First time trying your hand at homemade bread? We've been there! It can be frustrating when your loaf isn't cooperating. We're talking about underproofed or under risen dough, dense loaves, or overproofed collapsed loaves. For this test, we put on our scientific hats and used one recipe (our No-Knead Overnight Bread) to test out these common problems.
One key to baking the best bread is to let it rise (also called proofing) just enough. Your recipe should list a rising time, but you can tell dough has risen enough when it has doubled in size and slowly springs back when poked with a finger, leaving a small indentation behind.
If you're still not finding your zen while baking bread, here are 4 other common solutions to baking the best bread.
Looking for more tricks for baking classic cookies, cakes, breads, and more? Check out thedigital edition of Seasons Magazine!
FAQs
Simply put, you have to control the temperature of the bread. Allowing ample time for your bread dough to rise and the yeast to form will create the holes in the bread that give it a lighter texture. Letting your dough get puffy and grow before it goes into the oven is critical.
What gives bread its light and airy texture? ›
Carbon dioxide is crucial for baking as it's generated when leavening agents like yeast or baking powder interact with moisture and heat, causing dough to rise and expand. This results in light, airy textures in baked goods like bread, cakes, and pastries.
What makes baked bread soft and fluffy? ›
The yeast releases carbon dioxide, which fills the dough and increases its volume. Due to the heat, more gas bubbles emerge when this dough is baked. The bread rises and becomes soft and fluffy as the gas leaves.
How do you keep homemade bread from getting dense? ›
Yeast bread will come out heavy and dense if you don't give the yeast enough time to grow and multiply, giving off the CO2 gas that makes bread light and airy. When you make your dough, knead it well to develop the network of gluten fibres that will trap the CO2 gas the yeast produce.
How do you get more air in bread dough? ›
This involves gently stretching the dough to elongate the emerging air bubbles, then neatly folding the dough upon itself to keep the dough shape compact. Between stretches and folds you probably need to leave the dough a minimum of an hour, to allow time for the bubbles to grow bigger and new ones to emerge.
How do you keep bread soft and fluffy? ›
Another option is to use a reusable wrap like this bread-sized Bee's Wrap. This is one of my favorite ways to wrap up longer loaves (like demi-baguettes), and the wrap works extremely well at keeping loaves soft but not too soft. Simply place your bread in the wrap and cover it tightly.
Does letting bread rise longer make it fluffier? ›
Does Rising Bread Affect Its Texture? For a fluffy bread texture, the key is to let the bread rise long enough.
Why is my bread not airy enough? ›
Incorrect Activation or Wrong Yeast. For the bread to appear soft and fluffy, You must ensure that your yeast ferments correctly. It's not just the temperature in your kitchen, but also the activity of the yeast. Also, you must add the yeast to warm water to activate it.
Which gas makes bread fluffy? ›
Yeast is a fungus used for making bread. It is mixed with the dough, where it grows actively and releases carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide helps in the rising of the dough. When this dough is subjected to high baking temperatures, carbon dioxide escapes from the dough resulting in soft and fluffy bread.
What is the secret to a soft and fluffy bread? ›
Lubricate With Oil. One of the easiest ways our bakers follow to make bread soft and fluffy is by using 1-2 tablespoons of lubricant/fats such as vegetable oil to wet the ingredients. This will prevent the formation of excess gluten, as excess gluten makes bread chewy.
Final answer: Baking soda is used to make bread soft and spongy. Q. Baking soda is used in small amount in making bread and cake. It helps to make these soft and spongy.
What additive makes bread soft? ›
Reddi-Sponge is a reducing agent made with dairy whey and L-cysteine and I bet that 6% level really gave you a soft and extensible dough. The best suited product for your application is an additive co*cktail made with SSL (sodium stearoyl lactalate) and distilled mono-diglyceride.
How do you make bread light and not dense? ›
Adding dry milk powder to your bread dough will help your loaf rise higher. In addition, the loaf will stay soft and hold moisture longer which again means it will last longer. It also helps brown the crust. If you want a lighter fluffier bread loaf just add 2 Tbsp of dry milk to the flour per loaf of your bread.
Does kneading bread make it lighter? ›
To get a lighter bread, strengthening of the dough is. highly important and it is done through kneading.
What ingredient makes bread dense? ›
Too many added nuts, dried fruits, herbs, seeds, etc These types of ingredients not only weigh the loaf down, but can cut into the gluten strands, further weakening the dough. Not developing the dough enough can cause a dense loaf.
Why is my bread dense instead of light and fluffy? ›
There may be several reasons for a dense, cake like texture in bread. It may indicate the kneading wasn't enough for the gluten to develop properly, or the dough was proved for too short a time or the dough may have been too dry. It is also worth checking the flour you used.
Does baking soda make bread airy? ›
Baking soda creates a less chewy and more tender, airy texture in baked goods.
Why is my homemade bread so dense in my bread machine? ›
Too much heat or humidity might lead to a too-quick rise and a crevice near the center of your bread. Conditions that are too cold might delay proofing or rising, resulting in a super-dense loaf.
