Short of waiting outside the bakery at 4 a.m., slicing into home-baked bread is the freshest and most delicious way to enjoy it. The ingredients are usually simple, but little details about your method can totally change your end result. There’s no shortage of ways to make bread at home, but also plenty of ways to goof up. Here’s how to steer clear of the most common home-baked mistakes.
Why Is My Home-Baked Bread so Dense?
Often the simplest answer is the right one. Check out your rising agent—is your yeast expired? These things really do have a shelf life, losing potency over time.
It’s a common error—you scoop a measuring cup into the bag of flour and go on your merry way. Often, though, this method of measuring really packs in the flour and results in too much flour in your recipe. Try spooning your flour into the measuring cup to keep from packing it down. You can also measure your flour by weight for ultimate precision. This is how to measure all your baking ingredients to get the lofty, open texture home bakers strive for.
The second rise, after your dough is shaped, should be no longer than 60 minutes in a warm spot. Once the dough has doubled in size, it’s time to bake. Too much rising at this stage can cause your dough to collapse in the oven.
Why Is My Homemade Bread Chewy?
Over-kneading has a tendency to result in chewy bread. Here’s how to tell if you’ve kneaded enough. Another possibility—you used bread flour when all-purpose flour would do. If a recipe with bread flour turned out chewier than you like, try it with all-purpose and knead only as much as the recipe directs. Check out this quick primer on the different types of flour you should be baking with.
Why Is My Homemade Bread so Dry?
Fats keep your bread moist. If your loaf was too dry, try adding a tablespoon or two more oil next time you make it. Likewise, water does more than hydrate your dough. It helps yeast do its thing, activates gluten and determines the volume of your loaf—all crucial for the right results. Even if you add the exact amount of water a recipe calls for, using too much flour can throw off your flour-to-water ratio.
Most bread recipes give a time range for baking—check your bread at the lower end of the range. Give your loaf a tap and listen for the hollow sound that lets you know the bread is done.
Pro Tip: You can mimic the steam injection commercial bakers’ process by making a water bath. Use a pan of cold water on a rack beneath your bread. Otherwise, bake your bread for the first half of its bake time inside a Dutch oven or casserole dish covered with foil or an oven-safe lid to trap moisture around your bread.
Why Does My Homemade Bread Taste Bland?
Resist the urge to just add more salt. Your bland bread could be the result of rushing the process. Try a slow overnight rise in the refrigerator. Plan ahead to proof your loaf overnight. This hands-off time in the icebox will slow the fermentation process in your dough and result in a complex-flavored loaf.
For more tips and tricks on baking the perfect, airy and tender bread, make sure you’re familiar with our ultimate baking guide.
Our Absolute Best Homemade Bread Recipes
Who has time to make from-scratch bagels? You do, with this easy recipe! The chewy golden bagels offer a hint of honey and will win over even the pickiest eaters. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Get Our Honey Bagels Recipe
Whenever I pass a display of bananas in the grocery store, I can almost smell the wonderful aroma of my best banana bread recipe. It really is that good! —Gert Kaiser, Kenosha, Wisconsin
Get Our Best Ever Banana Bread Recipe
The recipe for these four-ingredient biscuits has been handed down for many generations. —Fran Thompson, Tarboro, North Carolina
Get Our Southern Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe
Present these delicious breadsticks alongside an Italian favorite like lasagna or spaghetti. They're an attractive and edible addition to the table setting! —Carol Wolfer, Lebanon, Oregon
Get Our Best-Ever Breadsticks Recipe
This chewy, old-fashioned bread boasts a slightly sweet flavor that will transport you back to the old days. —Patricia Donnelly, Kings Landing, New Brunswick
Get Our Old-Fashioned Brown Bread Recipe
I use these shiny beautiful loaves as the centerpiece of my spread. I love the taste of honey, but you can also add chocolate chips, cinnamon, orange zest or almonds. Leftover slices work well in bread pudding or for French toast. —Jennifer Newfield, Los Angeles, California
Get Our Honey Challah Recipe
