The key to the success of bread baking

The key to the success of bread baking 

Each bread needs to be polished by the baker in the early stage to create the soft texture and delicate taste of the bread. The early polishing, that is, the early dough mixing, the better the later, the more perfect the later organization. There are three main parts of bread in general. Kneading, fermentation, baking, and kneading are the very first steps.

The hand of the craftsman, and the life of the bread

At the beginning of kneading, it is nothing more than a mixture of flour, water, yeast and starter (if used). Some people choose to add salt, sugar and other flavors. After the mixing step is completed, it is kneading. The function of kneading dough is to make the dough produce a small amount of gluten. Some flour is also needed when kneading the dough-it is used to prevent the dough from sticking to the hands and the workbench.

Kneading techniques

The dough used to make bread needs to be fully kneaded to allow air to enter it, so that the dough becomes bulky, and the gluten protein (gluten) works to give the dough an elastic structure. Therefore, more than ten minutes of kneading time is necessary.

The easiest way to knead dough is to use a high-power mixer.

If you knead by hand, the best time for kneading is more than ten minutes. When kneading the dough, it is best to sprinkle some flour on your hands and on the operating table, but don't sprinkle too much, otherwise the ratio of raw materials will be destroyed. After the dough is kneaded, it needs to be allowed to stand for fermentation. Some recipes require kneading again after fermentation.

After the dough is kneaded, the dough is allowed to stand still, the function is to fully absorb the water. Usually this step is called soaking, and is the most effective way to make the dough more malleable (ie easier to stretch) and less sticky. After standing still, we need to knead the noodles again to make it more gluten, and make the gluten stronger and form a gluten network. The bread made in this way has a higher moisture content, and the baked bread has more holes in the heart.

The power in standing still

Yeast and sourdough dough starters need some time to expand the dough. Whether it is at high temperatures (near a radiator or in the sun but the temperature must not be higher than 40°C) or at room temperature, fermentation requires only a little patience from you. Even in the refrigerator, the dough can expand, but it takes longer. The ambient temperature determines the growth rate of microorganisms in the dough.

Be sure to cover the dough with a layer of cotton cloth or linen cloth during fermentation to prevent the dough from drying out and cracking. Cling film will make the dough moist and sticky. If possible, use cloth.

If you use a fermentation basket to hold the dough during fermentation, you can get the dough with threads on the surface by inverting the dough on the baking tray before baking.