Golden Bread

Bread is a global staple breakfast meal. Little wonder it has a day with the United Nations. October 16, the World Bread Day originally initiated by the International Union of Bakers and Confectioners (UIBC) has over the years metamorphosed as a platform to commemorate the creation of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Bread production mix include flour, water, sugar, butter yeast etc. Bread has high nutritional value. The nutrient contents of bread give the loaves a global households’ acceptability for breakfast.

The global market value of bread reportedly stands at 42billion dollars while annual growth forecast is estimated at 8.38% between 2022-2027 (Source: Statista)

Bread making business is one of the high flying businesses, no wonder more and more people are venturing into the craft either as professional bakers or home bakers. However, not all of them bakes the perfect bread. So, what are the challenges to navigate to bake perfect bread? Here are the golden rules for perfect bread making

Weather Factor

Humidity: At high humidity condition, flour absorbs more moisture from the air, thereby resulting in a dough that is too wet. Therefore, if you are baking bread under such condition, reduce the amount of water you’ll use in making the dough.

Yeast, an ingredient in bread-making, which is essential for bread to rise, is hyperactive in high humidity condition, causing the bread to have fermented odor and flavor, as well as less desirable texture. Bakers must test the yeast for consistency by dissolving 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in 1/2 cup of warm water (105^o to 110^o F). Sprinkle a 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast over the water and let it sit for 10 minutes. If it foams and bubble, you are good to go.

During proofing/rising, bread dough may proof faster in humid conditions, which can affect the flavor and texture. To control this, experts say you can use ice-cold water, proof in the fridge, or use a fan/air conditioner to slow down the yeast activity.

Sometimes you believe everything you have done is perfect and the baking experiment is under control, but weather, that’s outside of your control can make everything go awry. For instance, Rainy and hot humid days can impact negatively on your dough and baked bread.

While you can’t control the weather, there are some things you can control that can help lessen the effect of a rainy or hot and humid day. Bread baking experts suggest the following:

• Use ice-cold water
• Proofing in the fridge
• Running a fan/air conditioner
• Cooling your tools (i.e., bowls)
• Moisture-free storage of ingredients
• Reducing the amount of water used
• Longer baking time

Altitude: At higher altitudes, the lower air pressure can cause bread to rise faster, which might lead to over-proofing if not monitored carefully. Yeast activity too can be increased at higher altitudes, thereby affecting the texture and flavor of the bread.

At higher altitudes, you might need to decrease the rising time and increase moisture to prevent the dough from drying out. Bakers in higher altitude must cover the dough during proofing and or adjust the baking time.

Water, Temperature & Time Management at Kneading

The kneading phase plays a key role in ensuring suitable dough rheology and bread characteristics.  As highlighted by Cappelli et al. (2020),  in order to correctly manage the kneading phase, it is necessary to start from the correct management of the following key parameters: kneading time, which must be identified precisely in order to avoid over- and under-mixing; dough temperature and mixing speed need to be managed carefully to avoid dough warming and excessive weakening water temperature, water absorption, and water content in order to obtain the optimal dough rheology and consistency.

Bakers must control dough temperature during kneading. It must be kept under 27 degree centigrade above which the dough becomes sticky with detrimental effects on bread characteristics. Keeping the dough lower than 27 degree, according to Quayson et al. (2016), increases and strengthens noncovalent interactions, improving protein network formation and bread characteristics.

The correct and responsible management of water in bread baking chains is essential for obtaining optimal characteristics in the final bread.  Adding too much water during kneading generates a soft and sticky dough. At the same time, dough with moisture content below the optimal water absorption of the flour will be harder to knead and require more work to be done. Cappelli et al. (2018) assert that increasing the total water content in dough increases dough extensibility and the index of swelling, and decreases dough tenacity, deformation energy and the curve configuration ratio.

The right quality and quantity of water are essential to obtain bread with optimal characteristics. Clean and filtered water is fundamental to achieving the perfect loaf as unclean and impure water can introduce unwanted flavors and impurities into the dough.

Ensure you keep your water at room temperature, typically around 21 degree centigrade which is the gold standard for most bread recipes

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Source: Dare Agbeluyi, Chief Publisher.

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