12 Basics of Bread Baking Processes Explained

Scaling

Mixing

Bulk fermentation

Folding Over

Dividing

Pre Shaping

Bench Rest

Shaping

Final Fermentation

Scoring

Baking

Cooling

When I  was not baking bread and I observed bakers, it always seem like magic. And with my years of experience in making great bread having learned various countries bread baking processes patiently, I can confirm that bread baking is really magic.

The basic bread baking is a combination of flour, salt, yeast and water and this turns all of these ingredients into a delicious product call bread. I love bread making and I live with it. 

Whether you are baking for your home consumption or for commercial, all bread baking process takes just 12 basic steps. And that is what we are covering here. In our Bread Baking Practical Training which is conducted online and offline in our training location in Lagos and Accra, we go in detail on all of these steps. Let me state that there is a great difference between making bread and understanding bread science and what does into that dough that finally turn into a loaf to be consumed.  You can attend our next breadbaking class or purchase your ebook and DVD home study course

The following are the twelve basic processes and neglecting one will alter the taste, texture, look and feel of your baked loaf. This is what makes a great and delicious bread different from the rest. If you are going commercial, the reason people should buy your bread is the reason you must take into details all the processes.

 Step 1: Scaling (ingredients)

You must scale your ingredients correctly following the baker’s percentage formula. There is an exact quantity of yeast, water and salt that goes with a particular quantity of flour to make great bread. Not doing this rightly might also leave your bread dried, flat, not risen.

Mixing (kneading)

Here under or over mixing will give your bread a wrong end product

Fermentation (rising)

If you add more than enough yeast or less, it will alter your dough rising  and end product. Low or over rising will also affect it too.

Punching

This process involves punching down your dough once it has fermented for a while. In doing this, you are helping to degas the dough.

Scaling dough (dividing):

Dividing the dough into pieces of the same weight
Dividing the dough into pieces for the desired product to be made.

Rounding: - Dough is shaped in smooth round balls
Form a smooth surface on the top of the dough, to prevent loss of carbon Dioxide

Benching - Resting the dough on the table (bench) to allow the gluten to rest.
Allow the dough to continue to ferment

Makeup and panning:

Shaping the dough into the desired product
Placing the dough onto or into a pan to mold it during the the baking process.

Proofing –

Fermentation process in a closed environment
Heat and Humidity help the dough to rise and maintain a supple appearance

Baking -To produce oven spring when the gasses are exposed to heat
Coagulation of the proteins.Formation and browning of the crust.

Cooling

Removed from the pans and allowed to cool
Prevents the bread from becoming soggy

Storing :

Placing the bread in an appropriate area to prevent staling
wrapping the bread to prevent staling
 

Would you want to attend our next Bread Baking and Pastries Class? Click Here Start aMicro Bread Bakery from home, shop or Backyard. Bake 100 to 200 loafs daily and sell within your community.