This No-Fail Recipe Makes Homemade Bread Blissfully Simple (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to success when making quick breads? ›

In addition to the four main ingredients used to make bread – flour, salt, yeast and water – there are often small quantities of other ingredients which are added to improve the texture, crumb structure and keeping properties of the bread.

Not every bread should look wet on the inside, but a quality bread will have a slightly glossy finish on the inside. In addition, it will spring back when you press your finger into it. If a bread bakery claims to make a good flavored bread, you should be able to smell that flavor before you even bite into a piece.

Warm liquids help activate yeast more quickly. The ideal temperature is typically between 100°F to 110°F (37°C to 43°C). Use Instant Yeast: Instant yeast (also known as quick-rise or rapid-rise yeast) is designed to work faster than active dry yeast. You can add it directly to your dry ingredie.

A quick rise is usually due to an excess of yeast in the dough, or a very warm temperature in the area the dough is rising. Either one can cause dough to rise quickly. Try less yeast, or a cooler area to let it rise.

Potato Flakes or Potato Water

Starch helps the dough by trapping the gas from the yeast in the dough and makes the bubbles stronger. This helps the bread to rise and be lighter and fluffier.

Emulsifiers in bread:

Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E471): often derived from plant oils or animal fats, E471 may have some negative health effects, including an increased risk of heart disease and weight gain. Furthermore, their production contributes to deforestation and habitat loss.

What is the number one ingredient in bread? ›

Wheat flour is the key ingredient in most breads. Flour quality is particularly important in breadmaking as the quality of the flour will have a significant impact on the finished product.

Some alternative ingredients can help give your bread added moisture. One such ingredient is milk, which has a high-fat content and can add a delightfully creamy flavor when baking. Additionally, adding mashed potatoes or cooked grains can help keep the crumb soft and tender for days after baking.

If you're looking to ramp up the taste of your favorite bread recipe, we recommend adding a bit of fat. A fat like butter, olive oil or coconut oil in small quantities will help your bread achieve a higher rise and it will also boost its flavor by tenfold.

While bread flour is the best option, it can sometimes be used if you don't have bread flour. “Check the protein content,” advises Chef Jürgen, since it can vary from brand to brand, and an all-purpose flour that contains protein on the higher end of the range, 12 to 13 percent, will produce a better outcome.

Spices and other ingredients such as pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, fennel and cardamom, give bread added flavour and character. Wheat flour is available in many varieties and is the flour most used in Sweden. It has a high protein and gluten content, providing fluffier bread.

Quick breads should have an interior that has even, small air cells, rather than large air cells, which is referred to as tunneling. Biscuits should be flaky with medium-fine, even air cells. The quick bread should be tender and moist, with a pleasing and well-blended flavor.

Quick Bread Basics

Overmixing your batter will cause a tough batter and an equally tough finished product. You do not want to develop the flour's gluten (protein). You want what is known as a tender crumb that will be achieved if you just combine ingredients without overmixing.