Tips For Making Bread At Home Successfully

There’s nothing like the smell of freshly-baked bread permeating through your home. It’s a scent that you wish you could bottle up and put into a candle or air freshener. That warmth of the home, combined with the smell is something that many bakers love to create regularly.

Baking bread isn’t as difficult as it seems but there are certain bread types that are more challenging to get right than others. Baking, in general, is a skill that you need to build, and the more dedicated you are to it, the more successful you’re likely to be as a result.

With that being said, we’ve got plenty of helpful tips for making bread at home successfully. Here are a number of tips that you may find useful when it comes to making bread at home successfully.

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Make sure you have all the basics in your cupboard

Firstly, the basics are something that you want to ensure are in your cupboard and readily available. There are some core ingredients that feature in most bread recipes and these ingredients are worth having in your home at all times.

From bread flour to yeast, baking soda, salt, and vegan butter, make sure you always have these stocked in your home for when you’re planning to bake bread. The same goes for the types of tins and baking utensils you have available.

There are lots of different ways that the bread can be baked, especially the type of vessel it goes into. Make sure that you have all of the relevant options bought and ready to use in order to make fresh bread at a moment’s notice.

Use the right yeast and store it correctly

The right yeast is something that you want to get right because yeast is an important part of ensuring the bread rises properly. There are three types of yeast; fresh, fast-acting dried, and active dried. Make sure you’ve checked the recipe to understand which one you’ll need for the type of bread being baked.

Storing your yeast is also something to do properly. Dried yeast should keep for a number of months but if you have really old yeast, you may find you’re fighting an inevitable battle that you lose every time. Fresh yeast needs to be kept in a fridge and will only last a week or two. However, you can freeze it for up to three months.

Take your time

When it comes to baking, it’s all about time. Time is important to have and it’s something that you shouldn’t be doing when you’re limited on time. Baking bread is likely a process that takes the longest to achieve, so it’s definitely important to try and slow down your baking when it comes to bread.

Stick to the timings given by the recipe and if you’re pressed for time, then it’s better to opt for a quicker type of bread to bake, rather than rushing one that takes too much time. These pita bread recipes that are easy to make, would be useful for those who don’t have all the time in the world.

Try different flours

Different flours will often produce different results and you may find that some bread requires certain flour types in order to create the right finish, texture, and taste for the bread itself.

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The quality of the flour itself can also make a difference to your loaf too. Try out different brands and see how they vary in their performance. Anything that’s naturally higher in gluten is going to give you a better rise, so this is handy for bread that needs that extra bit of height.

Don’t be scared to experiment with different flours and brands where applicable. 

Practice makes perfect

As with anything when it comes to baking, practice makes perfect. You’re not going to get it right the first time unless you’re extremely lucky. There’s always one or two things within the recipe process that goes wrong.

It’s expected to happen as a beginner in baking bread, so don’t beat yourself up too much. Make sure to practice as often as possible and you’ll find that your skills as a bread baker get a lot better!

Get acquainted with proving

Proving takes time but it’s also something you need to get right when it comes to timing. Make sure you do your research on proving and understanding how it works in order to make a successful loaf.