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Baking Tip of the Day
Home-baked bread has much more flavor and texture than store-bought bread. However, it may not be as soft. Here are some tips to make home-baked softer.
Sugar is a natural tenderizer. It is necessary to provide food for yeast to make the bread rise.
Dry milk powder helps bread dough rise higher and retains moisture longer thus creating a softer loaf. Add 2 tablespoons for each loaf of bread.
Adding 1 tablespoon vinegar to 2 1/2 cups flour will hasten the time for bread dough to rise.
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of honey. The baked bread will not dry out as fast and stay moist longer.
Adding 1 or 2 tablespoons of powdered pectin will help bread to stay fresh longer.
For every 2 1/2 cups flour add 1 tablespoon vinegar. This will lessen the time needed for the dough to rise. The addition of vinegar will produce a higher and softer loaf of bread.
To help bread dough rise in a cold house preheat the oven to the lowest temperature and turn off. Then place the bowl of covered dough in the oven. Additionally, include a small pot of hot boiled water in the oven for humidity.
Lastly, never allow dry yeast to touch dry salt. The salt inhibits yeast from rising.
For more bread making tips see:
Author Marilyn Pokorney
Copyright Marilyn Pokorney 2022
