Bread Making Tips
For Perfect Bread Every Time

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Want great results whenever you bake bread? Then these bread making tips can help you.

Tips For Making Bread:

Use only the freshest flour you can find. If you can, grind your own flour using a high quality grain mill that doesn't heat up the grain. I don't have my own mill yet, but I'm keeping my eye on the Tribest Grain Mill - by far, the best of the bunch.

homemade bread

Use fresh yeast and make sure that the water to which you add the yeast is not too hot. If it's too hot it may kill the yeast. This is one of the most important bread making tips to pay attention to.
Use water instead of milk. Milk makes the bread go bad much faster.
Salt and oil slow down the growth of yeast. So don't add any oil or salt until the yeast has had enough time to feed on the natural sugar and starch.
Too much sweetener can slow down your yeast as well. So, be careful to follow your recipe exactly. Don't try to combine steps!
While mixing or kneading the dough, add whatever extra flour you need to keep the dough from sticking to your hands. If you try to add it later on, it can cause your bread to be too coarse. Or, it can leave streaks.
Kneading your dough is very important. Here's how: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle the dough with more flour. Curve your fingers under the part of the dough that is farther away from you. Lift it, fold it over toward you, and then push down with the heel of your hand. Give the dough a quarter turn, then lift, fold over, and push down again. You may need to add more flour from time to time. Continue kneading the dough for at least 10 minutes or until the dough feels elastic and smooth. It should not stick to your fingers.
When leaving your dough to rise, be careful to maintain an even temperature (about 80 - 85 degrees F.). If the dough gets too warm, it could change the flavor. It the dough gets too cool, it will take much longer to rise.
When shaping the dough into rolls or buns, always fold the rough sides underneath so that you will have a smooth crust.
To test the bread to see if it's ready to bake, press the top of the dough lightly with your fingertip. If the dent remains, the bread is ready for the oven.
Always be sure that your oven is preheated to the right temperature before you put the bread in to bake.
Be sure to bake your bread for the proper length of time. Your bread should be light, dry, and thoroughly baked, both inside and out. Otherwise, it will harm your stomach.
For a more nutritious bread, try mixing whole grain flour from different grains.