipe, a bread recipe is just a suggestion. A starting point... If you are consistent with your measurements, your results will be repeatable. More importantly, if you are consistent with your measurements, you will be able to adjust your measurements to improve your results. If you are sloppy with your measurements you cannot make adjustments because you never really know what you started with.
| Weight | Metric | Percentage | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lb | 1 5/8 oz | 500 g | 100.0% | Flour |
| 3/8 oz | 10 g | 2.0% | Salt | |
| 1/4 oz | 7 g | 1.4% | Yeast | |
| 12 3/8 oz | 350 g | 70.0% | Water (loaf 1) | |
| 10 1/2 oz | 300 g | 60.0% | Water (loaf 2) | |
| 8 7/8 oz | 250 g | 50.0% | Water (loaf 3) | |
Baker's Percentage
If you are using a scale, as I recommend, you can use a method of measuring known as the baker's percentage. The baker's percentage lists all ingredients by weight as a percentage of the total weight of flour. Using our test loaves as an example, because the ingredients are measured as a percentage of the flour, the flour is always 100%. Remember that we are working with the total weight of flour. If we were using more than one type of flour the combined weight of those flours would be our 100%. For example, if we had used 250g of bread flour and 250g of whole-wheat, the total would still be 500g but each of the flours represents 50%.
Hydration
The amount of water in the dough controls the character of the bread being made. The amount of water relative to the amount of flour is known as the hydration level. At low hydration levels bread will have a dense tight crumb. As hydration levels increase the crumb becomes more open and irregular. The loaves pictured here were made with hydration levels of - from left to right - 70%, 60%, and 50%.
Mixing
There is no magic to mixing bread dough. Whether you mix the dough on a board or in a bowl the goal is the same - to make a sticky blob. Once the dough is mixed it will be very sticky. Resist the urge to add flour. The dough will become much less sticky as you knead it.
When mixing by hand I find it easiest to make a ring from the dry ingredients, except the yeast, and add the yeast and liquids to the center. Using a fork I gradually pull in the dry ingredients and mix them into the liquid. It is important not to make the ring too small. If the liquid is too deep you risk a break in the walls and a big mess.
If you are using an electric mixer, food processor, or bread machine to mix and knead your dough the manufacturers instructions should be followed.
Kneading
The standard method of kneading the dough is to push and stretch the dough away from you with the heal of your hand. You then fold the dough back on itself and give it a 1/4 turn. This is repeated until the dough is smooth and elastic; usually 5 - 8 minutes. If the dough remains overly sticky after three minutes dust it with flour.
Once you have finished kneading the dough form it into a smooth ball. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Do not use a terrycloth towel because it will stick terribly. If you do not have a suitable towel use plastic wrap.
Place the bowl with the dough in a warm place away from drafts and allow the dough to ferment. Ferment is the term used for this rising of the dough. Once the dough has doubled in bulk, gently roll it out onto your board. You are now ready to shape your loaf.
Shaping, Proofing, and Baking
There are as many ways to shape a loaf of bread as there are bread makers. The 70% hydration example loaf was too soft and sticky to handle so it was just stretched out to the proper length and dropped onto a piece of parchment on a cookie sheet. The other example loaves were rolled out flat with a rolling pin into rectangles with the desired width and then rolled up. The seam and the ends were pinched to seal.
Proofing is the final rise after the loaf is shaped and usually takes less time than fermenting. Once the loaf has doubled, it is scored. This allows gas to escape during baking and is also decorative. The loaf pictured here is our 60% hydration example. After being scored it was dusted with semolina.
All of our example loaves were baked at 400°F for 30 minutes. You should follow your recipe's instructions. It is a good idea to get and use an oven thermometer. Never trust the numbers on the dial.