Are you ready to create high, billowy, beautiful loaves of bread? Our grandmothers knew that certain ingredients helped bread dough rise faster and higher, have a better texture, and keep longer. These natural dough enhancers still work well today!
Dough enhancers
One of the most frequent questions people ask me when it comes to baking bread is how I achieve those big, fluffy loaves. It’s not really a secret – I do what commercial bakeries do.
Dough enhancer.
There are a lot of reasons bread doesn’t rise to its full potential, so to speak, but one way to ensure that gorgeous high rise loaf is a dough enhancer. Commercial bakeries use it for a reason.
Now, I am not telling you to use bunch of chemicals that you dump into the dough mixture. There are lots of natural ingredients that help your bread achieve that gorgeous shape that you are looking for.
Here are some of my favorite ingredients to make your dough rise higher. You can use one of them or combine several. Take some time to try them to see what works for you.
Ginger
I first learned about adding 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger from an ancient cookbook. Old cookbooks are one of my addictions and I found this one in a second hand store. That was back when I first started baking bread in 1974. The note to add ginger was handwritten in the flyleaf so I tried it – and loved the result.
Ginger is still my favorite additive when I bake bread. The spice boosts the yeast like that first cup of coffee hitting you in the morning. The yeast gets more active much more quickly.
Add 1/4 teaspoon of ginger in with the water when you are first proofing the yeast to help your bread rise higher and fluffier.
By the way? Prior to my posting a bread recipe with ginger in the ingredients list back in 2006 there were virtually NO bread recipes on the internet with ginger as an ingredient.
Yay me.
Potato water
The next time you boil potatoes don’t salt the water. When the potatoes are done save that cloudy water in a Mason jar tightly covered in the fridge. Then, when you are ready to make your fluffy loaf of bread, warm the potato water to 110F and use it in place of the water in the recipe (in equal measure).
This works well to help your bread rise because of the potato starch in the water. The starch encloses the gas bubbles in dough and strengthens them. That makes your bread rise lighter and higher. Of course it also gives a pleasant flavor and I feel good about being as frugal as my grandmother was!
Don’t keep potato water more than a few days, though. It sours and can really smell up your kitchen.
Wheat gluten
Wheat gluten is present in all wheat flour and it is the substance that gives the dough that elastic feel. It strengthens the dough and holds the gas bubbles produced by the yeast and to make the bread rise higher.
You can buy vital wheat gluten, which is just the gluten. Substitute 1 tablespoon gluten for 1 tablespoon flour in each cup of flour for whole wheat bread and about half that for white. So, if your recipe calls for 8 cups whole wheat flour you’ll remove 1/2 cup of the flour and add 1/2 cup of gluten. Add with the flour.
If you’re making pizza dough or Italian bread you can add about 1 1/2 tablespoons per cup of flour to give your bread that chewier texture.
Dry milk powder
Adding 2 tablespoons instant dry milk powder per loaf of bread will help your bread rise higher, stay soft, and hold the moisture longer. That means it won’t get stale as quickly. Dry milk powder creates a more golden brown crust and improves nutrition, too.
Add it with the flour.
Vitamin C powder
Don’t use this in your artisan type breads that have a coarser crumb but it will help make sandwich loaves soft — especially good when it comes to wheat breads.
The acid of the vitamin C helps the yeast to work better and also acts as a preservative by deterring the growth of mold and bacteria.
I toss the contents of a bottle of vitamin C tablets in the blender, turn them into a powder, and then store it in a Mason jar. I use 1/8 teaspoon per loaf of bread, adding it in with the flour.
Other possibilities
There are other additives you can use, of course. In addition to the ones mentioned above people add:
- dried potato flakes
- Lecithin
- Vinegar
- A variety of other ingredients
I tend to stick with those listed here because in the 41+ years I’ve been making bread they haven’t let me down!
Supplies
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What’s new? Check out my Restless Chipotle & Co. Store on Amazon where you’ll find all kinds of nostalgic goodness! Thanks so much for being a part of Restless Chipotle!
Just about a year ago I wrote and published a bread making book, Bread Bootcamp: It’s Not a Cookbook…It’s an Adventure. I took all of the questions y’all have asked me over the years and created a bread baking course that takes you through the process from the basics to the advanced. You start easy then get to the more complicated recipes. By the time you finish the book you can make a variety of breads.
Gluten flour is available almost everywhere but I often get mine on Amazon because it’s just so darn convenient. Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Flour
FAQs
Here are the most commonly asked questions about this recipe. If you don’t find the answer to yours here leave a comment below or email me – I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!
What is dough enhancer?
Ingredients or combinations of ingredients that are added to bread dough to get it to rise better, stay softer, and last longer.
What is bread improver?
Bread improver is just another name for dough enhancer.
What makes bread rise?
