Baking Powder Bread
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a very hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the dough
In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Quickly add cold water, mixing with a wooden spoon until a moist dough forms.
Beat the dough well until smooth.
Shape and bake
Divide the dough into 6 pieces and knead them quickly into small loaves.
Bake on floured baking sheets for 10 to 15 minutes, or in tins for 30 minutes in a very hot oven at 400°F (200°C).
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Flour
- Provides the structure that the dough sets around as it bakes.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas when moistened and heated, making the bread rise without yeast.
- Cold water
- Hydrates the flour to form a moist dough that holds its shape.
The step that matters
Quickly add cold water and knead quickly into loaves. Baking powder starts releasing gas as soon as it meets liquid, so the dough should be mixed, shaped and put into the hot oven without delay. Waiting lets the gas escape before the structure sets, which reduces rise.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
You might also like
Cornbread345 recipes
Bread Pudding336 recipes
Milk Bread Rolls242 recipes
Potato Bread124 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.