Components of White Bread

Basic white bread can be made with as few as four ingredients.

White bread is a simple thing to make, requiring only salt, water, yeast and flour. These most basic recipes, referred to as lean bread for their lack of added fat, are usually crusty, artisanal loaves that require long rising times. Softer sandwich loaves add other ingredients, such as milk, sugar and butter or oil.

Flour

Flour is the most fundamental ingredient in any bread. White bread is usually made with all-purpose or bread flour, either of which can be bleached or unbleached. Bleached flour has a whiter appearance, while unbleached flour gives a better flavor and a creamy, off-white color. Bread flour has a higher percentage than all-purpose flour of gluten, the protein that makes bread dough strong and elastic. The gluten forms long chains that trap the expanding gases in the bread as it bakes, causing it to rise up high and light.

Water or Milk

Most white breads are made with water or milk, depending whether the goal is a chewy, artisanal bread or a soft, sandwich bread. The liquid dissolves the dry ingredients and spreads them throughout the dough. It also activates the formation of gluten in the flour, which is necessary for the bread to rise. Milk makes a softer loaf than water and may be added as a liquid or dry powder with the other dry ingredients.

Yeast and Salt

The delicate balance of yeast and salt is what makes a loaf of bread rise or not rise. Yeasts are microorganisms that digest the natural sugars in flour, turning them into alcohol and carbon dioxide. When the bread is baked, the alcohol vapors and carbon dioxide expand and make a network of bubbles throughout the loaf, creating the rise and texture of the bread. Salt affects the flavor of the loaf, but also inhibits the growth of yeast. This prevents the yeast from being too active, creating unpleasant flavors of fermentation in the bread.

Fats, Sugar and Eggs

Fat, sugar and eggs are all sometimes added to white bread. Fat and eggs provide a richer flavor, and help make the bread softer and easier to chew. Sugar also softens the crumb and can provide a fast rise by providing the yeast with additional food. White breads with added fat and sugar tend to stay soft longer than those without them.

References

• "The Professional Pastry Chef, Fourth Edition"; Bo Friberg; 2002
• "The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread"; Peter Reinhart; 2001
• "On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen"; Harold S. McGee; 2004
• King Arthur Flour: Yeast Bread Primer