When I bake bread, whether it's yeast bread or quick breads like banana bread, I always divide the dough into two smaller loaves. Since I’m the only one in my family with gluten issues, fresh-baked gluten-free bread doesn’t last as long as commercial bread because it does not contain chemical preservatives.
When it comes to making buns—whether hamburger, hot dog, hoagie or dinner rolls—I aim for uniform size and shape. Here’s a simple tip to ensure all your buns turn out the same size.
Weigh Your Mixing Bowl: Start by weighing your empty mixing bowl in grams. Using grams is essential for consistency in baking. You'll notice that commercial bread packaging measurements include pounds, ounces, and grams.
Prepare the Dough: Follow your recipe to prepare the dough.
Weigh the Bowl with Dough: Weigh the mixing bowl again after adding the dough.
Calculate Dough Weight: Subtract the bowl's weight from the total weight (bowl + dough) to find the dough's weight.
Divide for Portions: Divide the total dough weight by the number of loaves or buns you’re making. This calculation gives the weight of each portion.
Account for Residual Dough: Remember, some dough will stick to the bowl. Account for this when dividing portions.
For Loaves of Bread: I use smaller loaf pans to make two loaves (approximately 6 3/4” x 3 1/2”). Weigh each empty pan, as their weights may vary slightly.
Weigh Dough for Loaves: Place each pan on the scale and scoop dough into it until it matches the desired weight.
Shape the Loaves: Use a knife to shape the dough into a loaf. Note that gluten-free bread won’t form a domed top like gluten bread.
For Buns or Dinner Rolls: Follow the same method of weighing the bowl before and after making the dough. Divide the dough weight by the number of buns.
Prepare Your Scale: Cover your scale with plastic wrap and dust it with tapioca flour or starch to prevent the dough from sticking.
Weigh Dough for Buns: Scoop dough onto the dusted plastic wrap until it reaches the correct weight in grams.
Dust and Shape: Dust the top of the dough and your hands with tapioca flour/starch. Shape the dough into a round on the scale. Don't roll into a ball. This can create cracks in the dough.
Place Dough on Pan: Carefully place each dough ball into your baking pan or parchment covered baking sheet, following the recipe instructions.
Brush with Oil: Using a pastry brush with soft bristles, brush the tops and sides of the dough balls with oil to prevent cracking.
Follow Baking Instructions: Finally, bake according to your recipe’s instructions.
Closing Thoughts
The key is to make sure the dough balls are nice and round, without indentations in the top. This may take a little practice since the dough is so soft. In the end, you will love the results!
This really works!