Each ingredient's contribution in a bread recipe can be complex, so I have included an easy-to-understand discussion. Go to How Baking Works and How Yeast Bread Fermentation Works for more information. Most ingredients are found in the grocery store or online.

Baking with yeast demands that the ingredients are in a certain proportion to one another and the proper timing is used when adding them, otherwise problems occur. Yeast needs simple sugars in which to ferment, but too much added sugar can kill it. Salt regulates the yeast's activity, but added directly kills it. So make sure you follow the recipe as closely as possible.

FLOUR: Wheat is the type of flour used in bread baking. It includes all-purpose, bread and whole wheat flours. Sometimes a small percentage of non-wheat flour and grains are added for interest and health to the recipe, such as Kamut, triticale, rye, oat, barley, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, teff, rice, potato, soy, tapioca, corn, quinoa and legume-based flours.

Wheat flours are especially rich with complex gluten forming proteins such as gliaden and glutenin unlike non-wheat flour and grains. When mixed with moisture, usually water, form gluten strands, necessary for bread making.

The amount of protein forming potential flour has governs the amount of gluten that can be formed. Bread, whole wheat, all-purpose flour and other wheat flours are perfect to use in bread recipes because they all contain ample gluten-forming proteins, bread being the highest. Higher protein flour makes more gluten and lighter yeast breads. Recipes with whole wheat flour have less gluten and make denser loaves. That’s why these recipes generally require some bread or all-purpose flour which increases the gluten and makes lighter, taller loaves. If Vital Wheat Gluten is added, it helps heavy loaves rise higher.  

Usually a recipe for yeast dough will suggest a range in how much flour is used, ie: 4 to 5 cups. Begin by adding less flour than your recipe suggests or at the beginning of the range to the proofed yeast and water, not the other way around. The reason why is that sometimes more or less flour is needed, depends upon the protein content of the flour and sometimes the weather playing a minor role influencing how much water the flour will absorb. Sometimes the difference can be a couple of cups, not just a tablespoon or two.

YEAST: Yeast is the heart of the bread making process called fermentation. It’s the essential ingredient that makes the dough rise and gives home-baked bread its wonderful taste and aroma. Other ingredients added to a bread recipe also add flavor.

There are several yeast types, including wild or natural, dehydrated or fresh. Sometimes other gas-producing microorganisms are involved in bread leavening--such as lactic acid bacteria in sourdough bread or salt-rising breads. 

No matter what type, yeast is a single-cell organism, which needs food, warmth, and moisture to thrive. It will feed on the sugar's that it converts from the flour's starches, moistened by added water or other liquids. It will then release carbon dioxide (for rise) and alcohol (for flavor) as by-products, in a process called fermentation, trapped in the dough by the gluten strands. Gluten is created when wheat flour is moistened and stirred. 

Long, slow risings will give you sour, tasty bread with more flavor, such as starter breads (sourdough) or refrigerated or cool rises (cold slows the yeast's activity). That's because a long rise gives the yeast a chance to develop flavor by eating the starch in the flour and turning it into carbon dioxide and ethyl alcohol. Short risings leave the bread tasting yeastier, such as in homemade bread recipes. 

SALT: is an important ingredient in bread baking -- don't leave it out! However, direct contact with salt will kill the dissolved yeast. Instead, mix the salt in with the SECOND or THIRD cup of dry ingredients. I generally use no more than two teaspoons per loaf.

LIQUIDS: WATER, MILK, POTATO WATER: Liquids are an important ingredient in bread baking, with tap water being the most commonly used, but can also include milk and even potato water. It is important to have the liquid at the correct temperature.

The amount of liquids used in a recipe is always variable with baking recipes that call for flour. It has to do with how much the flour will absorb on a given day. (For more).  But, if you add too much or too little, problems occur. 

In bread recipes, water stimulates the growth of both the yeast and the development of gluten. It dissolves and activates the yeast, it activates the protein in the wheat flour and blends with it to create a sticky and elastic dough. You don't need any special kind of water, so use it from the tap, unless it is highly chlorinated which can sometimes kill the yeast. If you have trouble getting yeast to work, try using distilled water instead of tap.

Milk gives bread a more tender crust than water. You can use reconstituted instant dry milk powder or dry buttermilk powder found in the dry and canned milk area of your grocery store. I like to use fresh milk, such as whole milk, and buttermilk. Whole milk naturally contains both sugar and more fat than other milks and the bread's crust tends to brown more quickly and the loaf has more flavor. 

Bread machine recipes can call for just "dry milk powder" (different from instant nonfat dry milk powder), because it doesn't spoil; in that case, do not reconstitute it nor add the water to the recipe that would have been used to reconstitute it. 

For those of you that can’t have milk, substitute it with soymilk, rice milk, etc, 1:1, but note that the texture and flavor of the recipe won't be the same.

SUGAR: Sugar adds flavor and rich brown color to a bread’s crust. Table sugar is commonly used, but brown sugar, honey, molasses, jams and dried fresh fruits may also be used. Fruit juices also add significant amounts of sugar. Do not use sugar free sweeteners, unless the recipe is written to specifically include them. Sugar free sweeteners contain chemicals that can damage or kill the yeast.

In small amounts, added honey or glucose and fructose (not table sugar) is food for the yeast and helps it begin producing gas for raising yeast dough. Plus, all sugars add sweetness and helps to create a fine texture and crumb (tenderizes). It also causes the Maillard reaction, also know as browning.  Higher sugar amounts increase the keeping qualities of the bread. This is why commercial products with higher amounts of sugar last longer on the shelf than do homemade breads and rolls, which have a lower amount. 

If too much sugar is added, it slows yeast fermentation. Yeast competes with the sugar for the moisture in the recipe, with the sugar always succeeding  taking it away from the yeast. This leaves the yeast cells without sufficient moisture to grow properly. The yeast action becomes sluggish and slow, and the dough doesn't rise as it should. Therefore, sweet breads are usually dense and not as large as sandwich breads. That's why dough rich in sugar (or other sweeteners), fruits or nuts often requires Vital Wheat Gluten. 

EGGS: Eggs add food value, color and flavor to breads. They also help make the crumb fine and the crust tender. Eggs add richness and protein. Some recipes call for eggs to be used as a wash that adds color.

FATS: Butter, olive oil and margarine are just some of the fats you can use to make a bread tender and moist; known as shorteners, they help to prevent the formation of excess gluten and increase the keeping qualities of a bread loaf, preventing it from drying out too quickly. Fats also add flavor and helps to increase loaf volume. Do not use light or tub margarines; if the first ingredient is water they will not work. Do not substitute oil for margarine/shortening unless the recipe calls for it. 

HERBS AND SPICES:  

FLAVORINGS: Orange, lemon or grapefruit peel as well as alcohol will have a retarding effect and too much will stop the yeast activity completely. So be careful how you you add; follow the recipe.

RAISINS, DRIED FRUIT AND NUTS: Many yeast bread recipes have added raisins, dried fruit and nuts. Just be aware that these add-ins will slow the rising time. As a result, its best to add them right after the dough is deflated from its first rise and before shaping the dough. Knead the dough until the add-ins are evenly distributed. 

DOUGH ENHANCERS & ADD-INS

BASIC TOOLS are necessary for making bread. Remember you need not get fancy; bread has been made for centuries with hands, a work surface and an oven. Here are some simple suggestions for your own bread making endeavors. Do remember to take your rings off before making bread - you can't believe the mess you'll make of them otherwise!