It is hard to imagine starting the morning without a crisp toast, slathered with butter or cheese spread, and a fluffy omelette

on the side. Bread is very much a part of the Indian kitchen though its origin directs to the West. While white breads have graced our breakfast table for years, it is now time to make way for more wholesome and healthier variants like brown bread and multi-grain. If you are done with store brought breads, being mindful about reports on chemicals

being used in baking breads

, you can put on the baker’s hat yourself and try and learn to make it on your own. It takes some skills, but isn’t impossible a task to master.

The Art of Baking Bread

Find a recipe that seems doable for you. There are three main processes that you need to remember – kneading, proofing and baking. Once you bring together all the ingredients to make the dough, you will have to knead it as per the recipe provided. It will be a good workout for you your arms if you are not using a machine. You then need to let the dough rest in a warm place, a process which is called proofing to let the yeast work its magic and make the dough rise to double its size. The final stage is baking, at the right temperature and time to give you soft and crumbly bread.

There are various types of flours you can use while making bread. The basic method remains the same. “If you are baking bread for the first time, it is important to knead the dough properly, follow the perfect proofing time to make the bread lighter and have a good net formation, and maintain right temperature,” says Vikram Arora, Executive Sous Chef, Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai.