The secret to making soft bread

Bread is a food that everyone likes to eat. It is delicious and convenient. You can put it in your bag at any time and take it out to eat when you are hungry. So how do you make bread yourself? This is a question that many housewives are concerned about. For those who know a little bit, they often ask more in-depth questions, such as why the bread you make yourself is not as soft as the one in the bakery, and why the taste is not as good? Today, the editor will introduce to you how to make the bread softer.

1. Kneading the dough

First of all, there is the issue of kneading the dough. For soft bread, there is usually an additive called leavening agent. Of course, that’s not to say it’s bad. Some additives are necessary for bread. Its purpose is to fully combine the oil and water in the dough, making the bread softer and more balanced. There is no secret weapon for making bread at home, but butter is essential when kneading the dough. If the butter is not fully kneaded into the dough during the second stage of rising the dough, the result will most likely be steamed buns.

2. Water temperature

Next is the water temperature. No matter you are using a bread machine or a food processor, you need to consider the heat generated by friction when kneading the dough. It is best to use ice water in summer (5 to 7 degrees is better) to ensure that the temperature of the dough can be controlled at a low temperature of 20 to 30 degrees after kneading. Next, if you don't have a food processor or bread mixer at home, you usually can't knead a perfect tissue film by hand. The tissue film is a layer of translucent film under the light when the dough is formed and pulled open. There are large and small bubbles in it, and the edges are smooth when it is torn open. This is the key basis for judging whether the dough is kneaded.

Pull open the light-transmitting film.

Small bubbles can be seen inside the film when air is beaten into the dough.

When the film is torn, a smooth gap appears. When the film is torn, a smooth gap will appear.

This means that the noodles are quite alive. It is generally difficult to achieve this level by hand. Even if it is achieved, the temperature of the dough may be too high and the yeast may over-ferment, resulting in a stiff and dry texture.

3. Fermentation

Fermentation. If you want the dough to be soft, the degree of fermentation is very important. Compared with the one-time fermentation of steamed buns or some dumplings, double fermentation is recommended for bread, that is, fermentation at room temperature and fermentation in a fermentation box. After the dough is kneaded, put it in a bowl. Cover with gauze or plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature to rise for 40 minutes to an hour in today's weather, until it rises to 1.5 to 2 times the original size. When you pour it out, you can see the spider web-like structure after it has risen.

Then divide the large dough into the size of the bread you want to make, release the air (to help with secondary fermentation), shape it, and place it in the baking pan. Prepare for the second proofing. Then divide the large dough into the size of the bread you want to make, deflate and shape it, and place it in the baking pan. Prepare for the second proofing.

Temperature: 33～38. Humidity: 76-82

If you don’t have a proofing box at home, you can use an oven to create a warm fermentation environment. Of course, it is not as precise as a proofing room. Pour some water on the baking tray, preheat the oven, evaporate some moisture, and create a slightly humid and warm environment in the oven. Remember to turn off the oven heat. Then put the dough to be fermented into the oven and close the door. Let it rise for 40 to 50 minutes. It's done when the bread has risen to 1.5 times its size. When baking, return the oven to a dry baking environment.

Even so, it is difficult to guarantee that the bread can be baked as soft as that in the bakery, but the joy of the process of cultivating healthy handmade bread is enough, isn’t it~~^_^

"I recommend this to friends who have a bread machine at home. If you follow the above tips, you will generally not fail to make bread. If you can only use the dough kneading and fermentation functions of the bread machine, and finally combine it with the oven. You can make more bread varieties, and the taste of the finished bread will be better than leaving it entirely to the bread machine~"