The Easiest Bread Recipe You'll Ever Bake (2024)

FAQs

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

Quick breads are typically mixed by hand, and it's important not to overmix the batter. Overmixing can cause the gluten in the flour to develop, resulting in a tough and chewy bread. Mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined, and then stop. If there are a few lumps in the batter, that's okay.

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.

Eggs also act as an emulsifier. By surrounding small particles of fat, the egg helps make the quick bread batter smoother, thus contributing to volume and texture. In addition, when eggs are beaten, they incorporate tiny air bubbles that expand with heat in the oven, contributing to volume.

TIPS FOR MAKING QUICK BREAD

Avoid overmixing the batter as it can lead to tough, dense quick bread that may sink in the middle. Dry baked goods are not enjoyable, so it's always important to closely monitor baking time to prevent overbaking.

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. When flour is moistened and stirred, beaten or kneaded, gluten develops to give dough `stretch`.

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.

Sugar (glucose) provides “food” for yeast, which converts it to carbon dioxide and alcohol; sugar enhances bread flavor; gives the crust a golden color; improves the crumb texture; and helps retain moisture in bread.

What is a common error in bread making? ›

Why Score the Bread? Scoring is generally done after the bread's finally rise and just before the loaves go in the oven. These intentional splits give the bread more room for their final rise in the oven without splitting the carefully closed seams. Slashing can also be done for purely decorative reasons.

Lemon juice is a natural dough enhancer, creating more elasticity to the dough which in return makes it easier for the bread to stretch and rise. If baking with ROGERS No Additive ALL Purpose flours, using lemon juice is helpful.

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. If you are boiling potatoes, you can use the unsalted water in place of the water in your bread recipe to help out the yeast.

To determine whether bread is of good quality, there are several factors and characteristics you can identify. For example the crust must be crisp and of a darker tone than the inside, a strong flavour and taste due to the flour, as well as a pleasant smell. What's also important is that the conservation is longer.

Fat or Shortening: Makes quick breads tender or "short". It gives them their fine texture, aids in browning and helps keep the finished product moist. Eggs: Binds the ingredients together. Beaten eggs act as a leavening agent by adding air.

As tempting as it is, resist the urge to cut into a loaf of quick bread right from the oven. Slicing warm quick bread will cause it to crumble and you won't get clean slices. Instead, wait until the bread has cooled, then slice with a sawing motion using a serrated knife.

There should be some lumps in the batter. Overmixing is a common problem with quick breads. Dry ingredients should be mixed together completely to insure proper blending of ingredients before they are combined with the wet ingredients.