Many people like to baking fresh loaf of bread at home, which is a fun activity with friends and family. You can also involve children in bread baking to instil a habit of eating fresh, healthy, and wholesome food rather than industrially processed food.

Real Bread Week served as a reminder of the various advantages real bread baking offers. Everyone agrees that the smell and flavour of freshly baked handmade bread are unparalleled, but apart from that, baking is also known to have a therapeutic impact on people. It is a great source of mental peace and pleasure. In addition, baking bread at home is more economical, has fewer calories, and is safe from additives and artificial preservatives.

Baking bread at home with your family brings delight and satisfaction. The whole process of mixing ingredients and making dough with your own hands is very comforting. Not to mention that you get to taste freshly baked bread, which is far tastier than the industrial one.

If you want to experiment with baking bread at home, here are some tips by our expert bakers to make your baking experience perfect.

While baking bread, one most useful techniques to create lighter bread is preheating your baking tin upside down in the oven. This will help the dough puff up easily.

Right yeast is essential for the perfect baking. There are three forms of yeast available in the market fresh yeast, fast-acting/easy-bake yeast, and active dried yeast, which is commonly used in bread machines. You can also use the dried yeast to make bread at home.

It is essential to ensure that your yeast is stored at the right temperature to keep it fresh and for successful fermentation in future use. Keep your fresh yeast in the fridge, and you can use it for the next 1-2 weeks. Dried yeast can be kept for some months, but check your yeast before baking; using yeast past its date won’t work, and your dough will go to waste.

Fats in the milk can slow down the yeast; therefore, before adding milk to the dough, it is always advised to warm the milk slightly. Using lukewarm milk in baking can help dissolve ingredients faster, and it activates yeast causing the dough to rise swiftly.

A small amount of salt is an essential ingredient in baking bread as it contributes to the structure and taste of your bread. In addition, it acts as a tightening agent to strengthen your dough and is also known as a natural preservative. But you can reduce the amount of salt in your bread while making it at home to make it healthier. And always double-check your salt quantity.

It is advised not to add salt right after adding yeast to the dough as and slows down yeast growth and inhibits the yeast enzymes.

Baking requires you to be precise about all the quantities; even the smallest difference in the quantity can make a huge difference in the fluffiness and taste of your bread. Use digital scales to measure everything accurately before baking. Be extra careful about the measurement of water and yeast.