With many millions of people now spending most of their time at home, baking has seen a dramatic increase in popularity. Social media platforms are rife with pictures of tantalising freshly baked bread, and there’s never been a better time to master the art of kneading, proving and baking! If you want to know more about how you can master the basics of baking this Lockdown period, then read on to uncover some of the best top tips and handy tricks that you can make the most of today.
Quality Ingredients Are Key
The ingredients that you use to create your dough are so important. Utilising the best quality ingredients will provide you with the most delicious end product, and it needn’t be difficult to seek out and source amazing flour, yeast and more. The most essential ingredient inside your bread dough is the flour, and there are hundreds of wheat varieties that you can choose between that each offer their own unique properties and flavour. You can choose to make a brown wholewheat loaf that’s high in fibre, or perhaps even a thick, hearty sourdough. A sourdough will require its own starter, and sourcing the best quality starter will put you in good stead for top standard future bakes.
Proofing Takes Patience
Proofing your dough is one of the most important steps of your bake, as this is the time in which the yeast can ferment and the dough will rise. There are several different factors which contribute towards a good proof, including the temperature, container and of course the time that you allow the dough to rest and rise. You can use a glass bowl to house your dough as you’ll be able to monitor its progress, or potentially a proofing basket if you’re making a sourdough. Place it in a warm location, perhaps next to a heat source such as a radiator, and leave your dough to proof. When it’s risen and expanded to around twice its original size, your dough is ready to bake.
Achieving The Perfect Crust
Achieving the perfect crust is the final step in creating the most amazing loaf, but it’s not always as easy as it sounds. You may experience issues such as a pale outer layer or even a soggy crust, but it’s easy to get around these issues with a litre trial and experimentation. You must leave your dough to bake in the oven uninterrupted, as opening the door will release a large amount of the heat and potentially cause your crust to sink into itself. Always slice a small relief cut to allow your dough to burst open and gain texture, and leave your bread to bake until the crust hardens and it gives a hollow sound when tapped on the base. Be sure to place your loaf on a cooling rack when the bake is complete, as this will allow air to circulate around and avoid any soggy crust.
What are you waiting for? Get your bake on and create some amazing loaves to share with your nearest and dearest!
