Why is My Homemade Bread Crumbly?

Normally, bread has crumbs. However, if you are baking your bread at home for the first time, you might realize it is too crumbly than it should be. Making bread is the science of knowing how to mix the ingredients in the right measures. When making your bread at home, you should be very accurate with the variables. The flour, measurements, kneading, and temperature are all vital things you must be careful with to ensure your bread is not too crumbly. We will give you six good reasons why your bread is too crumbly and how to prevent it.

1. Too Much Flour

Using too much flour is a mistake that most beginner bakers make. You must find the balance between the liquid elements and flour. If you don’t know how much flour to use, you can ask for help from an experienced bread baker. It is tempting to add more flour while kneading, especially if baking bread for the first time. Avoid adding too much of it, even if you should add flour when the dough is sticky. Weigh your ingredients accurately and add less flour as you finish kneading.

2. Not Enough Gluten

Gluten is found in wheat and is responsible for the elasticity of the dough. The gluten helps maintain the bread’s shape and crumby texture. Therefore, if the bread lacks enough gluten, it is one possible reason it is crumbly. Flours have different amounts of gluten. Therefore, choose the right wheat flour for bread. You will realize that most bakeries use high-gluten flour to make their bread. If you are using whole-grain flour, you may have to add white flour for more gluten.

3. Not Enough Kneading

Kneading helps mix the ingredients and create more gluten. This is a vital part of learning how to bake the best bread since you have to know if you have done enough kneading. Make sure you knead your dough well but don’t do it too much. It can be a good idea to set a timer and knead until your bread dough is ready.

4. Not Enough Fat or Salt

There are ingredients added to the bread to control the yeast. For example, fat and salt help slow it down. You may not like salt or fat in your food but not adding it to bread is a bad idea. Salt adds flavor, and you don’t have to add too much. Using the recommended amount of salt and fat on your bread is crucial. To keep the bread moist, you should add fat like butter, oil, or lard. Just don’t add too much of these ingredients.

5. Too Much Yeast

If you want the bread to rise, add some yeast. However, too much yeast will ruin it. Yeast is living, and adding too much leads to more growth, which can get out of hand. Therefore, ensure you only put the right amount of yeast.

6. Wrong Baking Temperature

Your bread will be too dry if you bake it for too long. While the recipe says you should bake the bread for 40 minutes at 350 degrees, adjusting may be a good idea. Ensure you preheat the oven to ensure the oven will rise properly.

Conclusion

You should keep an eye on these vital things if you are baking your bread for the first time. Pay attention to the measurements and add all the necessary ingredients.