Basic steps in bread making

Steps in bread making:


Dissolve yeast in warm water with little sugar. For yeast to be activated, it needs moisture, warmth and a little sugar to feed on.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix to form a dough. Mixing can be done in two ways, the straight-dough method and the sponge method. All the ingredients are mixed together and there is no initial fermentation of the yeast, water and part of the flour after which the remaining ingredients are added.

Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Using hands or the mixer, manipulate the dough with rhythmic pressure until the gluten has developed and the dough has become elastic with blisters forming at the surface. Over kneading is not likely to happen if kneading is done by hand, but it is possible in machine mixing.

Cover the dough and let rise until double bulk. This is called fermentation and it is when yeast produces carbon dioxide gas to make the dough light and porous. Keep the dough in a greased bowl covered with a damp cloth to prevent drying out. To test if the dough has fermented, press 2 fingers into the dough. If the indentation remains then it has risen enough.

Punch down the risen dough. Push your fist into the center of the dough, bring the edges towards the center then turn over. This is done to expel extra carbon dioxide gas and to break up large air spaces.This way there is also redistribution of the yeast and other ingredients.

Shape dough into desired sizes and forms. After punching down and before shaping, the dough can first be rested so it will be easier to handle. For uniformity and accuracy, dough can be weighed according to desired size. When putting the dough into the pans, make sure there is enough space for second rising.

Proof the shaped dough. The shaped dough are again covered and allowed to rise until double in volume. At this stage, the dough regains the gases lost insuring a light product.

Bake the cake until done. The bread is baked in a preheated oven until its inside is dry and the top is golden brown. To test if bread is done, remove it from the pan. If it slips out easily then it is baked. It is also done when you hear a hollow sound when you top the bottom of the bread. Also try pressing the bread down, if it springs back to the original shape then it is ready.