4 Ingredient Stuck at Home Bread {insanely easy bread recipe} (2024)

FAQs

What does just flour and water make? ›

When combined, flour and water create a dough that can be shaped and baked into a variety of delicious treats. Whether you're a professional baker or just starting out, understanding the role of flour and water in your recipes is crucial for creating delicious and satisfying baked goods.

Quick breads are prepared with flour, eggs, sugar, fats and liquids including milk, buttermilk, or sour cream, and each plays a part in the overall texture and flavor of the finished product. Flour adds structure to the bread but the batter must be mixed minimally so that the gluten structure doesn't develop too much.

All it takes is a small amount of dough enhancer per loaf to create a much lighter and fluffier result. Using a dough enhancer like Vital Wheat Gluten works to improve the texture and elasticity of the dough and elongate the strands of gluten. Doing so allows more room for the gas in the dough to develop and rise.

Creating a smooth, pliable dough

Excess water makes a batter, while too little water renders a dough rough, dry and unpliable. Generally speaking, a flour to water ratio of 2:1 achieves a dough of reasonable consistency. So if you have 500g of flour, use about 250 mL of water.

When flour is mixed with water, it forms a mixture known as a suspension. Suspensions are generally opaque and forms when the solute (the flour) cannot completely dissolve in the solvent (the water).

The possibilities are endless, but the common factor is the basic ingredients of fat, sugar, eggs, flour, liquid, leavening agent, and a flavoring ingredient. The flavoring might be a fruit or vegetable, a liquid such as buttermilk or fruit juice, an extract, herbs, or spices.

2. What are two common chemical leavening agents that are used in quick breads? Baking soda and baking powder. Reacts only once-as soon as the chemical is dissolved in liquid.

The two main quick-acting leavening agents are baking powder and baking soda Salt: Used as a seasoning Liquid: Helps in the blending of dry ingredients and the formation of gluten. It triggers the leavening action of baking powder or baking soda. Sugar: Makes quick breads tender and adds flavor.

What is the main thing to avoid when making quick breads? ›

TIPS FOR MAKING QUICK BREAD

Baking is a science, and certain ingredients like flour and leavening agents need to be measured and added exactly how the recipe suggests. Avoid overmixing the batter as it can lead to tough, dense quick bread that may sink in the middle.

If your recipe has a lot of gluten formation, you may want to soften the texture by adding an egg, or one whole egg plus an extra egg yolk. If you are making a quick bread, the protein in an egg can add necessary structure. Another way to use eggs for dramatic effect is to use an egg wash on top of your loaf.

General amounts of yeast are around 1 - 2 % of the flour, by weight. Too much yeast could cause the dough to go flat by releasing gas before the flour is ready to expand.

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.

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.

Batter is a simple mixture of flour and water is used to make crepes and pancakes. It is also used to coat fruit for fritters.

If you mix flour and a good deal of water together and then boil the resulting slurry together, you could end up with anything from a flavorless, bland sauce/gravy (lots of water) to a flavorless, bland pudding or paste.

This simple mixture of flour and water is used to make crepes and pancakes. Batter is also used to coat fruit for fritters.

bread: food made of flour, water, and yeast or another leavening agent, mixed together and baked.