Salt

Bread would taste insipid without salt, but in addition salt has other properties that help produce a good loaf. It acts as a stabilizer by strengthening the gluten in the dough, improves the colour of the crust, prolongs freshness, and retards fermentation of the yeast. This last factor is important. When making bread you must ensure the salt and yeast do not come in close contact with each other. The concentration of salt in the dough is tolerated by the yeast only providing they are added separately. In the following recipes the salt is added two-thirds of the way into the dough making process.