What Is Bread Made From? | Pantry Basics

What Bread Is Made Of: Core Formula

At its heart, a loaf comes from four building blocks. Flour brings starch and proteins that set structure. Water hydrates that flour so gluten can form a stretchy net. A leavener, either commercial yeast or a living starter, makes gas for lift. Salt seasons the crumb and steadies fermentation. With only those parts you can bake a lean, crisp loaf.

Most home doughs sit near a sixty to seventy percent hydration range when measured as water weight over flour weight. Wetter mixes give a more open crumb; tighter mixes hold shapes like sandwich tins. Fat, milk, sugar, eggs, and malt are optional. They add tenderness, color, and speed or slow fermentation.

Flour Types And What They Do

Wheat flour dominates bread because its glutenin and gliadin link into gluten under water and work. Bread flour has a higher protein range, which holds bubbles during rising. All purpose flour falls a bit lower and gives a softer bite. Whole grain flour keeps bran and germ, which add flavor, oils, and minerals, yet can shorten gluten strands if used alone.

Other grains can share the mix. Rye brings pentosans that hold water and give a dense, aromatic crumb. Spelt feels pliable but breaks if worked too hard. Many bakers blend these with wheat to keep volume while changing taste.

Yeast, Starter, And Gas

Baker’s yeast feeds on simple sugars and releases carbon dioxide. A sourdough starter hosts wild yeast with lactic acid bacteria that also acidify the mix and change texture. Both routes make bubbles; the choice sets pace and flavor, not the basic ingredient list.

Salt: Small Dose, Big Job

Salt helps tighten gluten, keeps yeast from racing, and rounds flavor. Most lean formulas land near two percent salt based on flour weight. Salt level sits near two percent by flour weight for most.

First Table: Ingredients And Roles

How The Pieces Work Together

Hydration wakes enzymes that clip starch to simple sugars. Yeast or a starter eats those sugars and puffs the dough. Kneading or a set of folds lines up gluten strands so bubbles can stretch without tearing. During baking, steam and carbon dioxide expand, then heat sets the crumb. This chain from mix to oven is why timing and temperatures matter more than fancy tricks.

Salt and sugar pull water from proteins. That tugs on gluten bonds and changes feel. Fat coats strands and shortens them, so enriched dough often needs less mixing. Whole grain particles also nick gluten; long rests or an autolyse help offset that effect.

Protein percent steers chew. Higher protein holds shape during long rise and gives a firm bite. Lower protein yields tender slices that stay soft for days. Some bakers boost a soft flour by adding a small dose of vital wheat gluten to meet a target. Too much makes a stiff dough.

Leavening Paths And What They Mean

Commercial yeast is fast and predictable. A stiff starter runs slower, adds lactic and acetic notes, and can extend shelf life by lowering pH. Both can share one dough: a crumb with levain depth and a small pitch of yeast for timing.

Label Basics And Standards

Ingredient lines on store loaves list items by weight. Many white loaves use enriched flour, which by rule carries added iron and B vitamins. That standard of identity keeps buyers clear on what the word means in stores.

Baker’s Percentages And Handy Ratios

Pros write formulas in baker’s percentages, where flour equals one hundred and every other item is a share of that weight. A lean batard sits near sixty five percent water, two percent salt, and a tiny pitch of yeast. Enriched sandwich dough might move to sixty percent water with five to ten percent sugar and up to ten percent fat. Knowing the frame lets you swap flavors without losing balance.

That frame also helps with labels at the shop. When you see enriched flour listed, it follows the U.S. rule for added iron and B vitamins, which keeps nutrient levels consistent in white flour goods. You can read the details in the federal enriched flour rule.

Hydration Sets Texture

Lower water gives fine crumbs that slice neat for lunch. Higher water gives big holes and a chewy bite. If your mix feels stiff, ease in a touch of water during folds rather than dumping it all at once in the bowl.

Room temp guides pace; warmer dough moves faster, cooler dough slows down, and salt steadies rise from mix to bake nicely.

Common Ingredient Effects

• Milk: softer crumb and a brown crust when baked hot.
• Sugar or honey: faster rise and gentle sweetness.
• Butter or oil: moist slices and a longer soft window.
• Seeds and nuts: crunch and aroma without changing structure.
• Soaked grains: juicy crumb that stays tender.
• Vital wheat gluten: extra strength when flour feels slack.

Gluten Strength Without Guesswork

Protein forms the net that traps gas. Target gentle mixing to avoid tearing. Resting the dough lets bonds repair. If you want a deeper dive on the science and practical cues, skim our take on gluten development.

Fermentation: What’s Going On

Starch enzymes release sugars at room temps. Yeast turns those sugars into carbon dioxide and small flavor bits. In a living starter, lactic acid bacteria also split sugars and lower pH, which changes crumb and helps with shelf life. A cooler room slows this, a warmer room speeds it, and salt steadies the pace.

If you like numbers, you can also check nutrients for flour itself through whole-wheat flour nutrients. It gives a sense of protein, fiber, and minerals you carry into a loaf.

Method: From Mixing To Bake

Mix

Combine flour and water first and let it rest for twenty to forty minutes. This rest helps gluten bonds form with gentle handling. Add salt and leavener after that rest and mix until the dough feels smooth and slightly elastic.

Ferment

Let the dough rise warm until puffy. During this rise, stretch and fold every twenty to thirty minutes for structure. Stop when the dough has grown by half to three quarters, not always a full double.

Shape And Proof

Pre-shape, rest, then shape tight to build surface tension. Place in a tin or basket. Final proof ends when a fingertip presses and the mark springs back slowly.

Bake

Start hot to capture oven spring. A covered pot or steam in the first part of the bake keeps the crust elastic so volume can build. Vent later to dry the crust to the color you like.

Second Table: Styles And Core Formula

Additives And Why Bakeries Use Them

Ascorbic acid can gently strengthen gluten by helping form disulfide bonds during mixing. Enzymes tune crumb softness by creating more simple sugars for crust color and by keeping starch from firming too fast. Lecithin and mono- and diglycerides help gas stay trapped so slices stay soft. These are tools, not a base requirement.

Whole Grain Vs Refined

Refined flour has bran and germ removed. That boosts shelf life and gives a pale, mild crumb. Whole grain keeps fiber and oils, with nutty notes and a denser bite. If you swap in a high share of whole grain, raise hydration and give the dough longer rests. Many bakers like a fifty to seventy percent blend for balance.

Storage, Staling, And Reheating

Starch retrogrades as a loaf cools, which firms the crumb. A day old slice softens again with gentle heat as crystals melt. Keep fresh bread at room temp in a bag. Freeze slices for longer hold; thaw on the counter or toast from frozen.

Bake times vary; trust color, smell, crumb temperature, and weight as simple cues today.

One Last Nudge

Want to set up your oven for even browning and rise? Try our oven rack positioning guide.