You know that one bakery that you love purchasing bread from? The light, fluffy texture of the dough and buttery taste keeps you coming back time after time. We all have a spot. And while you may have tried to make your own loaf of bread at home, the chances are that it doesn't quite measure up. Bakeries are often equipped with the best of the best bread tools. Their ovens heat to just the right temperature, they have steam injection devices, pre-measured and perfected bread mixes, and they simply have the time to devote to making bread. They check every last bit of their bread to make sure their products are perfect. Even artisan bakers have the exact tools needed to produce a delicious loaf of bread.
If you're wondering how you can achieve bakery-quality bread in your home, we're here to tell you that it is possible. While having fancy equipment helps, you don't need the latest and most excellent tools to make a delicious loaf of bread. In fact, various advances in home baking have been made recently to help you achieve a loaf of bread that tastes nearly identical to that of a bakery. Specialty flours like our Artisan Bread Flour have created ways to make tasty bread with less equipment and time. Gluten free mixes like our Gluten Free Hearty Whole Grain Bread Mix have made it possible for those with a gluten allergy to enjoy bread again.
To help you better replicate your favorite bakery bread at home, here are a few tips to get the most out of your bag of flour.
Choose the Right Flour
When it comes to bread, we all have our personal preferences. Some individuals enjoy sweet bread, while others crave the tart flavors of sourdough. Before choosing a bread recipe, it's essential to identify what kind of bread you want to make. Choosing the right flour for you will help you better achieve the bread dough consistency you desire. To help you get started, here are a few simple-to-use bread flours that we enjoy.
Artisan Bread Flour
Bakers love our Artisan Unbleached Bread Flour. From simple, homemade bread to sourdough bread, it's the perfect flour for your bread-making needs. Milled from U.S. grown wheat, it is then mixed with barley flour to create a blend that helps yeast breads rise to perfection. The high protein content in this flour allows for better gluten development, which plays a vital role in creating the right bread texture—especially when making chewy baguettes and pizza crusts.
10 Grain Bread Mix
Our 10 Grain Bread Mix will not disappoint. Easily the best multi-grain bread you'll ever bake, it's a quick and straightforward way to make delicious bread when you don't have much time. It's mild and nutty flavor makes this bread ideal for sandwiches, french toast, croutons and many other recipes. Enjoy it combined with your favorite add-ins or serve it warm and top it for butter for a real treat.
Gluten Free Homemade Wonderful Bread
Gluten plays a considerable role in achieving the right textured bread. Because gluten is such a necessary component in the dough, you may have wondered if it's possible to make it without it. If you've tried homemade gluten free bread recipes that have ended in a flaky mess—don't worry. Gluten free baking can be hard, but it doesn't have to be. Our Gluten Free Homemade Wonderful Bread Mix, takes the guesswork out of gluten free baking and makes it easy to bake delicious hamburger buns, dinner rolls or sandwich bread at home. Don't believe us? Try it out for yourself and let us know what you think.
Choose the Right Recipe
If you're a novice baker who is just dipping their toe in the water of bread baking, we suggest starting with a simple recipe that's proven to yield delicious results. The good news is, bread recipes are generally simple. In fact, many different kinds of methods call for just four ingredients; flour, water, salt and yeast.
For the perfect, light and airy textured bread, start with this simple recipe.
No-Knead Artisan Bread
While no-knead bread isn't exactly a new concept, it is one of the most underrated. Over-kneading and under-kneading bread can lead to problems with the final loaf's consistency and texture. By taking this step out altogether, you are closer to achieving the right bread dough consistency. Make this No-Knead Artisan Bread, by mixing the dough and letting it sit overnight (or for at least 10 hours). Allow it to rise and bake and then enjoy it. It's that simple. While the 10 hours rise time might seem tiring, you don't have to be nearby. This means that you can mix up your bread flour in the morning, head to work and then bake your bread that evening to have a fresh loaf to enjoy with dinner.
Bread Dough Tips
Time Is of the Essence
When it comes to making a perfect bread dough timing is everything. While some bread recipes can be fully fermented in just under an hour, others can take up to 48 hours. To achieve a delicious flavor and tasty consistency, we recommend allowing your dough to rise for longer than suggested. Longer rise times allow more time for flavors to develop. If you want to slow down your bread loaf fermentation process, there are a few ways you can do so. Using cold liquids, refrigerating the dough or allowing your dough to rise by a fresh open window will help slow down this process and improve the flavor development.
Rehydrate Whole Wheat Doughs
When cooking with whole wheat flours, it's crucial that you give them time to rehydrate. Allowing the whole wheat dough to rehydrate will help awaken the enzymes that work with the complex sugars in the flour and soften the whole grains' bran. Flours high in whole grains, often include a lot of bran. Bran flakes work as little razors and cut the protein strands in the mix, preventing the dough from stretching. By softening these bran flakes, you can ensure that your dough pulls properly and creates a more desirable texture.
Weigh Your Ingredients
When it comes to achieving the right bread texture, it's essential to weigh your ingredients rather than measure them. Professional Bakers rely on Baker's Percentages, which make their bread consistent from day-to-day. When possible, use a scale to weigh your ingredients, this will help make sure that you achieve the right bread dough consistency time and time again. And remember, when it comes to flour, it's good to be conservative. Adding too much flour is one of the leading causes of dry, tough loaves of bread.
Use a Sourdough Starter, Even When You Don't Have To
For truly delicious bread dough, use a sourdough starter in addition to yeast. Most bread tastes great with a little sourdough in it. While you don't have to use it as the primary leavening agent, combining a touch of sourdough with baker's yeast will help the dough rise before it becomes too sour. Using a starter is also an excellent way to keep bread fresh and is excellent for digestion.
Use a Stand Mixer
To improve your bread texture, we recommend using a stand mixer. A stand mixer gets the job done faster and when using one, you're also more likely to knead it for the specific period that the recipe calls for. Using a stand mixer also allows you to use less flour than you would by hand, since you're not dealing with the sticky dough between your fingers. The mixture will naturally be a little wetter and will give the bread a better chance of rising.
For a More Open Crumb—Don't Over-Knead
For a light and airy bread texture with many holes, you mustn't over-knead your dough. Kneading dough after the first rise will result in a more close breadcrumb. While small breadcrumbs are great for sandwiches, they're not ideal when making Artisan bread like this Easy Focaccia Bread. To achieve a more open crumb, it's important to shape but not knead the bread after the first rise. You must also handle your bread dough with care. When striving for a more open crumb if the recipe says punch down, instead, try deflating it gently and kneading it just a few times to redistribute the gasses.
Use Salt
Last but not least, be sure to use salt when making bread dough. Salt has many different chemical reactions when combined with flour and yeast. The salt gives your bread flavor and also helps improve its texture and consistency. If you're limiting salt for health reasons, be sure to add just enough to the recipe to achieve the desired consistency without overdoing it.
There's nothing quite like heading home to a delicious slice of homemade bread. While some homemade bread recipes can prove quite challenging, following these tips can help you achieve the right bread texture each and every time. From sourdough bread to gluten free sandwich bread, consistency is an integral part of making a great loaf. We hope this article provided you with the information needed to create the bread of your dreams. From everyone at Bob's Red Mill, happy bread making!
