How to Use a Bread Improver (7 Steps)

Bread improver, or dough enhancer, can be beneficial to any bread recipe. It is a must, however, when baking with whole wheat flour or whole grains, which are heavy and tend to weigh the dough down. By adding a dough improver to your regular ingredients, you'll be including natural elements that will help keep your bread fresher longer, will give it a more pleasing texture and will give the yeast in the recipe the ideal environment in which to do its job. Dough enhancer can be purchased in specialty baking shops or you can make your own.

Things You'll Need

Bread improver
Measuring cups and spoons
Large mixing bowl

Wooden spoon
Cooking spray

Instructions

Proof the yeast in your bread recipe by mixing it with the warm liquid (water or milk) in the recipe. Stir in the sugar and allow the mixture to foam while you prepare the dry ingredients.
Place 1 tbsp. bread improver in a 1-cup measuring cup. Fill the rest of the cup with flour. Level it off by swiping a knife blade across the top of the cup and allowing the excess flour to fall back into the bin. Pour the cup of flour into a bowl and repeat this process for every cup of flour your recipe calls for.
Measure out the salt called for in the recipe and add it to the flour in the mixing bowl.
Pour the proofed yeast over the flour mixture. Add any remaining ingredients that your bread recipe calls for and mix with a wooden spoon.
Knead the bread dough with your hands once it becomes too stiff to continue stirring it with the spoon. You can turn it out of the bowl onto a floured countertop, if necessary, and continue kneading by hand for approximately 8 minutes.
Spray the mixing bowl with a light mist of cooking spray and return the dough to the bowl.
Cover the dough and allow it to raise for the prescribed amount of time according to your recipe. The dough is now ready to bake.

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