seven in the morning You pass by a bakery and an oven just opens with fresh rolls inside.

The warm and pleasant page of smell envelops you, and what happens from here inside the brain – quite a few scientific studies have tried and are still trying to describe…

Some have shown that about 89% of us are simply “happier” when we smell bread.

Some tried to explain the phenomenon and showed that 63% of us the smell of bread “brings back pleasant memories”, and some studies even claim that the smell of bread increases the chances that we will want to help others.

 

So it is not surprising that the breads and challah became such a trend in Israeli homes.

This trend was also helped by all the modern flours that have appeared in recent years, innovative mixers, Instagram and of course – the closures of 2020.

And yet, even nowadays, baking the perfect challah or challah is seen as a difficult and complex task that is not suitable for everyone.

Many have already accepted the fact that the neighbor’s sourdough will always be crispier, and that the smell of bread is something that can only be experienced in bakeries early in the morning.

We want to tell you – it’s too early to give up!

We can all bake the perfect bread, believe it or not – even with home means.

It requires a little patience, a lot of practice, and of course our guide – on the 10 mistakes that (almost) all of us make.

 

flour

Rye, spelled, gluten-free, whole wheat and we’re just getting started…

The specialty flour market is growing, and although experimenting is always good – it is better to start learning from the basics.

Broadly, there are three categories: full, white and special.

We suggest sticking to a certain recipe with standard flour and stick to it until you get the desired result.

 

measurement

Don’t get me wrong – your eye, hand and heart know quite well.

But at least in the beginning, until it comes naturally to you, it’s better to stick to the numbers and it’s even better (!) to do it with a digital scale.

Your flour to water ratio has a dramatic effect on the result. Trust us, the results will prove themselves.

 

salt

It absorbs moisture, it gives flavor, but it’s also quite a bastard because it can kill our yeast.

So what do we do? Start by mixing the rest of the ingredients with the yeast, so that the salt does not come into direct contact with them and then everything should be fine.

 

yeast

The yeast itself is also a whole world and it is better to treat them as a living creature for all intents and purposes.

There is active dry yeast, there is grated yeast and there is fresh yeast – each of them behaves differently, needs different conditions and is suitable for different recipes.

Note that you stick to the type of yeast indicated in the recipe and that you understand exactly how to behave with it.

If you use active dry yeast or fresh yeast, you will need to “revive” them to ensure that they will be successful, otherwise the bread will be dense, low and basically – sucks.

 

water

Take your time, add slowly…

It is important to remember that you can always add more water, but you can never soak out what you have already added.

Too little or too much water will have disastrous consequences for the dough and a sticky, dense or simply lacking in flexibility result.

Each type of bread will require different elasticity, so keep that in mind as you gradually add water and “feel” the bread.

 

kneading

Correct kneading will result in the perfect bread.

The catch is that there is a (very) fine line between correct kneading and over-kneading, and here too – only practice will bring you to the right path.

It should be noted that the dough remains smooth, keeps its shape, and that it can be stretched enough without it breaking.

Getting stiff? stop

 

mixer

The baker’s best friend.

On the one hand – it saves us time and energy in the kneading process, but on the other hand – it can bring us very easily and in a moment of inattention to a state of excessive kneading.

That’s why it’s important to stop every now and then to do a manual check, or move on to a more professional and modern mixer that doesn’t heat the dough, so the result remains elastic, soft and flexible.

 

drying

Both of the bread and yours. There is nothing to do.

This is the time for the dough to rise and while it is doing that you need to maintain exactly the right humidity to prevent drying.

Some recipes will even suggest anointing the bread with oil, leaving a damp towel or simply covering in an airtight container.

 

temperature

It has a decisive effect on the rate of swelling. Only an accurate measurement of the temperature and a comparison with previous and future attempts will help you understand whether it is worth cooling or heating, depending on the type of recipe of course.

Another point in this context is preheating the oven. This way it will reach the desired temperature even before the start of baking and will result in uniform distribution and full control of the final result.

It is advisable to invest in an oven thermometer and take into account the time and limitations of your oven.

 

cutting

Guess what – patience is required here too…

If we cut the bread too early it will lose its shape and may also seem underbaked to us.

If we’ve come this far, it’s best to let it cool completely and only then slice it.

This will contribute to texture, uniformity and even taste.

 

* We will conclude with the two most important points – registration and persistence.

The registration will help you understand where you may have gone wrong and avoid repeating the same mistakes.

Persistence is the key that will bring you to the perfect bread or challah.

And with all due respect to the neighbor’s sourdough – anyone can bake good bread. You just have to want.