Bread is a staple food for many cultures around the world. From simple loaves of bread to more complex pastries and baked goods, flour, yeast, salt, and water are the basic ingredients that go into making bread. However, many bread recipes also call for adding some type of fat, like oil, butter, or shortening. Using fat serves several important purposes in bread making that help create the texture, flavor, and structure that we expect from quality homemade breads.
Oil Adds Softness and Extends Shelf Life
One of the main reasons to add oil or another fat to bread dough is that it helps keep the bread soft and tender. The fat coats the individual grains of flour and interferes with them forming too many gluten bonds. Kneading develops these gluten bonds which gives bread its chewy texture. Too much gluten development from over-kneading can make bread tough. The fat keeps that from happening. Butter and oils like olive oil add tenderness that balances the chewiness from the gluten development.
In addition to softness, the fat also helps the bread stay fresher and extend its shelf life. The fat helps slow down the staling process. As bread cools after baking, the starches start to recrystallize and go stale. The fat creates a barrier between the starch molecules so the re-crystallization happens slower. This keeps the bread tasting fresher longer. Oils like olive oil in particular can extend the shelf life of homemade bread by several days.
Common Oils Used in Bread Baking
- Olive oil
- Vegetable or canola oil
- Coconut oil
- Butter
- Shortening
Olive oil is a popular choice as it adds flavor in addition to moisture. The grassy, fruity notes pair well with herbs like rosemary and oregano. Vegetable, canola, or other neutral tasting oils also work well. Coconut oil is solid when cool so it makes dough a bit harder to work with. Melted butter is classic in some bread recipes. Shortening like Crisco provides tenderness without added flavor.
Oil Helps Bread Brown and Rise
Another advantage of adding fat to bread dough is that it helps the bread brown better during baking. The sugar and proteins on the surface of bread go through the Maillard reaction which produces the characteristic brown crust. Oil aids this reaction resulting in better browning. The increased browning also leads to more complex, appetizing aromas and flavors.
The fat also improves the ability of the dough to rise higher both before and during baking. Fats help make the dough more extensible so it can expand without tearing. Plus, the fatty acids interact with the gluten strands allowing them to stretch further and trap more air bubbles. This results in a better rise, lighter texture, and finer, more even crumb.
How Much Oil to Use
The amount of oil or fat used in dough recipes can vary. Leaner bread doughs may use around 1-3 tablespoons of oil per loaf. Richer recipes can use upwards of 1/4 cup or more. When substituting oil for solid fats like butter, use about 3/4 the amount of oil by volume. So for 1/4 cup butter, use around 3 tablespoons oil. When first using oil in a bread recipe, start with less and increase to desired softness and shelf life.
| Bread Type | Oil Amount |
|---|---|
| Lean dough | 1-3 tbsp |
| Enriched dough | 3-8 tbsp |
| Brioche and challah | 1/4 cup or more |
Oil Can Improve Flavor
In addition to the textural improvements that oil provides, it can also enhance the flavor of homemade breads. Olive oil in particular adds its own fruity, peppery notes. But other oils can also intensify bread flavor. The various lipids, fatty acids, and fat soluble compounds interact with flavor compounds developed during fermentation and baking. Using an oil that matches the other flavors, like a nutty oil with toasted walnuts, helps all the tastes come together harmoniously.
The oil also helps the bread crust brown more, leading to formation of tasty compounds via the Maillard reaction. And added fat carries flavor, meaning some of the aromatic compounds in the oil end up getting released into the bread during baking. Choosing a good quality oil with its own flavor characteristics enhances the flavor of the finished loaf.
Flavored Oils
In addition to regular olive oil and vegetable oil, there are many flavored oils that can be used to impart specific flavors to bread. Some examples include:
- Garlic oil
- Chili oil
- Lemon oil
- Basil oil
- Rosemary oil
- Truffle oil
Use flavored oils sparingly as their strong flavors can overpower the dough. Start with 1-2 tablespoons flavored oil for an average sized loaf. Flavored olive oils pair nicely with Italian herb breads.
