What makes homemade bread soft and fluffy?

Well it's simple, bread flour has an increased amount of protein or more gluten which results in a lighter, fluffier dough which produces a less dense finished product. All-purpose flour can be used for bread but bread flour is always better if your goal is a “fluffier” bread.

What can I add to homemade bread to make it softer?

When you add milk to your dough, the lactose (milk sugar) will add a subtle sweetness to your bread, and the milk proteins will increase its nutritional value. Better still, the milk fats help retain carbon dioxide gases during baking, so your loaf comes out softer.

What ingredient makes bread light and fluffy?

Sugar : When yeast is mixed with sugar it consumes the sugar and produces carbon dioxide gas, which causes the bread dough to rise and become light and airy. Instant Yeast: Instant dry yeast can be added directly to the flour mixture without needing to be activated first.

Does letting bread rise longer make it fluffier?

Does Rising Bread Affect Its Texture? For a fluffy bread texture, the key is to let the bread rise long enough .

What additive makes bread soft?

Reddi-Sponge is a reducing agent made with dairy whey and L-cysteine and I bet that 6% level really gave you a soft and extensible dough. The best suited product for your application is an additive co*cktail made with SSL (sodium stearoyl lactalate) and distilled mono-diglyceride.

Why is my homemade bread so dense?

There may be several reasons for a dense, cake like texture in bread. It may indicate the kneading wasn't enough for the gluten to develop properly, or the dough was proved for too short a time or the dough may have been too dry . It is also worth checking the flour you used.

How is store bought bread so fluffy?

Unfortunately (and this may ruin your bakery experience) there are many cases where this fluffy texture is achieved by pumping in numerous chemicals like calcium propionate, amylase, and chlorine dioxide into the mixture . This is what keeps it as is for so long.

What ingredient softens bread?

Some alternative ingredients can help give your bread added moisture. One such ingredient is milk, which has a high-fat content and can add a delightfully creamy flavor when baking. Additionally, adding mashed potatoes or cooked grains can help keep the crumb soft and tender for days after baking.

What makes bread soft and airy?

Carbon dioxide is responsible for all the bubbles that make holes in bread, making it lighter and fluffier. Because gas is created as a result of yeast growth, the more the yeast grows, the more gas in the dough and the more light and airy your bread loaf will be.

Does using milk instead of water make bread softer?

It adds nutritional value to baked goods. Mainly protein, calcium, and vitamin B12 which are all necessary for a heathy diet. But we don't only look for the nutritional benefits when using milk in our bread dough. The fat and lactose in milk help with tenderizing the crumb of the bread making it softer and sweeter.

What is responsible for making bread soft and fluffy?

Final answer: Carbon dioxide gas given off during fermentation of sugar makes bread soft and fluffy.

What causes bread to rise and become fluffy?

As yeast cells feed on sugars, they produce carbon dioxide gas and ethyl alcohol in a chemical process known as fermentation . The carbon dioxide gas released by the process of fermentation gets trapped in the sticky, elastic dough, causing it to “puff up" or rise.

Easiest Ways to Make Homemade Bread Soft and Fluffy (2024)

Easiest Ways to Make Homemade Bread Soft and Fluffy

By Richard Hendrick

Who doesn’t like a fresh loaf of bread from a local bakery? We all have noticed is that bread making at home is easier, simple, and tastier, but one thing homemade bread lacks is that it is never as soft or as fluffy as loaves of bread from your local bakeries. Bread from bakeries is so light and fluffy, which seems impossible to achieve at home, but not anymore! Our bakers have enlisted the most effective techniques and bread making tips to help you make bakery-like fluffy bread at home.

Bread making with simple flour, water, yeast and a pinch of salt seems simple, right? But little change in measurement, bread baking technique or ingredients impacts a lot on how your bread turns out.

The perfect way to achieve the fluffiness and tender texture of the bread is also quite simple, just with a few simple changes in your recipes. Let’s start with common bread making mistakes that result in chewy or dry bread with bread making tips to fix them:

Changes You Can Make in Your Recipes For Making Softer Bread

1. Do Not Over-Knead Your Dough

How to check if your dough is fully kneaded?

The easiest way to check if your dough is appropriately kneaded is by taking a ‘Poke Test’. Whenever you feel your dough is fully kneaded, firmly poke in with a finger, and if it is filled back quickly and holds its shape, then you don’t need to knead any further. If the indent remains, then continue kneading for a little longer.

2. Ensure Dough is Well Hydrated

Another crucial bread making tip is that your dry ingredients to liquids ratio is precisely equal. A slight change in the measurement affects the texture of your bread. If your dry ingredients are more than liquid (whether you are using milk or water), it will make it hard for the dough to rise properly; yeast won’t work efficiently as water plays a role in yeast activation resulting in dry crusty bread. If your bread is not rising properly, check the measurement of liquids in the recipe.

3. Lubricate With Oil

One of the easiest ways our bakers follow to make bread soft and fluffy is by using 1-2 tablespoons of lubricant/fats such as vegetable oil to wet the ingredients. This will prevent the formation of excess gluten, as excess gluten makes bread chewy.

4. Add Sugar

Sugar acts as a liquifying agent in the dough. Adding sugar weakens the gluten structure, absorbs water, and eventually makes the bread lighter and softer. As a result, sugar improves the bread’s taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.

5. Add Eggs

Another bread making tips that can help you create better dough for softer and fluffy bread is by adding eggs. Eggs act as the binding agent, make the dough stronger, add rich flavour and extend the shelf life of bread.

6. Reduce Baking Time

One mistake often results in dry and hard bread is over-baking. Set your oven at the shortest time of the recipe and check if the bread is fully baked when the oven stops. You can check by tapping on the bottom side of the bread. Also, ensure the correct temperature while bread making.

7. Create Steam in Oven

Commercial bread is softer due to the steam process used by bakeries, which is made to keep bread hydrated and fresh. Use cold water in a pan and put it on a rack beneath your bread to create steam.

8. Add Milk

To make your bread soft and fluffy, another trick used by commercial bakers is replacing water with milk. Milk has fats which make bread softer.

We at Old Bridge Bakery, carrying years of tradition of bread making, provide authentic and delicious loaves of bread in different flavours. Come and enjoy! And for more bread making tips and recipes, follow our website.