Yeast turns the starches and sugars in flour to carbon dioxide gas which in turn inflates air bubbles in the bread causing it to rise. Since the yeast is also multiplying and producing more carbon dioxide the bread rises more and more.
Related
Dough enhancers (bread conditioners) work really well when everything else is working right, too. If you are having trouble check out this information on troubleshooting.
- Yeast Bread Baking Tips Part 1
- Part 2
- Yeast Bread Baking Troubleshooting
- Different Kinds of Flour
- A Complete Guide to Bread Baking
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Click through to these bread recipes to try this great dough enhancer out!
📖 Recipe
Homemade Dough Enhancer
Print Add to CollectionEquipment Needed
Ingredients
- 1 cup wheat gluten
- 2 tablespoons lecithin granules
- 1 teaspoon vitamin C granules
- 2 tablespoons powdered fruit pectin
- 2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
- 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
- 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
Instructions
- Mix together and store in a capped Mason jar in the refrigerator.
- To Use: Add 3 tablespoons for each loaf of bread a recipe makes.
Nutrition
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We’ll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.First published August 2015. Last updated March 2020 to update information and give the reader a better experience.
Santhi
Hi, I’m allergic for yeast I love to eat bread, do you have recipes that I can make bread without yeast.
I would appreciate if you can help me.
Thanks & Regards,
Santhi
Marye
Hi Santhi,
Try this – you can use regular flour if you have it. https://www.restlesschipotle.com/easy-oatmeal-batter-bread-without-flour/
Linda Beus
Just spent way to much time trying to save this in Pinterest and never did get it to work!
Marye
I’m sorry. You can find the pin here – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/54746951707831012/
There’s a glitch but I’m working on it.
Shirley
Do you increase amount of yeast if making 8 loaves of bread.at one time
Marye
I’d add 2 tablespoons or 2 packets is all.
Karen Adams
Hi I was just wondering if you can taste the ginger in any of the bread you make. Thanks for all the great information.
Marye
Nope! It only activates the yeast – it doesn’t add flavor!
NC
Firstly thanks for all the great info on this site. I am glad that you have listed the dough improvers which will help my dough rise….and other great resource which I plan to use. Also your story/background is such an inspiration for me especially about raising these many kids :))
Quick question:
You mentioned 2 tablespoon Instant Dry Milk Powder.. I just wanted to make sure before adding it. Because your HOMEMADE DOUGH ENHANCER MIXTURE has 1/2 cup non fat dry milk powder.
Now should i buy non-fat or full fat or skimmed or any regular milk powder…And does it have to be instant or regular? So I am confused…..please help 🙂 Thanks in advance.
Marye
It’s the same thing. 🙂
Bonita M
Am excited to try your tips on adding ginger, Vitamin C or gelatin. Was diagnosed pre-diabetic 22 months ago and quit baking. My usual methods, potato water, mashed potatoes, potato flakes, malt syrup, etc., are now forbidden. I’ve tried commercial diabetic breads, YUCK, No Thanks. So thank you ever so much for these tips! Can’t wait to try making whole grain bread again.
Question: do you use much whey, either sour or sweet, in your bread baking? I can’t seem to use as much whey as we create from clabbering milk or yogurt making. I was a huge milk drinker, now I can’t. I keep hearing it’s wonderful for bread baking. Been going through Mom’s cookbook collection. Just not finding the recipes I thought I’d find for whey bread.
Marye
I don’t use it but you can use it in equal amounts to replace water.
Robin
You use so little malt syrup/powder in bread baking that it makes little difference. The starch in the bread will raise your blood sugar far higher than that little bit of malt. If you are really concerned about diabetes, you need to cut your carb consumption to no more than one slice of bread (approx 20 grams carbohydrate)or equivalent per meal or snack. You may even have to eat fewer carbs than that. Get a home blood sugar meter to check what raises your blood sugar to see for yourself how much you can tolerate. Check it at approximately 2 hours after each meal when you are able to until you get a sense of it.
Janet
I grind my own flour. I sometimes add some AP flour when
making hard crusted rolls that have a very soft dough. I’m thinking I
will try the ginger.
I cannot get me sourdough breads to rise high. Please help. I even
add a 1/4 tsp of yeast with no success.
Please any advice would be appreciated.
Marye
When you make your sourdough make sure you use spring water – tap water can contain chemicals that weaken the wild yeast. Also – keep in mind sour dough doesn’t rise as high, usually… and since you are using home ground flour the wheat is heavy and keeping it from rising. You could use part white flour or add gluten flour. Hope this helps
Claudia Mortensen
What role does the gelatin and the pectin play? I just like to understand these things. Thank you.
Marye
They help stabilize the proteins in the flour, I believe.
fr33k
Gelatin helps in shaping high hydration dough. That’s it.
Rachylle sustiguer
Can i use Vitamin C with wheat flour and AP flour combination?
Marye
sure!