BREAD

To create a perfect bread crust, the bread requires a really steamy atmosphere while baking. With this theory and a few other really clever ways, we can learn how to get a good crust on bread every time! Let’s take a look at what things we can do and how we can do them!

But have you ever had one of those moments where you think you have done everything by the letter, only to look at your masterpiece to see your dough not rising?! What a disaster! Why is my bread dough not rising?! When I am making bread, my secret weapon ingredient is yeast.

If you’re in a rush or have ran out of yeast you might be thinking, ‘Can I make bread without yeast?’. Well, I’m here to tell you that you can! Let’s take a look at what types of bread can be made without yeast.

Proving (also known as proofing) bread is probably the most important part of making homemade bread. Well, devouring warm, fresh bread straight out of the oven is definitely the most important part of making bread, but proving it comes as a close second. 

You can easily pick up a loaf of bread at your local bakery, or you can spend hours, if not days, trying to create the best sourdough loaf you’ve ever made. 
For something that is made with such simple and natural ingredients, like flour, water and yeast, why can it be so time consuming? 

I know making bread by hand can seem scary at first, but it really shouldn’t. Making bread without a stand mixer takes some time, but with just a few tips up your sleeve, you’ll become a pro in no time. There are actually different ways in which you can strengthen the gluten in the dough without needing a mixer.

Why Score Bread? What are the benefits?    I always get drawn to the intricate designs on loaves in a bakery. Bread scoring patterns can vary from just a simple cut along the side, creating what is known as the ‘ear’, or, others can be as complicated as...

The short answer is yes, you can definitely make bread without bread flour and it comes out equally as delicious, depending on the type of flour you use of course. The most common and well known flours are plain flour, self-rising flour, cake flour and bread flour.

If you are looking to make a more substantial loaf of bread, you won’t be able to rely solely on water and flour. You need other ingredients to give your loaf a lift and some flavour. Some baking powder, salt, sugar, olive oil and herbs and spices will turn your bland bread into the most delicious loaf ever.

It is important to note that self-rising flours tend to have a slightly lower gluten content than plain or bread flour, so it’s not suited to use in recipes requiring a flour with high gluten content. Therefore, it’s not an ideal flour for making bread. Bread with self-rising flour will result in a very crumbly, dense loaf with little height. 

You can absolutely make bread with just flour, water and yeast, but if you can consume salt I highly recommend adding it to your bread. Why, you may ask? Well, salt is actually used for a number of things in bread and is more important than you think it is.

You can’t really go wrong with bread. It’s loved by everyone, including me, and is something that most people will have a constant supply of in their homes. Bread is the basis for all our favourite sandwiches, burger buns, cinnamon rolls and pizzas. Without bread dough, some of our favourite foods would not even exist!