Instructions

1. Read your favorite bread recipe through entirely, even if you have made it many times before. It is important that you understand exactly what goes into each part of making the bread.

2. Substitute 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the flour specified in the recipe with an equal amount of bran. Add the bran to the recipe at the same time as you add the flour. The less bran you add, the more similar to normal your bread's texture will be, but the fiber content will be lower.

3. Mix all ingredients together in the order and method specified by the recipe. Watch the dough to see whether it is too dry and crumbly, or too moist and sticky.

4. Sprinkle in 1 tbsp. of flour at a time if the bread is too moist, or 1 tsp. of water at a time if the dough is too dry. Keep mixing after each addition, and observe any changes to the dough. Bread dough -- unless otherwise described by your recipe -- should generally be smooth and elastic when it is the right consistency.

5. Bake bread as the recipe directs. Wearing an oven mitt on one hand, turn the bread over and lightly tap its bottom with the bare knuckles of your other hand. If it sounds hollow, it is done, and is ready to cool on a wire-cooling rack before serving.

6. Give the bread five more minutes in the oven if it is not done the first time, and another five if it is not done the second time. Watch the bread closely at this point, so it does not overbake and get too hard.