Bread Baking Technique #3 - Classification of bread

Classification of Bread © kvalifood.com

Bread can be divided into several categories. As soon as you know them, it’s easy to see a new recipe and say “ah that’s this kind of bread.” Which makes it easier to adapt any recipe for your own taste.

Fluid and fat volumes

This is the most important and useful distinction of the dough. Percentage values are found via  baker’s percentage.

Hydration (water)

  • dry dough: (50% -57% water)
    • Bagels
  • standard dough: (57% -65% water)
    • White bread
    • Rye bread
  • wet dough: (about 65% -80% water)
    • Ciabatta
    • Rye bread
    • No Knead Bread / Worlds best bread
    • Pizza dough

Richness (fat)

  • lean dough: (0% - very few % fat)
    • Bagels
    • White bread
    • Rye bread
    • Ciabatta
    • Rye bread
    • No Knead Bread / Worlds best bread
    • Pizza dough
  • enriched dough: (less than 20% fat)
    • Cinnamon buns
    • Corn bread
    • English muffins
    • Italian bread
    • White bread in general
    • Focaccia
    • Danish pancakes
    • Pizza dough
  • fat dough: (more than 20% fat )
    • Brioche

Worlds Best Bread - No Knead Bread. © kvalifood.com

Notice the crumb structure. The large air bubbles are very typical in a wet dough.

Fermentation/leveling methods

  • Direct (without any form of yeast)
  • Yeast
  • Sourdough
  • Mixed (mixture of yeast and sourdough)
  • Pre ferment / starter (Prepare a starter the day before and mix it in.)
  • Chemical Leveling (baking soda)

Flatbread

It’s kind of its own category and can be made in many ways. Raised or not, soft or crisp, but common to them is that they are flat.

  • Pizza
  • Crisp bread
  • Pita

Pizza - probably the most popular flat bread in the world. © kvalifood.com