Baking Bread - Preparing Your Ingredients
This tutorial will guide you on how to measure ingredients for the perfect loaf. Whether you're baking a family-size loaf, or a batch of bread rolls, find all the measurements you need to start making bread at home.
Flour
Decide how much flour you want to use.
- 500g of flour is perfect for a family loaf.
- 1kg of flour will provide two large loaves, three smaller loaves or a baker’s dozen of rolls or buns (you can always freeze the loaves you don’t use immediately).
- Whatever amount of flour you use, take the weight of the flour as being 100%. All other ingredients will be a percentage of this. Therefore, mastering the ratio of every other ingredient to flour is the key to baking perfect bread every time.
Water
Different flours absorb different quantities of water, but for a strong white flour the rule of thumb is to take the amount of flour you are using in grams, work out 60% of that and add that amount in ml.
- For example, if using 1 kilogram of flour, add 600ml water. If you are baking a single loaf then you are likely using 500g of flour so would need 300ml of water.
- If using wholemeal flour, use 65%, or use 80% for a ciabatta for instance.
- Always use warm not boiling water.
Yeast
With different yeast options available at supermarkets or bakeries, this may get a little confusing. As a rule of thumb, use:
- 1.4% of the weight of flour you are using (for example, 14g yeast per 1kg of flour) fast-acting yeast.
- 1% for dried yeast.
- 2% for fresh yeast.
Salt
Salt measurements may not seem important, but if you add too little your loaf will taste quite bland. Add too much and it will be too salty. Ideally, you need to add:
- 2% salt, no more and no less (for example, 20g salt for 1kg of flour).
Oils or Butters
You can add oils or butters to bread dough if you like, but it is not a necessity.
- Adding oils or butters gives a slightly softer crumb, allowing the bread to keep for longer.
- The rule of thumb is to add 2% (for example, add 20ml/20g per 1kg of flour)
