Bread Science

Time is key to making good bread for one simple reason—the longer the dough ferments, the more flavor it will have.

The baker repeatedly removes gas from dough and allows it to reform. Instructions for proper gas removal during shaping are given in chapter six. A poor job removing gas during shaping results in bread with gaping holes inside. When the dough goes into the oven, it should have an even distribution of gas inside.

To determine if yeast is still active, mix equal parts of yeast and flour with some warm water, wait a few minutes, and look for bubbles forming in the flour. Bubbles indicate that your yeast is alive and has started producing gas.

Spelt adds a nutty or bean-y flavor to bread. Some people who have trouble digesting wheat prefer 100% spelt bread; with less gluten than wheat, spelt dough rises slowly and produces denser bread.

Fresh yeast comes in blocks. It consists of active yeast cells in a sugar-water casing. This yeast has not been dried at all. It needs to be refrigerated and lasts about two weeks. It can be frozen for a few months.

Flour with a high protein content makes dough with more gluten. This dough is harder to stretch and requires more force when handling; it may take longer to knead and rise.

There are three common forms of yeast: fresh yeast (a.k.a. wet yeast, cake yeast, or compressed yeast), active dry yeast, and instant yeast.

During bread-making, salt slows down the fermentation reactions by dehydrating the yeast and bacteria, allowing the dough to ferment for longer before it must be shaped and baked. The longer fermentation time allows more flavor to develop. Salt also stabilizes the gluten network, making the gluten stronger. This creates a better dough that resists

Wet your hands and use them to coat the surface of the dough with water. More water will make a thicker crust.