What are the factors affecting the succes in baking bread?

Answer 1

Bread is a very fun thing to make, but some tips can be helpful to the beginner.

• Use live yeast. If it's over two years old, or it has been sitting in a warm or humid place, test it by putting about a teaspoon in some warm water and letting it sit for 5 minutes. If it's got a few bubbles, it should be good.
• Make sure your water (or milk) is the right temperature. If you're adding flour to the initial yeast mixture RIGHT AWAY, the water should be approximately 120 degrees Fahrenheit (hot when you put a finger in it, but not burning). If you are just mixing the yeast with warm water and yeast food (sugar, honey, or other natural sugar of some sort), the water should be about 95 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (so it doesn't feel like a temperature at all on the inside of your wrist, or slightly warm).
• When adding the flour, only add about three-quarters of it, then add the rest by the cup or half cup.
• If using whole wheat, either add gluten (if not in the recipe, substitute 1/4 cup of flour for gluten per 5-10 cups of flour) or substitute about 1 cup white flour for the whole wheat per 5 cups of flour.
• If it's humid, you will probably need more flour. Don't let it get too dry, or your bread will have to be eaten with soup or a bowl of milk and fruit or made into French toast. (As a few options for dry bread....)
• Don't knead more than ten minutes.
• When shaping and putting in pans, get the big air bubbles from kneading out by either slashing (meh) or slamming down as had as you can on the counter or sturdy table used for kneading (this one is more fun).
• Make sure you grease all the way up the sides of the pans.
• Stone pans work best, but sometimes require a few extra minutes to bake.
• The bread is done when the top is golden brown and it sounds hollow when you knock lightly on it. Or you can take it out of the pan and check the sides. If they are firm and slightly crusty, it's done.
• If the bread is too close to the top of the oven, the top will get brown way before the bread is done. Try to keep it in the middle of the oven.

Good luck!