Adds Flavor

• The most obvious role of salt is to enhance the flavor of the bread. Salt brings out the subtle nuances of the wheat in the flour and the fermentation of the yeast. If you add too little salt to the bread dough, it will taste flat and watery. Add too much, and all you will taste is salt. Ideally, your bread should not taste salty. Instead, the flavors of the flour and yeast should predominate. Most bread recipes call for between 1.8 and 2.0 percent salt based on the weight of the flour.

Regulates Yeast

• Yeast's fermentation transforms some of the complex sugars in the flour into carbon dioxide and alcohol. This process is essential to the rising action that creates bread's airy texture. But if the yeast ferments too quickly, the finished bread will have a rough texture and an underdeveloped, bland flavor. Salt slows the rising process by drawing water out of the yeast cells. Yeast needs water to ferment. Limiting the amount of water available to the yeast slows its growth, which creates a longer rise time and more flavorful bread with a softer, more even texture.

Improves Texture

• The salinity level of bread dough affects the strength of the gluten structure. Bread dough with too little salt is sticky and does not hold up to firm kneading. It rises poorly, giving the finished loaf a dense texture. Adding salt to bread dough tightens the gluten, making it better able to hold carbon dioxide from the yeast. This allows the bread to rise and contributes to an even texture.

Preserves Bread

• Salt has been used to preserve foods for thousands of years. Salt in bread attracts moisture from the air, preventing bread from going stale. In humid environments, this effect can work to your disadvantage, making the bread soggy.

  Don't consider salt the equivalent of chemical preservatives used in commercially baked bread. Even with salt's preservative features, homemade bread will go stale within a day or two. Freeze extra loaves or use leftover bread to make croutons or breadcrumbs.