It's a pleasure to serve this moist cornbread to family and guests. Honey gives it a slightly sweet taste. Most people find it's difficult to eat just one piece. -Adeline Piscitelli, Sayreville, New Jersey
Get Our Honey Cornbread Recipe
My family agrees that our Thanksgiving feast would not be complete without these light-as-air crescent rolls. They're a nice accompaniment to any menu. Baking them always puts me in the holiday spirit. —Rebecca Bailey, Fairbury, Nebraska
Get Our Sweet Potato Crescents Recipe
These soft rolls are out of this world. The addition of oat makes them a little heartier than other dinner rolls. —Patricia Rutherford, Winchester, Illinois
Get Our Oat Dinner Rolls Recipe
When I was growing up on a farm, my mom always seemed to be making homemade bread...nothing tasted so good! Now I like to make these simple yet delicious muffins for my own family. —Linda Rasmussen, Twin Falls, Idaho
Get Our Wonderful English Muffins Recipe
My family loves this as a pizza crust. But with a touch of olive oil and fresh herbs it makes a lovely flatbread appetizer. —Sue Brown, West Bend, Wisconsin
Get Our Rosemary Flatbreads Recipe
My family eats this flavorful bread as fast as I can make it. Sometimes I add different herbs, red onion or crumbled bacon. It's one of my best recipes! —Mary Cass, Baltimore, Maryland
Get Our Vegetable & Cheese Focaccia Recipe
The first time I made this recipe my husband asked it if was homemade or store-bought. When he reached for a second piece, I knew I had a winning recipe. —Roseann Loker, Colon, Michigan
Get Our Whole Wheat French Bread Recipe
You'll love the fresh garlic and herbs in this recipe. The mild cheesy duo that’s sprinkled on top makes it extra rich and wonderful. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Get Our Herb-Happy Garlic Bread Recipe
Chewy yeast-raised flat bread is a snap to make in a bread machine. Serve naan with your favorite Indian dish to soak up the curry and sauces. —Shannon Ventresca, Middleboro, Massachusetts
Get Our Bread Machine Naan Recipe
Here's a very easy way to have homemade bread for dinner tonight. Don't worry if you're new to baking. Anyone who can stir can make this no knead bread a success! —Heather Chambers, Largo, Florida
Get Our One-Dish No-Knead Bread Recipe
Sue Violette, of Neillsville, Wisconsin says, “A tasty mix of whole wheat and all-purpose flour, plus a small amount of mashed potatoes, give this golden bread its wonderful texture. The loaf is very moist and stays that way even days after making it.” —Sue Violette, Neillsville, Wisconsin
Get Our Amish Potato Bread Recipe
Nutmeg and cinnamon add spice to these flavorful loaves. The flecks of green zucchini and red cranberries give each slice a festive look that's just right for the holidays. —Alice Manzo, South Easton, Massachusetts
Get Our Cranberry Zucchini Bread Recipe
This gorgeous rye bread has just a touch of sweetness and the perfect amount of caraway seeds. With a crusty top and firm texture, it holds up well to sandwiches, but a pat of butter will do the job, too. —Holly Wade, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Get Our Rustic Rye Bread Recipe
My best friend, Rita, shared this irresistible Irish soda bread recipe. It bakes up high, with a golden brown top and a combination of sweet and savory flavors. —Jan Alfano, Prescott, Arizona
Get Our Favorite Irish Soda Bread Recipe
For many years, I've been making 45 loaves of this bread for an annual Christmas bazaar, where we feed bread and soup to over 300 folks. — Beverley Whaley, Camano Island, Washington
Get Our Country Crust Sourdough Bread Recipe
I usually have to double this flour tortilla recipe because we go through them so quickly. The homemade tortillas are so tender and chewy, you’ll never use store-bought again after learning how to make tortillas. —Kristin Van Dyken, West Richland, Washington
Get oUR Homemade Tortillas Recipe
Anytime is the right time for a comforting slice of homemade bread. These loaves are especially nice since the crust stays so tender. This white bread recipe is my husband Nick's favorite. He makes most of the bread at our house. —Joanne Shew Chuk, St. Benedict, Saskatchewan
Get Our Country White Bread Recipe
I'm 12 years old and make this bread with my mother, who got the recipe from her mother. I usually make the dough, and my mom bakes it.
Get Our Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
My stepmother passed on the recipe for this delicious yeast coffee cake that's shaped into pretty rings. When I make it for friends, they always ask for seconds. —June Gilliland, Hope, Indiana
Get Our Maple Butter Twists Recipe
The post How to Fix the Most Common Bread Baking Mistakes appeared first on Taste of Home.
Elizabeth Harris
