Are you ready to create high, billowy, beautiful loaves of homemade bread?
Our grandmothers knew that certain ingredients helped the dough rise faster and higher, have a better texture, and keep longer without going stale or molding. These natural dough enhancers and bread improvers still work well today!
About dough enhancers
One of the most frequent questions people ask me is how I achieve those big, fluffy loaves. It's not really a secret - I do what commercial bakeries do.
Dough enhancer, also called bread improver.
There are a lot of reasons bread doesn't rise to its full potential, so to speak, but one way to ensure that gorgeous loaf is a dough enhancer. Commercial bakeries use it for a reason.
Now, I am not telling you to use a bunch of chemicals dumped into your recipe. There are tons of natural ingredients that help your bread rise high, light, and fluffy.
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 each of them to see what works for you.
Ginger
I first learned about adding 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger from an (almost) ancient cookbook. Old cookbooks are one of my addictions and I found this one in a second hand store. The note to add ginger was handwritten in the flyleaf so I tried it - and loved the result.
Ginger is still my favorite dough enhancer additive. This common 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. It won't make your bread taste like ginger, either.
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. Cover it tightly and store it in the refrigerator.
Then, when you are ready to make your recipe, warm the potato water to 110F and use it in place of the water or milk (in equal measure).
This works to help your bread rise because of the potato starch that's left 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 a protein that's present in all wheat flour. It's 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. It's really helpful when you are using different kinds of flour.
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 added in 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.
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!
Learn all the tricks!!
Since this is a pdf file you can download it immediately after purchase and get all the tips and tricks today! Check it out- Complete Beginner's Guide to Making Homemade Bread
Supplies
The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
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
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!
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!
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?
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 (also called bread conditioners or dough improvers) work really well when everything else is working right, too. If you are still having trouble check out this information on troubleshooting.
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. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
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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.
Notes
- Let come to room temperature before making bread.
- Shake the jar before using.
- This will stay good indefinitely in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.First published August 2015. Last updated July 2020 to update information and give the reader a better experience.
khadijat
your tips are very wonderful. please can I use ginger and vitamin c powder at same time
Marye Audet
Yes, you can. 🙂
Renee Bushor
Is that 1/4 t. ginger per loaf? I usually make 6 loafs at one time, so how much ginger would you recommend to put in the water?
Marye Audet
Probably 1/2 teaspoon would be fine.
Daniel W Grubbs
Do you use just one at a time or use all five together? Thanks for the explanations and tips.
Marye Audet
I use one or two at a time. 🙂 You're welcome
Daniel W Grubbs
Thank you. Bread turned out great using lecithin and ginger, was amazed.
Tatyana
Wow, thank you so much!
Marye Audet
I hope it helps!
LindieLee
I notice your bread is in glass bread pans. Do you recommend baking in glass? Are you recipes for bread taking into account you are baking in glass?
Marye Audet
I prefer heavy materials like glass or cast iron for bread. I don't take the glass/ metal pans into consideration because I haven't found there's much difference in the bread either way. I think glass makes the crust on the sides a little crisper.
Raphael Higgins
Amazing post! Just a quick question, do you add 1/4 teaspoon of ginger per loaf? or per how many loaves?
Marye Audet
for anywhere from 1 to 4 loaves....:) If you are making more than four you might want to add a pinch more.
Zequek Estrada
I wouldn't have guessed that you can use ginger to get the bread to rise higher. I'm not much a baker myself but if I ever try to attempt myself, I'll make sure to try using ginger. Does this work for all types of bread like biscuits or potato buns?
Marye Audet
Yes. It just helps the yeast a bit.... energizes it.
Steven
My wife shared your face book post for your Honey Buttermilk bread. I would not call myself a professional baker by a lony lony stretch, but I do bake and sell breads at our local farmers markets. I tried the recipe for the Honey Butter milk and my loafs turned out almost exactly like yours. ( so often recipes I try don't seem to work just right) After reading out the ginger tip I thought I remembered my grandmother using that trick. I looked back at her old cook book and sure enough there it was in her bread recipe. Thanks for all the tips.
Healing Tomato
I have never heard of using ginger to help the bread rise. These are great tips. Your bread looks so good.
Susan | LunaCafe
Awesome tips! I've been baking bread and teaching bread baking for decades and haven't encountered some of these.Looking forward to trying them all. Thanks for the great article! 🙂
Thrifty DIY Diva
Thank you for these tips! I had never heard of adding ginger!!
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass
Great post Marye! I love to bake bread. I have found over the years that many bakers I know are afraid of yeast. My mom and sisters are. And I'm not sure why. I am the one always chosen to make the rolls and bread for holidays, and I don't mind a bit. But I think your tips might put the fears of those who are yeast averse to rest. I didn't know about the ginger, potato water or vitamin C. I always learn so much here. I often add granulated soy lecithin to my bread and not only does it add nutrients, but keeps the bread fresh for much longer. Thanks for this great post!