Oil Allows Gluten-Free Breads
For people who need to avoid gluten, using oil is an important way to create tender, moist gluten-free breads. Since gluten-free flours lack the proteins necessary to form gluten, breads made with them can be crumbly and dry. Adding oil coats the flour particles and binds the dough together. Eggs are also used for this purpose. But oil adds tenderness without making the bread overly eggy.
An all-purpose gluten-free flour blend plus oil, eggs, yeast, salt and water can create passable gluten-free bread. Xanthan or guar gum helps mimic the stretchy properties of gluten. Oil is also extra important for keeping gluten-free breads soft so they don’t go stale and harden quickly. A simple gluten-free bread may use 1/4 cup oil for a single loaf.
Common Gluten-Free Flours
- Rice flour
- Tapioca flour
- Sorghum flour
- Potato starch
- Corn flour
- Chickpea flour
Gluten-free flour blends combine several flours and starches to create a mix that mimics all-purpose wheat flour. Adding xanthan or guar gum as well helps improve the texture. Oil is a necessary ingredient in gluten-free bread recipes using these flour alternatives.
Oil Can Be Substituted for Other Fats
While oil is common in bread recipes, bakers can also substitute vegetable oil, canola oil, coconut oil etc. for other fats. Solid fats like butter or shortening can be replaced with about 3/4 the amount of oil. For example, if a recipe calls for 1/4 cup of melted butter, use around 3 tablespoons of oil instead. Make sure to melt coconut oil first since it is solid at room temperature.
When substituting for butter, be aware that the flavor will change. Butter has its own dairy notes that oil will not replicate. However, oils like olive oil add their own characteristic flavors. If switching butter for oil in dinner rolls or sandwich bread, use a light, neutral oil to minimize flavor changes. Any kind of oil can replace shortening as its purpose is for tenderness and not flavor.
One exception is that oil should not typically replace the butter when making pastry dough like puff pastry that relies on distinct layers of butter solidifying between the dough layers. But for basic yeast breads, quick breads, and flatbreads, oil can stand in for solid fats.
Measuring Oil
When measuring oil for bread baking, oils can be measured by volume or weight:
- Volume: Use liquid measuring cups with spouts made for measuring liquids
- Weight: Use a food scale and measure in grams or ounces
For accuracy, weighing oil is best, but measuring by volume in appropriate cups also works. Do not measure oil in traditional dry measuring cups as the oil’s viscosity makes it difficult to level off the cup for correct measurement.
Other Uses for Oil in Bread Making
In addition to putting oil directly into bread dough, bakers use it in other parts of the bread making process:
- Proofing containers – Oil pans or bowls before placing dough in to proof so dough does not stick
- Kneading – Oil hands and work surface to keep dough from sticking while kneading
- Rising – Oil top of dough to prevent a skin forming as it rises
- Baking – Brush loaves with oil before baking for sheen and flavor
Oils like olive oil can also be used to create flavored dipping oils for homemade bread. Overall, having oil on hand is useful for many facets of bread making.
Storing and Handling Oil
To get the most use and flavor out of oils:
- Buy oil in opaque bottles and store in a cool, dark place to prevent rancidity
- Refrigerate more fragile oils like nut oils or flavored oils
- Let refrigerated oils come to room temp before using
- Don’t repeatedly heat and cool oil as it can break down over time
With proper storage and handling, baking oils can retain optimum freshness and flavor.
Conclusion
While simple bread only requires flour, yeast, salt and water, adding fat in the form of oil enhances the texture, taste, and shelf life. Oil helps keep bread soft and delays staling so homemade loaves stay fresh longer. Oil aids gluten development for better rising and gives breads a tender crumb. It also allows breads to brown better and improves flavor. Oil is particularly important for successful gluten-free bread recipes. Just be sure to store oils properly to maintain freshness. With its versatile benefits, oil is a useful addition to bread bakers‘ pantries.