Key Ingredients & Equipment

Yeast breads generally have few ingredients (often flour, yeast, salt, and water), yet many additions can be added, especially when baking whole grain breads. Additions may include fats, eggs, dairy, and some sort of sweetener (sugar, honey, barley malt syrup, maple syrup, and others). Fats add tenderness and flavor. Sweeteners promote browning and helps breads have a longer shelf life.

As with all baking, I highly recommend that you weigh your flour and perhaps other ingredients. It is true that bread dough is dependent upon many factors such as the humidity in your kitchen, the kind of flour used, where the grains for the flour were grown, and others, yet I still weigh my flour to ensure I am close to the recipe, and only use the amount of flour that I actually need. More about this technique in our Bread Baking Tips and on videos I made to guide you through the process.

ABOUT FLOUR

it is important to learn about the flour you are using when making bread dough. Some flours are higher protein than others. Flour proteins contribute to the flour's ability to produce glutenin and gliadin, which affect the dough's elasticity and strength. Glutenin and gliadin are the gluten structure in bread, and gluten is what makes bread rise. Flour itself does not contain gluten, which give the dough it's strength, but once liquid is mixed with the flour, gluten develops, allowing the dough to strengthen and hold it's structure. A higher protein dough forms more glutens than does a lower protein dough. Modern wheat is generally higher in protein than are older wheat kernels (ancient grains). Many prefer the original wheat (ancient grains), with the lower gluten structure.

A good bread flour contains 12 to 14 grams of protein, but some flours are high-gluten and work better in some recipes where a strong gluten structure is needed.

Whole-grain flours, because they contain all of the germ and bran, generally require more liquid, and they absorb liquid more slowly. It is recommended to mix whole-grain flours with the liquid, and then cover and let the flour and liquids set for 15-30 minutes. The resting time, called autolayse, allows the bran in the flour to soak up in the liquid. Bran has sharp edges that can cut into the gluten strands, damanging them. Soaking softens the bran, thus illiminating the problem. Whole-grain flour retains all of the 40 plus nutrients that the wheat kernel contains, whereas, Whie flour has had the nutrients removed with a handful of synthetic vitamins added back to the flour. White flour does contain protein and starch. i highly recommend add ing from 50-75 percent whole-grains in your recipes. Of course, 100% whole-grain is the most nutritious, since it contains all of the nutritions. With that said, I sometimes use a portion of white spelt or bread flour (unbleached and organic) to make a lighter bread. If new to whole-grains, you might want to start with a recipe that uses 50% whole-grain and transition to adding more.

Additions of ground flax, sunflower seed lecithin, powdered milk, eggs, and potato flour extend a bread's shelef life and allows for a softer and more tender bread.

EQUIPMENT

One can make bread with your hands and a smooth counter to knead the dough. A mixing bowl is helpful, but it can be done without it. Beyond basic equipment, it is useful to purchase a bench knife, b owl scrapers, bowls, covers, pan, a scale, and proofing baskets are nice to have. I also recommend a heavy duty mixer, but one can make bread entirely by hand.

A bench knife is a good, sturdy knife to use when working with heavier doughs, large amounts of dough, and to scrape counters after the dough has kneaded and is rising in a bowl.

Bowl sc rapers are more flexible and aid in turning dough, dividing dough, or doing stretch and folds and kneading by hand.

Covers range from clean, new shower caps, plastic wrap, or lids that fit tightly on bowls, or a couche (a piece of unbleached linen canvas) These are used to cover dough as it rises.

Pan can range from various size loaf pans. I recommend 2 of the same size since many bread recipes make 2 loves. However, half of a dough recipe can be used for rolls and the other half for a loaf. The stand size loaf pan is 8-1/2 x 4/1/2, but I have some a bit larger as well as the standard size. How many pans sizes you have depends on how much you plan to bake and play with different shapes and sizes of breads. Sheet pans and cast iron dutch ovens are useful for baking as well. Sour dough breads are oven baked in a dutch oven, since this vessel will hold steam.

Proofing baskets are useful, but not necessary. Most of us have them because we like to bake bread in various shapes, round or oblong; however, they are not necessary to purchase until you intend to bake a lot. Dough can be placed in a greased bowl with parchment paper to shape a round bread, called a boule.

A kitchen scale is a must-have piece of equipment in my opinion, since flour measured in cups is not consistent. A cup measure can be packed heavier or lighter. It depends on who is schooping the flour. A kitchen scale is far more accurate. And, if milling your grains into whole-grain flour, freshly milled flour is lighter. It is recommended to add from 1/4 to 1/2 cup of extra fresh milled flour for every cup of all-purpose flour in a recipe. Fresh milled flour is light and airy. Once it is placed in a bag and in the freezer, the flour will naturally compact. I prefer milling flour and using it fresh milled. Bought flour in bags is always compacted, so you will need to fluff it up prior to use.