Most bread nowadays is made with salt. I have read that it has only been used in breadmaking for a couple hundred years but seems like someone would have thought of it far sooner because bread has been around for thousands of years. There are places where some bread is still made without salt. Tuscany being one of them.

At only 1.5% - 2.5%, salt makes up a very small part of a recipe. This tiny percentage affects fermentation, flavour, and texture.

Salt acts as a tightening agent on gluten. It strengthens the dough and makes it more cohesive. As the yeast consumes the maltose made by active enzymes contained in the flour, it expels carbon dioxide. It is the carbon dioxide that gets trapped in the gluten network and makes the bread dough puff up. The stronger the gluten the more gas it can hold. This of course is not a rule that must be followed. Sometimes weaker gluten is preferable. Saying that, a dough without salt becomes extremely weak and can’t hold the gas effectively.

Besides improving dough structure, it also greatly enhances the flavour. Bread made without salt tastes bland. It has no character. Salt not only adds a salty taste, but it also accentuates the flavour of the flour and other ingredients contained in the dough.

Salt helps with controlling fermentation. It draws moisture through the cell walls of yeast through a process called osmosis. Yeast needs water to work effectively. The more dehydrated it gets the slower it will ferment. This is by no means a bad thing. A dough made without salt can ferment too rapidly and uncontrollably. This property of salt can be used for slowing down and controlling sourdough derived leavens and yeasted preferments. It is especially useful in hotter climates and hotter kitchens. Just a small percentage significantly slows down a preferment preventing it from over fermenting.

Salt inhibits enzymatic activity. This is one of the reasons why salted foods can be stored for so long. So, adding salt to a soaker can prevent it from going off. Soakers with grains and seeds often are made with hot water. Leaving a warm soaker to stand at room temperature for many hours can cause it to spoil. I will make a dedicated episode about soakers and how to use them soon. The same salt percentages apply for soakers as well as bread dough and preferments.

Salt helps preserve the colour and flavour of four. Unbleached flour has carotenoid pigments which give the crumb a creamy colour and wheaty aroma. Salt helps with preserving these carotenoids as it delays oxidation. Therefore, it is preferable to add salt at the beginning of the mixing process. Saying that, it is most important when using a mixer as the mechanical action can oxidize the flour a lot faster than hand kneading could. The resulting bread can have a white crumb and a lack of good aroma.

While normally all ingredients are calculated as a percentage of the total amount of flour, if a dough is made up of a large proportion of grains and seeds, then the total salt amount should be calculated in relation to the total weight of the grains, seeds, and flour. This is important for a correct balance of flavour. Grains and seeds absorb a lot of water and dilute the saltiness of the final loaf. Adding more salt will correct this.

Generally, 2% of salt is the standard for most recipes. I almost never stray from that number. It keeps the calculations simple, and it adds enough flavour while keeping the fermentation in check.

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