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

FAQs

Why is my homemade bread always too dense? ›

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.

Yeast is another critical factor in ensuring your loaf doesn't come out dry. As the dough rises and ferments overnight, it will produce carbon dioxide, which helps to expand the dough and give it a more airy texture.

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.

Under-Kneading

As the yeast absorbs the flour and sugar, it releases gas bubbles, which then make the bread less dense and more airy. Long story short: poorly-kneaded bread dough manifests poor-quality texture! A typical knead-doughing stage should last about 15 to 20 minutes.

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.

Well it's simple, bread flour has an increased amount of protein or more gluten which results in a lighter, fluffier dough which produces a less dense finished product. All-purpose flour can be used for bread but bread flour is always better if your goal is a “fluffier” bread.

While many bakers focus on flour, yeast, and water, there's a lesser-known but equally important ingredient that can make all the difference—cream of tartar. This unassuming white powder is the secret to creating the fluffiest and most tender loaves of bread.

Expandix is a modified tapioca starch that is an excellent thickener and dough conditioner. It will hold moisture well and help keep baked goods moist for a longer time. Commercial dough conditioners. They will help to lock moisture in the flour and keep bread and baked goods moist longer.

Pastry flour is lower in protein than all-purpose or bread flour. Without that protein to help give structure, it's not able to rise properly; as soon as any bubbles form they collapse. You'll end up with a dense loaf with an unappealing texture.

What is E471 in bread? ›

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.

For best results, base your yeast dough on wheat flour — only wheat-based flour provides the type and amount of protein yeast dough needs to support its structure. Whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour, bread flour, or all-purpose flour are all good choices.

Does Rising Bread Affect Its Texture? For a fluffy bread texture, the key is to let the bread rise long enough.

A dough enhancer is a powder that is supposed to make your dough smoother and is what commercial bakers often use to obtain the smooth textured bread you buy in the store. My bread doesn't last long since we eat it quickly, but it is supposed to help with shelf life as well!"

Poor Texture: Too much water in the dough can lead to a dense and heavy texture in the baked bread [1]. The excess water can interfere with gluten development, resulting in a less airy and light crumb.

- Use bread flour, not regular all-purpose flour for all bread machine recipes. Bread flour contains a higher percentage of gluten than regular all-purpose flour. Using bread flour will produce taller, less dense loaves.

All-purpose flour can also make great bread — many professional bakers use and love it in their loaves. It can be particularly good for Irish soda bread or other quick bread recipes that use baking soda instead of fermentation to leaven the dough and are meant to have a denser crumb.

The reason why whole wheat loaves end up so dense is because whole wheat flour has very little gluten as compared to white all-purpose flour. Gluten is important for giving the dough – and final loaves – structure. Without it, loaves tend to end up flat and dense.

Too much water can also produce a damp loaf. Try less water with your flour. Uneven heat in your oven can be the culprit – if you loaf is nicely golden on the outside but gummy or moist in the inside, it's baking too quickly on the outside. Trying reducing the temperature you're baking at and bake for a bit longer.