suemunzlinger's Recipe

Better Bread Hints

Category: Breads and quick breads

Use high protein wheat or add gluten

Add vital wheat gluten to increase the rise and spring of your bread and make it lighter. Commercial bread machine flour has vital wheat gluten added. You don’t need much. 1/4 cup per 5 cups of whole wheat flour is enough to make your loaves lighter.

Rise it at 70F

The best and most flavourful bread rises slowly at cooler temperatures. In the summer in a warmer climate you may need to put your bread in a cooler location to rise. Adjust the rising so that you can maintain this optimum temperature.


Proof your yeast

Yeast has a shelf life. Keeping your yeast in the fridge can increase its shelf life. But eventually it loses its vitality. Always proof your yeast before adding it to your bread.

There are different kinds of yeast. For regular bread baking (not bread machine) I prefer active dry yeast. It will work with the dough and give you a long rising time without collapsing prematurely. Instant yeast is fast but the bread isn’t given a chance to develop fully. Instant yeast will collapse with a long rising time. Wine yeast isn’t used for bread baking.


Optional dough conditioners

Add 1 tbsp. cider vinegar to the dough when you mixing it as a dough conditioner. This adds enzymes and increases the lightness of your dough.

Half the yeast and double the rising time

When following a commercial recipe, decrease the yeast by ½ and double the first rise. This removes some of the yeasty, alcohol flavour of the bread and gives a more complex flavour and a better crumb. The lightness of the dough comes as much from the handling and rising time as from the yeast.

Use less flour than you think you need

The bread dough should be very sticky when you put it to rise for the first time. The flour will absorb a lot of the stickiness during the first rising. Don’t be tempted to make the dough “smooth and elastic” in the first kneading, as so many recipes say. Your bread will turn out heavy. Instead reserve up to a third of the flour that the recipe calls for to add after the first rising. Then knead it in one handful at a time. And stop as soon as you can handle the dough without it sticking to your hands or the counter top. The actual amount of flour that you need will depend on the relative humidity in your kitchen on the day that you bake.

Knead with wet hands

Instead of flouring your hands when you knead the dough, wet them. This will keep the dough from sticking to your hands without adding any heaviness to the dough.

Don’t forget the salt

Bread without salt is tasteless and the crumb isn’t as well formed. Salt mediates the yeast and changes the texture of the bread. Add about 1 tsp. of salt for each loaf of bread that the recipe makes. Some recommend a no iodine salt

Use a baking stone

The baking stone increases the heat retention in the oven and gives that crisp brown crust the wood fired ovens give. I don’t have one. If you don’t have one either, you can put two bricks in the bottom of your oven and preheat them with your oven. They will retain the heat, like a baking stone, and make the bottom crust brown evenly. For artisan bread you can bake the loaves right on the baking stone. But for this recipe we are using bread pans. Place the bread pans on top of the baking stone.

Slash the tops of the loaves

Slash loaves diagonally across the top about 20 minutes before baking. This give space for the loaf to spring in the oven without cracking your bread.

Create steam in your oven during baking

This is the key to making the very best artisan bread. If you don’t take anything else away from the article take this. Commercial artisan bread bakeries have ovens that steam the bread during the baking process. The steam encourages “oven spring” which makes taller, lighter loaves of bread. It also crisps the crust and makes the crust chewier. You can create steam in your oven while baking, by putting a heavy pan, like a small cast iron frying pan, onto the bottom rack of your oven. Just before you put your loaves into the oven to bake, pour boiling water into the frying pan. Add your loaves and close the oven door.


Create the crust texture that you want

Brush loaves with water before baking for a crustier loaf. Brush with egg before baking for a softer, golden loaf. Brush with butter when you bring the bread from the oven for a very soft crust.

Use a long preheat

Don’t be in a hurry to get your bread in the oven. Preheat the oven before putting in your bread dough for at least 20 minutes. Some artisan bakeries preheat the oven for a full hour. Bake bread at 425F for a crisp browned, caramelized crust.

Preheat the pan before putting in your bread or place the bread pan on a baking stone – use parchment paper to transfer your dough to the pan

Don’t rush bread baking

Time – allow for at least 4 hours to make an awesome, loaf of bread. The dough needs time to ferment, proof, and bake. Don’t rush it. The actual hands-on time is less than 20 minutes. Most of the time is waiting. Start early in the day and you won’t be disappointed.