Welcome to this breadmaking series, where we’ll dive into the culture, science, and history behind all kinds of bread. Whether we’re working with a fluffy loaf of flour, water, salt, and yeast or exploring breads that don’t rise at all, this series is all about building confidence, curiosity, and creativity in the kitchen.
I’ll be featuring six special Selefina blends – each one used in a unique recipe that will highlight a different facet of what makes bread so fascinating and endlessly creative. Think of the recipe as a fun exercise: a way to apply what we’ve learned and, of course, a chance to bake something fun. Let’s roll!
— Rena S
Please enjoy this series by Rena Sak. Food photography on this page is ©Rena Sak.
Lean bread is a good place to learn about basic bread foundations and practice them. Lean dough contains little to no fat or sugar, consisting primarily of four basic ingredients: flour, water, salt, and yeast. Breads like baguettes, ciabatte, pita, basic pizza dough, and even a basic sourdough loaf would be considered lean bread.
If you’re familiar with these breads, you’ll know that there are some pretty big differences between a baguette and a pita. You can learn to manipulate dough in so many ways, from types of flour, hydration amount, fermentation method, shaping, and, of course, the bake itself. For my first recipe, let’s dive more into two areas for us to play with: hydration and fermentation.
Lower hydration doughs (typically under 65%) mean firmer doughs, easier shaping, and a tighter interior, or crumb. These are great for old-school sandwich loaves, bagels, and simple rolls. High hydration doughs (typically 75% upwards) can be sticky and tricky to shape, which is why they’re often baked in pans (like focaccia) or end up with rustic, wonky forms (like ciabatta). One of my favorite breads is the Catalan pan de cristal – at over 90% hydration, it's initially like a batter!
More hydration means more steam from within due to the added liquid. This allows the dough to expand more, giving open, irregular holes (open crumb), a crackly crust, and a moist, chewy bite.
Faster-acting commercial yeast is actually a more modern invention, only going back about 150 years. Sourdough, made from natural yeast and bacteria, is the most ancient form of bread, tracing its roots to ancient Egypt. Since sourdough (starter) is a fermented product in itself, it adds way more depth and aroma compared to normal yeast – even if it takes more time. Breads like panettone, made with a stiff starter called lievito madre, rustic loaves like pain de campagne, and many rye breads rely on a starter.
Typically, more leavener means dough rises more quickly; less means it rises more slowly. Both options can yield differences in flavor, texture, and even color. You can even combine both methods, such as with a pre-ferment, like a poolish, where a portion of the flour, liquid, and yeast are left to ferment for a while before being added to the main dough.
Some cultures will just mix their chosen flour and water and let the dough or batter ferment naturally over several days before cooking, like the tangy Ethiopian Injera bread.
To flavor the fougasse, we are using the Sweet + Zesty Onion Mix Spice Blend for an alliaceous kick. But we won’t be adding it straight out of the jar. Hydrating it first will give us moist onions tucked into the holes and crevices of the loaf, while helping the beautiful flavor to permeate throughout.
The contrast between my weekday sandwich bread and that sweet, fluffy Hawaiian loaf wasn’t just about flavor. The addition of a few simple, yet key ingredients completely changes how a bread behaves, and that’s how we turn a simpler, lean dough into what bakers call an enriched one.
Enriched breads start the same way as most breads: flour, water (or other liquid), and yeast. But once you add things like butter, eggs, milk, and sugar, everything changes. The texture gets softer, the flavor deeper, and the end result is something closer to a treat than a staple.
Think of Brioche, Challah, Panettone, or Hot Cross Buns. These aren’t everyday breads for most people - and that’s no accident. Historically, enriched breads were often saved for special moments: holidays, religious celebrations, or once-a-week treats. Ingredients like butter, eggs, and sugar were considered luxuries for many - more expensive, harder to access, and harder to store. Even for farming families who had eggs or dairy, making enriched breads took extra time and effort (you’ll see why) - something not feasible for everyday baking.
These days, it’s much easier to find all kinds of enriched breads any day of the week (though they’re often still pricier), yet for many of us, they still hold a similar sense of occasion, nostalgia, and indulgence.
Behind every pillowy slice of enriched bread is a little bit of magic. The addition of butter, eggs, sugar, or milk doesn’t just make bread taste amazing; it changes its very nature. But, how?
Fats, like butter, oil, or shortening, soften the crumb. Butter adds richness and flavor (common in home baking), while oil and shortening make bread extra tender and extend shelf life (common in industrial baking). Fats coat flour’s proteins, making it harder for gluten to form, so enriched doughs often need extended kneading.
The classic French brioche is an example of a bread with a lot of fat, using up to 50% butter or more by weight compared to flour.
Eggs, specifically yolks, act as emulsifiers, helping fat and water combine smoothly into the dough. They add richness, moisture, and color, but also weaken the gluten due to their fat content. Egg whites, however, help build structure.
Challah is an example that traditionally relies on eggs for color and structure, often omitting dairy in the recipe.
Sugar does more than sweeten - it’s hygroscopic, meaning it pulls in and holds onto moisture, making the crumb softer and helping bread stay fresh longer. But a lot of it can impact gluten development and yeast activity.
Rosca de Reyes, Mexico’s sweet, ornately decorated bread eaten on Epiphany (January 6th), is a great example of a sugar-rich dough.
Milk (particularly whole milk) adds fat and moisture, creating a more tender crumb. Tip: Milk powder is a great pantry staple to store for adding to breads.
Milk breads, like the Japanese Shokupan, use milk as a key ingredient in the dough, contributing to its soft and slightly sweet flavor.
Fun fact: These same ingredients that make gluten development tricky in enriched breads are exactly what we love in cakes and muffins. They don’t just block gluten - they bring all that softness and tenderness. So even though the ingredient list looks similar, the technique and final result are totally different.
Enriched doughs behave differently from lean ones. Since ingredients like butter, eggs, and sugar weaken gluten development and slow down yeast activity, these doughs need a bit more care to rise tall and bake soft.
Five Pepper Cacao Doughnuts
To demonstrate how an enriched dough is made, behaves, and tastes (yum), I developed this enriched doughnut recipe containing all of those key ingredients: egg, butter, sugar, and milk - so you’ve hit the enriched dough practice jackpot! I’ve even included a little optional trick to help the yeast get a head start.
I’ve added this Five Pepper Cacao spice to the custard filling, balancing it with honey, vanilla, and cinnamon. It’s fun, unique, and has a sweet kick. I got the inspiration from a local restaurant that serves fresh doughnuts with various dipping custards, one flavored with Chinese Five Spice. (It’s my all-time favorite sweet sauce now.) Enjoy!
A quick list of all the spices Rena used in this series.
