Make bread the right way; experts tell you how

Point guide to baking bread
1âÂu00c2u0080Âu00c2u0088Weigh, mix and knead

Maida (refined flour), yeast, salt and water are the basic ingredients used to make bread. Mix them, add water and start kneading the dough to develop gluten, which holds your bread.
Tip:âÂu00c2u0080Âu00c2u0088You will know the dough is kneaded well when it stops sticking to your fingers.

2âÂu00c2u0080Âu00c2u0088Rest and proof

Let the dough rest in a bowl for 45 minutes with a damp muslin cloth over it. Also known as proofing, it helps the dough to rise as part of the fermentation process.
Tip: To know if the dough has risen, poke a finger and try to touch the base.

3 Shape and knock back

Divide your dough (for buns, soft rolls, etc) and shape it with hand. Flatten it with your fingers to deflate the gases. This is known as a knock back. Re-shape the dough and proof it again.
Tip: You can also use a scraper (a plastic or steel sheet) to shape the dough.

4 Score

It's a technique of using a knife to mark designs on the dough. Earlier, this used to distinguish an owner's bread in times of community bakeries. Scoring ensures that the bread bakes well from the inside too, and is crusty.

5 Bake

After scoring, shift the dough to a baking tray and put it in the oven. For a soft roll, set the temperature to 200 degrees Celsius and later, reduce it to 180. For sourdough and baguettes, start with 280 degrees Celsius and later, reduce it to 220.

Maida matters
Rachelle Andrade Head baker at Mag Street Bread Co

'It's not possible to get the same kind of fluffiness that you see in breads at stores without using maida in the recipe. You can use it in combination with other flours like nachni, jowar, bajra and makki ka atta (maize flour). We use them in our multi-grain breads'

No-nos for first-time bread makers
1 Use active dried yeast
Commonly found in grocery stores and supermarkets, it's the most unstable kind of yeast. Instead, use fresh yeast, which you can buy under refrigeration in select stores or from the local bakery in the form of bricks. Once you buy it, immediately break it down into smaller packs of 50 grams each and store them in the freezer, so you don't end up thawing and re-freezing the entire pack each time you bake as this could lead to the yeast losing its potency. The easiest yeast to use and store is instant yeast. It can be stored for even a year in an airtight box in the refrigerator.

2 Over/underproof the dough
Allowing the dough to ferment for too little or too long compromises on the volume, flavour and life of the bread. Follow the directions in the recipe as far as proofing time is concerned. Understand the fermentation process to learn how temperature affects the dough.

3 Replace ingredients
Often, home bakers substitute maida (plain flour) with atta (wholewheat flour) in a recipe for health benefits. The problem is that recipes designed for the two flours vary greatly in terms of the amount of yeast they need, how long they should be proofed or what volumes to expect. So, if you download a recipe for white bread but use wholewheat flour instead, you are making a flawed start.

4 Use the microwave
This is a complete no-no. You could use the convection feature of the microwave if yours has one but the best thing to use is a traditional oven or OTG (Oven Toaster Griller).
5 Make a stiff dough A puri-like dough won't work. Knead well.

Commercial vs homemade
Saee Koranne-Khandekar home baker and author of Crumbs!

'Commercial bread is compromised due to the several chemical additives used in its production. When you make bread at home, you use four basic ingredients, which makes the bread more virtuous. It's possible to bake exotic breads like baguettes, focaccia and sourdough at home - all you need is a little understanding of the science of bread making'

TryâÂu00c2u0080Âu00c2u0088at home:âÂu00c2u0080Âu00c2u0088Thai Green Curry Baguettes
Time: 2 hours
Ingredients: 1 kg bread flour (extra for dusting); 20 gms salt; 25 gms fresh yeast; 550 gms water; 50 gms green Thai curry paste

Method:
> Mix theâÂu00c2u0080Âu00c2u0088ingredients in a bowl slowly for two minutes.
> Scrape the dough and mix for another three minutes on medium speed or till smooth. Let it rest in an oiled bowl for an hour.
> Knock back the dough and let it rest again until double in size.
> Knock back again and divide into two equal portions. Shape each into 12 inch longs and place on a greased tray.
> Keep the bread for final fermentation. Dust it with flour and score it.
>âÂu00c2u0080Âu00c2u0088Bake in a pre-heated oven at 220 degrees Celsius for 35-40 minutes.
Recipe by Wisk By Cakesmiths. For more DIYâÂu00c2u0080Âu00c2u0088recipes, log on to www.mid-day.com

Sourdough bread at Mag Street Bread Co placed in a banneton, a round or oval-shaped wicker basket that is used to proof breads and gives sourdough its characteristic concentric pattern
On Saturdays and Sundays
(11 am to 5 pm) LOG On to www.bluebulb.in
Cost Rs 1,899
(for two guests)

Call an expert home
Keen to learn baking bread like a professional from the comfort of your home? Sign up with Bluebulb for a bread baking session where Davina Braganza, a baker armed with six years of experience, will arrive at your doorstep to teach two varieties from a list that features Irish Soda Bread, Diabetic, Brown Bread, Garlic and Cheese Loaf or even dinner rolls. You can also learn eggless bread recipes using substitutes like buttermilk, vinegar and corn starch.

Fancy ingredients?âÂu00c2u0080Âu00c2u0088Nah, use these instead
Bran: Sieve off your chakki atta and use the sawdust-like fibre, which essentially, is bran.

Flours: It's a myth that Indian flour cannot be used for baking bread. Use the best quality local maida and atta.

Fats: Use homemade ghee and butter or even cooking oil.

Baking equipment: Use steel thalis to make a focaccia or pressure cooker dabba to make a free-form round loaf.

What is World Bread Day?
Over a decade ago, International Union of Bakers declared October 16 as World Bread Day. Home bakers across the world celebrate it by baking bread and blogging about it.