The bakery does have some delectable freshly baked bread. But do you know what could taste better and give you a sense of accomplishment? You guessed it! A homemade fresh out of the oven loaf of bread. It may seem like a tedious task, but a worthy task nonetheless. Just imagine passing a special recipe or teaching your kids, grandkids or great grandkids how to bake bread. Let’s start a family tradition and learn how to make excellent and meticulously baked bread! Here are some steps on how to make some quality bread:

1st Step: Ingredients

Before you begin the baking process it is vital to have all the required ingredients to make excellent bread. Ensure to measure the ingredients, measuring is an equally important step as it will determine the quality of the bread.

2nd Step: Proof the Yeast

Certain bread recipes will require you to proof the yeast. This is the step involving the hydration of dry yeast in the liquid utilized in the recipe and adding sugar. The water activates the yeast and the sugar is fed to the yeast. Afterwards, mixing is required, then set the mixture aside for five-ten minutes and look out for foam. Foam bubbles provide the sign you need to show that the yeast is alive, and you can add it into the dough.

3rd Step: Mix

You can utilize 3 different methods to combine the ingredients according to the recipe you have chosen. For example, you could use the sponge method, straight dough method or modified straight dough method.

4th Step: Knead

You can opt to knead your dough by hand or in a stand mix. The dough must be kneaded until it becomes smooth and stretchy. The amount of time taken for kneading is contingent on the type of bread you are baking. For instance, dough with fat can be kneaded for a shorter time span and dough without fat must be kneaded for a longer period of time. On average it takes approximately 7-8 minutes to knead.

5th Step: First Rise

This is when the fermentation process begins. When the yeast feeds, carbon dioxide is produced and causes the dough to rise. In addition, this process determines the flavour and texture of the bread.

6th Step: Shape

After bulk fermentation the dough can be shaped into loaves, rolls or any other custom shapes. You can add it into your loaf pan with a specific shape, according to the type of bread you are making.

7th Step: Second Rise

This is the rise that occurs after the dough has been shaped and it is also known as proofing. The same fermentation process is still taking place, but the majority of dough obtains its volume via this step. Generally, the dough should double in size. Buying a proofing basket could help you in this step. You can purchase a variety of proofing baskets from the banneton man website.

8th Step: Bake

After it has been proofed adequately, you can pop it in the oven. Place the bread in the oven for thirty-forty minutes at a temperature of 190-200 F. Once it has been baked, turn it over from the loaf pan and let it cool on the baking rack.

Put on your chef’s hat and start baking a fine tasting loaf of bread.

 

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