Few things are as delicious as the taste, or even the scent, of a hot loaf of homemade bread, fresh out of the oven. Good homemade breads are so light, it seems you could eat half a loaf before you've had enough. But if you don't treat your dough right, you could wind up with a heavy loaf that weighs you down.
Instructions
1. Use bread flour. It contains more wheat gluten than all-purpose flour, which makes the dough rise more, creating a lighter loaf.
2. Stir the yeast, salt, water and other ingredients in with the smallest amount of flour the recipe calls for. If the range is three to five cups of flour, start with three.
3. Switch from stirring to kneading when the dough becomes firm enough. If it pulls away from the side of the bowl, you can work it by hand.
4. Add flour if the dough is too soft to knead well, but only a quarter-cup at a time. Too much flour and the dough will be too heavy to rise as much.
5. Let the dough rise, covered with a moist towel, in a warm place. The top of the stove with the oven turned to 200 degrees will work, or inside a dishwasher if you let the hot water run for a couple of minutes, then stop.
6. When the dough appears to have doubled in size, press the tip of your finger gently into it. If it yields gently, and doesn't spring back instantly, it's ready to bake.
Tags: dough rise, flour dough