12 Easy Homemade Bread Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making good bread? ›

These include muffins, tea loaves, nut breads, corn bread, and coffee cakes. Lastly, the quick bread may be a dough that is dry enough to be kneaded slightly, rolled, and cut into shapes.

In a nutshell, if you're buying basic, cheap sandwich bread, it's probably cheaper than you can make it at home. But if you compare two loaves similar to what you could make at home — one made with high-quality ingredients as opposed to one made with lesser quality ingredients — home baking becomes much cheaper.

Carbon dioxide is responsible for all the bubbles that make holes in bread, making it lighter and fluffier. Because gas is created as a result of yeast growth, the more the yeast grows, the more gas in the dough and the more light and airy your bread loaf will be.

The two main quick-acting leavening agents are baking powder and baking soda Salt: Used as a seasoning Liquid: Helps in the blending of dry ingredients and the formation of gluten. It triggers the leavening action of baking powder or baking soda. Sugar: Makes quick breads tender and adds flavor.

While it's similar to all-purpose flour, self-raising flour isn't as rich in protein as all-purpose flour. Also like all-purpose flour, self-rising flour is enriched with added nutrition. It also contains salt and baking powder that has been distributed evenly throughout the flour and acts as a leavening agent.

Johanna Hartzheim, co-founder and head of product at Wildgrain, a bread and pasta delivery service, recommends eating homemade bread within three days but says it will last up to a week. "The bread will start to dry up and become a bit harder over time, but it takes much longer until it becomes moldy," she says.

Both store-bought and homemade bread should freeze well, says Lisa Brooks, the chef and owner of Heart & Soul, a personal chef service. Her go-to method involves wrapping the bread in two layers of plastic wrap and then storing the loaf in a resealable plastic freezer bag before freezing.

Is homemade bread better for diabetics? ›

Whole grain breads that are homemade, available at farmers' markets, and made at local bakeries may be higher in fiber and lower in sugar. They will likely be less processed than those on grocery store shelves. Processed foods are usually digested and absorbed faster. This can raise blood sugar levels.

There's something magical about the bread you get at your local bakeries - they're always sooo soft and fluffy. Many of these breads, especially packaged ones, are made with a ton of chemical additives such as calcium propionate, amylase, and chlorine dioxide which help keep them soft, light, and fluffy for days.

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

Bread Flour Substitute

You can always substitute all-purpose flour for bread flour one for one in any recipe that calls for it. Your bread might not raise quite as high or have quite as much chew, if you are using all-purpose flour, but it will still be delicious and homemade and all the good things.

Wheat flour is the key ingredient in most breads. Flour quality is particularly important in breadmaking as the quality of the flour will have a significant impact on the finished product. When flour is moistened and stirred, beaten or kneaded, gluten develops to give dough `stretch`.

Several tasty ingredients like honey, olives and even bananas are used regularly to ramp up the classic bread recipe's flavor. Not only are these ingredients delicious, but when chosen wisely, they can also boost your bread's nutritional value.

Homemade bread contains no chemicals, artificial additives, preservatives, or enzymes. These are often used in store-bought bread to make them stay fresher for longer and enhance the taste.

The content and composition of gluten proteins are the major factors determining the breadmaking quality of wheat flour. Although gluten is a complex mixture of many proteins, one group (called the HMW subunits of glutenin) is particularly important in determining dough strength.